The future USS Lyndon B. Johnson, the last vessel in a truncated class of three “stealth” destroyers, will be christened April 27 at Bath Iron Works.
The DDG 1002 Zumwalt-class destroyer, named after the 36th president of the United States, was launched in December at the Bath shipyard.
Construction on the first-in-class DDG 1000, the USS Zumwalt, began in 2009. The destroyer arrived at its homeport of San Diego in December 2016, but the ship’s electronic systems continue to be tested before it enters service.
The second, the USS Michael Monsoor, completed acceptance trials in February, and the Navy took partial delivery in April. The Monsoor left BIW in November and was commissioned in January.
The destroyers include state-of-the-art electric propulsion systems, wave-piercing tumblehome hulls, and are equipped with the most advanced warfighting technology and weaponry, according to the U.S. Navy.
Bloomberg reported the program’s procurement cost continues to increase, “by $160 million in fiscal 2020, the 11th straight year of increases that cumulatively total more than $4 billion since 2010,” resulting in an overall $23 billion program.
All three Zumwalt-class destroyers have been built at Bath Iron Works. Cost concerns spurred the Navy to end the line and revert to buying Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
The DDG 1002 christening ceremony is private, but civilians can request tickets through the GDBIW website.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the shipyard on Washington Street in Bath.