BAE Systems' San Diego shipyard to tandem dry-dock two destroyers

BAE Systems’ San Diego shipyard to tandem dry-dock two destroyers

Maritime September 20, 2019

BAE Systems has been awarded contracts worth $170.7 million from the US Navy to perform simultaneous maintenance and repair on two Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided-missile destroyers in its San Diego shipyard.

The deal will see the BAE Systems’ shipyard tandem dry-dock the USS Stethem (DDG 63) and USS Decatur (DDG 73) in October. The synchronized two-ship docking will be a first for the company’s newest dry-dock in San Diego. The contracts include options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $185 million.

Positioned end to end, the USS Stethem and USS Decatur will be lifted together inside BAE Systems’ “Pride of California” dry-dock. Installed in 2017, the Pride of California is 950 feet long, 160 feet wide and has a lifting capacity of 55,000 tons – making it the largest floating dry-dock in San Diego. The destroyers each displace about 9,000 tons and are expected to be re-floated in April 2020.

Hull, mechanical and engineering repairs will be performed aboard the ships. Once back in the water, the vessels’ Extended Docking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) is expected to be complete in October 2020.

The Company’s San Diego shipyard currently employs about 1,300 people and hundreds of temporary workers and subcontractors nearby the San Diego-Coronado Bridge.

David M. Thomas Jr., Vice President and General Manager of BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, said: “The ability to simultaneously dock two DDGs is a special capability that BAE Systems brings to our Navy customer and comes at a critical time when additional throughput is necessary to meet surface combatant demands and modernization requirements.

“Beyond the remarkable nature of this tandem docking, it will be business as usual for our shipyard team and partners given our significant experience working with the Arleigh Burke class.”