BAE Systems gets $170m for work on two San Diego destroyers.

BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair has received two contracts totaling over $170 million for the repairs and modernization of two San Diego-based Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

The destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

The shipyard received $86.1 million to carry out the extended dry-docking selected restricted availability (EDSRA) on USS Decatur (DDG 73).

In 2018, Decatur carried out a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea during which it was challenged by a Chinese destroyer that approached within 45 yards of Decatur’s bow. Work under the contract is expected to be completed by October 2020. The destroyer returned to naval base San Diego in April 2019 after working in the US 7th Fleet and 5th Fleet areas of operation.

USS Decatur (DDG-73) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. It is named for the former naval officer Stephen Decatur, Jr. This ship is the 23rd destroyer of her class. USS Decatur was the 13th ship of this class to be built at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and construction began on 11 January 1996. It was launched on 10 November 1996 and was christened on 8 November 1996. On 29 August 1998, it was commissioned at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon.

The destroyer USS Stethem (DDG-63) (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

The second contract awarded to the company, worth $84.6 million, is for the extended dry-docking selected restricted availability of USS Stethem (DDG 63).

Stethem arrived in San Diego in July after it spent 14 years forward-deployed to Japan. Stethem’s repairs are also expected to be completed by October 2020.

USS Stethem (DDG-63) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. The ship was built in Pascagoula, Mississippi, starting on 11 May 1993. It was commissioned on 21 October 1995. Stethem is named for Steelworker 2nd Class Robert Stethem, who was a Navy sailor killed by terrorists onboard TWA 847 in Beirut, Lebanon in 1985. It is part of the Pacific Fleet, assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15.