On Saturday, October 22, the shipbuilders of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics , completed the largest and most complex ship module movement ever executed at the shipyard. The mid-forebody section of Zumwalt, the lead ship of the DDG-1000 class of guided missile destroyers, was transported 900 feet from its assembly position inside the shipyard’s Ultra Hall construction facility to the largest of the company’s three shipbuilding ways.
The heavily outfitted module is about 180 feet long, over 60 feet high and weighs more than 4,000 tons. This single section represents nearly one-third of the ship’s overall length. In its current position, it will be integrated with three additional “ultra units” that comprise the ship’s unique wave-piercing hull form.
“The completion of this move was a great achievement for our workforce and a historic day for our company. The talents, skills and innovation of our employees have revolutionized how we build surface combatant ships in Bath, Maine,” said Jeff Geiger , Bath Iron Works president. “ We are a safer, more efficient shipyard than ever before thanks to our culture of continuous improvement and our determination to deliver high-quality, affordable ships to our Navy customer.”
The DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer is the U.S. Navy’s next-generation guided-missile destroyer, leading the way for a new generation of advanced multi-mission surface combat ships. The ships will feature a low radar profile, an integrated power system and a total ship computing environment infrastructure. Armed with an array of weapons, the Zumwalt-class destroyers will provide offensive, distributed and precision fires in support of forces ashore. Bath Iron Works is the lead designer and builder for the program which employs approximately 5,500 people.
[mappress] Source: gd, October 28, 2011;