Damaged DDG coming to HII

The USS Fitzgerald, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan in June, will be transported by heavy-lift carrier from its current location at Yokosuka, Japan, to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard for repairs, the Navy confirmed Aug. 23. A contract to reconstitute DDG 62 will be completed by Sept. 30, but the scope of work has not been determined. (Source: USNI News 08/23/17) The Navy chose this course of action following a review of the capabilities and workload of new construction and repair shipyards. Given the complexity of the work and unknowns for restoration, the Navy determined that only an Arleigh Burke-class shipbuilder could perform the effort. Only HII has the available capacity to restore Fitzgerald to full operational status in the shortest period of time with minimal disruption to ongoing repair and new construction work, according to the Naval Sea Systems Command.