The U.S. Navy has halted procurement of its DDG-1000 destroyer, calling for building only the first two of seven ships originally planned.

Navy Secretary Donald Winter spent most of July 22 informing members of Congress of the service’s plans to cancel further procurement of the program, which is split between Northrop Grumman and Bath Iron Works. Just this past June, a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report said the DDG-1000 program raised “several potential oversight issues” including the accuracy of Navy cost estimates of the program, cost-effectiveness and affordability.

Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) member Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), released a statement July 23 detailing her meetings with Winter, Chief of Naval Operations Gary Roughead and separately, Bath Iron Works President Dugan Shipway.

Maine-based Bath Iron Works stands to lose a considerable amount from the cancellation. The company’s share of the contract for the DDG-1000 is $1.4 billion, according to Collins’ office.

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) released his own statement July 23, calling the decision to halt procurement of the DDG-1000 “unwise.” His spokesperson, Melissa Wagoner, said Kennedy is concerned about the cancellation of a long-term shipbuilding plan “without presenting an alternative plan to satisfy their future requirements.”

The SASC included $2.6 billion in its 2009 Defense Authorization bill for a third DDG-1000, to be built by Bath Iron Works. But the House version of the bill did not include any funding, which the Navy claimed resulted in its re-evaluation and eventual cancellation of the program (Aerospace DAILY, May 9).

Image: Northrop Grumman