Senator Collins Announces Contract Award to Bath Iron Works for the Navy’s Newest DDG-51 Destroyer

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced today that the Navy has awarded Bath Iron Works (BIW) the contract to build the next DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. This new ship, the DDG-148, will be named after Kyle Carpenter – the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient. The Secretary of the Navy John Phelan called Senator Collins to notify her of the award. The award underscores BIW’s role as an essential shipyard for the Navy and a pillar of America’s defense industry.

The DDG-51 funding was secured by Senator Collins in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and 2025 appropriations spending packages. BIW then competed to receive this contract.

“This award is a testament to the highly skilled and hard-working men and women of BIW and once again shows that ‘Bath Built is Best Built’” said Senator Collins. “This destroyer will enhance our national security, protect good-paying Maine jobs, and provide long-term stability for the highly skilled men and women at BIW. As global threats continue to grow, investing in a strong and capable Navy is more important than ever.”

The announcement marks another major milestone in Senator Collins’ long-standing efforts to strengthen the Navy’s fleet and support Maine’s world-class shipbuilding workforce. It follows historic investments she championed to support long-lead procurement for an additional destroyer.

Corporal Kyle Carpenter received the Medal of Honor in 2014 after heroically shielding a fellow Marine from a grenade blast in Afghanistan in 2010. Despite suffering life-threatening injuries, including the loss of his right eye and extensive surgeries, he made an extraordinary recovery. He later earned his college degree, wrote a memoir titled You Are Worth It, and became a motivational speaker. Corporal Carpenter continues to inspire others through his message of resilience, service, and sacrifice.

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