Bath Iron Works has been awarded a U.S. Navy contract to build another warship.
BIW has seven destroyers under construction and says the Navy has exercised an option to add a DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to the competitive multi-year contract awarded two years ago. The amount of the contract has not been disclosed.
In a press release, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations committee, says the additional destroyer will "enhance our national security, protect good-paying Maine jobs, and provide long-term stability for the highly skilled men and women at BIW.”
The new ship, which will take years to build, will be named after marine Kyle Carpenter — the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient.