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SAILORS man the rails as the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS 14) sails into Naval Base San Diego for the first time. U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASSNANCY C. DIBENEDETTO
SAILORS man the rails as the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS 14) sails into Naval Base San Diego for the first time. U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASSNANCY C. DIBENEDETTO

The Department of Defense has awarded General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works a $33.6 million contract to extend work on a class of smaller warships.

BIW was awarded the work by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command for support services for littoral combat ships. The yard received a contract in 2014 to become the “planning yard” for the Navy’s two classes of littoral combat ships. BIW was responsible for handling on-board and in-shore maintenance, ship alteration design and other material support for the ships.

The initial amount awarded to BIW was $9.8 million but the contract total would rise to $100.4 million if all options were exercised, according to the Department of Defense.

The yard is in the fourth year of a five-year contract. This award is for the final year of that contract.

BIW has built Arleigh-Burke destroyers for the Navy for decades, and is currently building its third Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer.

Littoral combat ships are smaller and designed to manuever in shallow, coastal waters rather than on open seas, like the bigger Arleigh-Burke and Zumwalt ships.

BIW is one of Maine’s largest private employers, with roughly 6,000 workers.

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