U.S. Senator Susan Collins, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently announced that the U.S. Department of Navy has awarded Bath Iron Works (BIW) a final contract in the amount of $1.4 billion in order to begin construction of the DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class Destroyer. DDG-1000 is the Navy's next generation destroyer and was previously known as DD(X). The Navy announced last July that BIW would deliver the first ship of the class to the Navy. Subsequently, BIW and Northrop Grumman in Mississippi will alternate completion and delivery of follow-on ships.

Senator Collins met with Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead to discuss the Navy contract and the Navy's future shipbuilding plans. At the meeting, she urged the CNO to proceed with the contract without further delay.

Senator Collins said, "This contract will provide the vital continued funding for the DDG-1000. It is good news for our national security, for the strength of our Navy, and for the skilled workforce at BIW. As I told Admiral Roughead, I will continue to work closely with the Department of Defense to ensure that it continues to benefit from the contributions that BIW and its skilled and talented employees make by building the best Navy ships in the world."

The mission of the DDG-1000 Zumalt Class Destroyer is to provide credible independent forward presence/deterrence and to operate as an integral part of the Naval, Joint, or Combine Maritime Forces.