Recently, the U.S. Navy signed a contract with General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works for the construction of one Arleigh Burke-class III destroyer (USS Robert R. Ingram, DDG-149).
According to data released for the U.S. fiscal year 2024, the procurement cost for a single Arleigh Burke-class III destroyer is approximately $2.2 billion, excluding certain equipment and missile stockpiles.
It is reported that the latest defense shipbuilding contracts awarded are a continuation of the “dual-shipyard procurement structure involving Bath Iron Works in Maine and Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi,” which are currently the only two shipyards in the United States capable of mass-producing Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Currently, the U.S. shipbuilding industry is facing numerous challenges, including labor shortages, supplier delays, and rising construction costs, which have already impacted defense shipbuilding projects such as destroyers, submarines, and amphibious ships.
Data shows that the standard length of the Arleigh Burke-class III destroyer is 155.3 meters, the width is 20 meters, the draft is about 9.4 meters, the full load displacement is close to 9,700 tons, the maximum speed is over 30 knots, the range at 20 knots is about 440 nautical miles, and the crew is about 380 people.
In related news, the Bath Iron Works recently experienced a strike for the first time in six years due to collective bargaining negotiations. The week-long strike ended only after management and labor reached a four-year collective agreement, which was subsequently approved by union members.
Under the final agreement reached, annual salary increases for the years 2026 through 2029 will be 10.5%, 5%, 5%, and 5%, respectively, resulting in a total salary increase of approximately 28% over the term of the agreement. Taking a senior designer as an example, by 2029, the base annual salary for a senior designer at the Bath Iron Works will exceed $95,000.
It is understood that the last strike at the Bath Iron Works occurred in 2020, when the shipyard experienced a two-month-long full-scale strike. At that time, the shipyard union called a work stoppage over issues such as the use of outsourced labor and seniority rights, resulting in the suspension of operations.
Bath Iron Works, founded in 1884 and located in Bath, Maine, is a full-service shipyard owned by General Dynamics Marine Systems, specializing in the design, construction, and support of complex surface combat ships for the U.S. Navy. The shipyard possesses shipbuilding facilities including a 229-meter dry dock, three slipways, three piers, an outfitting pier, four horizontal cranes, and indoor workshops for pre-outfitting and assembly.