WASHINGTON, DC—Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is pleased to announce that Congressional negotiators have reached a final compromise agreement on the fiscal year 2007 Defense Authorization bill that secures full funding of $3.4 billion for the DD(X) program, the amount for which Senator Collins fought to secure. This bill authorizes the simultaneous construction of two DD(X) ships in FY 2007-08, one of which will be built at Bath Iron Works.
“Maintaining the DD(X) dual lead ship strategy is critical to our national security, which requires that a high priority be placed upon building up our naval fleet to counter existing and emerging threats,” said Senator Collins. “This agreement will maintain the DD(X) program schedule and the planned workload at Bath Iron Works. BIW’s future is tied to the construction of the DD(X) and that is why I am so pleased that the Senate’s position prevailed in these conference negotiations.”
This final version of this bill also includes nearly $50 million in defense-related projects for Maine.
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