AUGUSTA, Maine - U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus told the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee that the effort to get more than $400 million to complete funding for an additional DDG-51 destroyer is a high priority.
Last year Congress allocated just over $1 billion for the ship, about two-thirds of its cost.
"We think this is one of the very top funding priorities - CNO [Chief of Naval Operations] and I do - and we look forward to working with you on figuring out how to get this money so that we can get this ship under contract, so it's a '16 ship," Mabus said.
Sen. Susan Collins had questioned Mabus about the status of the ship. Mabus says he wants the ship to be fully funded this year.
It's likely that the ship would be built at Bath Iron Works. Collins sits on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
