BATH

Bath Iron Works’ newest cutting-edge destroyer is now officially part of the United States Naval Fleet following a commissioning ceremony on Saturday in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Bath-built ship, the USS Zumwalt, is the first of its class, with two others, the future USS Michael Monsoor and USS Lyndon B. Johnson, currently in production at BIW. The guided missile destroyers feature state of the art technology, including an electric propulsion system. Owing to its unique wave-piercing tumble-home hull and pyramid-like deckhouse, the Zumwalt-class destroyers have advanced stealth capabilities as well, allowing them to avoid enemy radar detection. Together, the three ships are estimated to have cost more than $22 billion.

“On behalf of the 6,000 shipbuilders of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, I offer congratulations to Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Zumwalt as she joins the fleet of the United States Navy,” said Brent West, Director of Operations and DDG-1000 program manager for Bath Iron Works, in remarks at the ceremony.

“My colleagues and I have the distinct pleasure of designing and building this magnificent ship at our shipyard up in Maine,” West continued. “And while it wasn’t easy, we are immensely proud of what we and our partners in industry and the navy have achieved. Together, we have built a ship that will play a major role in defending our freedom in the 21st century.”

After departing from Bath but prior to the commissioning, the Zumwalt’s crew had discovered a leak. Repairs were made in Norfolk, Virginia. Following the commissioning, the Zumwalt will continue its journey southward to the Panama Canal, where it will cross to the Pacific Ocean and head North to its new homeport of San Francisco.

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