OREANDA-NEWS.   The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works a contract valued at USD 642.5 million to construct an additionalArleigh Burke-class destroyer. The award brings the total number of ships to be constructed by Bath Iron Works under a multi-year procurement to five, and the total value of the contract to approximately USD 3.4 billion. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

There are currently two DDG 51 destroyers in production at Bath Iron Works, Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) and Thomas Hudner (DDG 116). The shipyard began fabrication on DDG 115in November 2011, and delivery to the Navy is scheduled for 2016. Fabrication on DDG 116began in November 2012, and that ship is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2017.

Bath Iron Works is also building the three ships in the planned three-vessel Zumwalt-class of destroyers, Zumwalt (DDG 1000), Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) and Lyndon Johnson (DDG 1002). All three ships are progressing in construction with the christening of Zumwalt (DDG 1000) scheduled for April 12, 2014, in Bath, Maine.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is a multi-mission combatant that offers defense against a wide range of threats, including ballistic missiles. It operates in support of carrier battle groups, surface action groups, amphibious groups and replenishment groups, providing a complete array of anti-submarine (ASW), anti-air (AAW) and anti-surface (SuW) capabilities. Designed for survivability, the ships incorporate all-steel construction and have gas turbine propulsion. The combination of the ships’ AEGIS combat system, the Vertical Launching System, an advanced ASW system, two embarked SH-60 helicopters, advanced anti-aircraft missiles and Tomahawk anti-ship and land-attack missiles make the Arleigh Burkeclass the most powerful surface combatant ever put to sea.

Bath Iron Works currently employs approximately 5,400 people.