U.S. Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, told a top Navy official Tuesday of “Maine’s vast importance to the Navy” regarding shipyard operations at Bath Iron Works.

King met with Sean J. Stackley, the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, who is responsible for all matters relating to Navy acquisition policy and programs, King’s staff said in a news release.

“Their conversation particularly focused on the DDG-51 and DDG-1000 shipbuilding procurement plans for BIW,” King spokesman Scott Ogden said in a news release.

King supported the Consolidated Continuing Appropriations Act — which the Senate passed March 20 — authorizing funds for current and future shipbuilding contracts for which BIW can compete.

The Consolidated Continuing Appropriations Act authorizes more than $4 billion for the Navy to purchase three DDG-51 class destroyers in fiscal year 2013; and $466.2 million in advance procurement funding to allow the Navy to purchase up to seven more DDG-51s to be built between fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2017. BIW can compete for both these contracts if final approval is reached.

The act also authorizes $669.2 million to continue to support the construction of the three Zumwalt DDG-1000 class destroyers procured in fiscal years 2007 to 2009 — all of which are currently being built at BIW.

“Between Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Maine’s contributions to our Navy cannot be overstated,” King said. “I felt it was important for me to underscore that point to the assistant secretary.

“The men and women at these facilities conduct worldclass work which is at the very heart of our Navy’s unrivaled strength. I wanted him to know it’s critical for the Navy to continue to look to these facilities — particularly BIW which falls directly within his purview — as the department allocates its resources for the coming years.”

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