BATH — The first ship in a new class of destroyers that’s under construction at Bath Iron Works will go back to sea later this month.

Sean J. Stackley, assistant Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition, said Wednesday that the Zumwalt will depart on March 21. He made the remark at a meeting of the American Society of Naval Engineers outside Washington.

The 600-foot Zumwalt sailed in the open ocean for the first time in December before returning to the shipyard for adjustments and repairs.

Capt. Thurraya Kent, a Navy spokeswoman, said the ship is on track to complete trials and be delivered later this spring despite repairs that were necessary to one of the ship’s 12 propulsion motor drives after the previous outing.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.