Bath Iron Works to Christen Newest Destroyer

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works will christen the newest DDG 51 Class destroyer, MOMSEN (DDG 92) on Saturday, August 9 at its shipbuilding facility. DDG 92 is BIW's 23rd DDG 51 Class destroyer, and the second to be built at the shipyard's modernized land-level transfer facility. DDG 92 is named to honor Navy Vice Admiral Charles Bowers "Swede" Momsen, who rescued 33 crew members and then led the salvage of submarine USS SQUALUS after she sank in 240 feet of water in May 1939. He received commendation from President Franklin D. Roosevelt for these actions. Evelyn Momsen Hailey will christen the ship named for her father. The principal speaker for the event is Vice Admiral Albert H. Konetzni, Jr., Deputy and Chief of Staff, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. The homeport for DDG 92 is Everett, Washington, and the ship is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy in April 2004. Construction of DDG 92 began in November 1999, and the ship's keel was laid in November 2001. Cmdr. Edward F. Kenyon, U.S. Navy, a native of Binghamton, N.Y., and a 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is commanding officer of the DDG 92 pre-commissioning unit. Bath Iron Works has 13 DDG 51 Class destroyers under contract with the U.S. Navy. The ships operate in support of carrier battle groups, surface action groups, amphibious groups and replenishment groups, and have been designed for a wide variety of warfare missions.