Politics
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Improvements at Bath Iron Works have created the capacity and stability needed to build another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer should Congress secure the funding, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ office and the Pentagon announced Monday morning.
The announcement followed a push from Collins, independent U.S. Sen. Angus King, and Democratic U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden after the proposed 2027 defense budget included only a single destroyer from the Maine shipyard.
The decision marks a reversal by the Trump administration as it faces pushback over a costly and unpopular war in Iran, while coming as welcome news for Collins, a five-term Republican who’s made bringing federal investment home a centerpiece of her reelection campaign against Democrat Troy Jackson.
The U.S. Navy has been exploring new ship designs, including nuclear-powered battleships bearing President Donald Trump’s name, as well as potentially building vessels in Japan and South Korea. The budget request of a lone destroyer, combined with shifts in Navy plans, sparked concerns about the shipyard’s future even with 11 destroyers on contract. In May, when the BIW announced it had begun fabrication of a new destroyer, the future USS J. William Middendorf, at least 10 BIW-built destroyers were in the Middle East.
“Our national security requires an industrial base that can respond to demands for increased speed and volume,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg said in a statement. “After a rigorous review, Bath Iron Works has proven it has the capacity and stability to support construction of a second destroyer.”
The Pentagon’s review evaluated production throughput, schedule adherence, quality assurance benchmarks, supply chain resilience and workforce optimization. Defense leaders believe Bath Iron Works showed “significant operational and managerial improvements” over the last several months, but Feinberg said the shipyard “must continue this momentum to fully resolve legacy production challenges.”
Collins said in a statement that the decision validates Bath Iron Works’ capacity and the work of its 6,800 employees.
“I have advocated for a second destroyer to be included in this year’s budget, and I worked with the administration during its careful review and repeated visits to BIW to verify the ability of the shipyard to construct another ship while continuing to complete its current workload,” she said.
The Navy’s own shipbuilding plan acknowledged the Bath-built destroyer “is the most capable surface combatant anywhere at sea,” but said the U.S. has “reached the limits of its capacity.” The plan came a few months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited BIW and said the Pentagon intended to “max out” production of the DDG 51 destroyers.
On Monday, the Pentagon said clearing BIW for a second destroyer was part of the administration’s “aggressive campaign” to revitalize the maritime industrial base and “outmatch global pacing threats.”
The Maine congressional delegation, which has long supported General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works, has been pressing the Navy for long-term multiship contracts. Collins said she’d continue to work to ensure shipbuilders have the resources to meet the Navy’s needs, particularly “at a time when China is relentlessly expanding its fleet.”