Dolores Etter News

During a telephone conversation today with Dr. Dolores Etter, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, U.S. Senator Susan Collins was informed that the U.S. Navy has decided that Bath Iron Works (BIW) will build the first DDG-1000 Zumwalt class destroyer. "This is wonderful news for the skilled men and women of Bath Iron Works," said Senator Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "The Navy has decided that BIW will get the first set of Government Supplied Equipment (GSE), which includes materials such as the radar and guns purchased from other contractors, for installation on the first DDG-1000.

The Navy’s ship for future sea warfare has become so problematic a congressional subcommittee has called a public hearing to get immediate answers. The Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee will hear from those responsible for the Littoral Combat Ship program. In recent weeks, the program to build a fast, flexible and lightly manned warship has been beset with issues. Its advertised price of $220 million per hull rose dramatically to estimates toward $400 million a piece. The Navy wants 55 of the frigate-sized, shallow draft ships, making it a cornerstone of the future fleet. It’s designed to operate close to shore with a ship’s crew of just 40 sailors and a mission crew and air detachment of 35.