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Bath Iron Works Launches Its First Aegis Cruiser
A new era of Navy shipbuilding was ushered in at Maine's historic Bath Iron Works (BIW) yard recently with the launching of the Aegis guided missile cruiser Thomas S. Gates (CG-51), signalling BIW's entry into the Ticonderoga Class shipbuilding program.
The Maine shipyard currently has contracts for six Aegis cruisers, and will continue to bid for additional ships of the class. BIW also has been selected by the Navy to design and build the lead ship of the new Aegis guided missile destroyer class, the Arleigh Burke (DDG-51). This ship is scheduled for launching in 1988.
The Aegis cruiser/destroyer program is expected to extend to the turn of the century and perhaps beyond.
Bath Iron Works, a builder of Navy and commercial ships since 1884, looks to the Aegis program to replace the construction activity and employment generated by the Navy's FFG-7 guided missile frigate program that the yard initiated in the early 1970s. After designing and building the lead ship of that class, the Oliver Hazard Perry, BIW secured contracts for 23 additional FFGs. The last of those ships will be delivered this year.
The principal speaker for the Gates launching ceremony was Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., who was Chief of Naval Operations when he retired from the Navy in 1974.
Since his retirement, Adm. Zumwalt has remained in the public eye as a spokesman for the maintenance of proper balance of power between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Other participants in the program included Sen. George J. Mitchell (D-ME); Vice Adm. William H.
Rowden, commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command; Vice Adm.
Joseph Metcalf I I I , deputy naval operations for surface warfare; Rear Adm. Donald P. Roane, deputy commander for surface combatants; Rear Adm. John F. Shaw, Aegis shipbuilding manager; and Capt.
William A. Rehder, supervisor of shipbuilding, conversion and repair, Bath.
The ship that was launched is named in honor of the late Thomas Sovereign Gates, Jr., former Secretary of the Navy (1957) and Secretary of Defense (1959) under President Eisenhower. After 14 months as Secretary of Defense, Mr.
Gates left the Pentagon and became president of Morgan Guaranty Trust. In 1965, he became the firm's chairman and chief executive officer.
He died in 1983 at the age of 77.
His widow, Mrs. Anne Gates, served as the ship's sponsor. Her granddaughter, Sarah C. Scott, was maid of honor.
For complete information on all Bath Iron Works facilities and services, Circle 24 on Reader Service Card
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Other stories from February 1986 issue
Content
- Bremer Vulkan To Build 2 Bremen Class Frigates For Federal German Navy page: 5
- Study To Evaluate Tanker-Based FPSO For Gulf Of Mexico page: 5
- Marinette Marine Delivers Last Of 52 Workboats A Year Ahead Of Schedule page: 6
- Boston Fuel Acquire Assets Of Boston Towboat Co. page: 7
- M.A.N.-GHH To Build Floating Drydock For Polish Shipyard page: 7
- British Broker Reports Surge In Tanker Rates, Fall In Laid-Up Tonnage page: 7
- Robert E. Derecktor Launches First Of Two Staten Island Ferries page: 8
- Beth-Sparrows Point Yard Installs $1.1-Million Intermediate Gate For Building/Vessel Servicing Basin page: 8
- New Names Announced For Wartsila Diesel Units page: 9
- HIAB-FOCO Delivers Two Service Cranes To North Sea Oil Project page: 9
- Bath Iron Works Launches Its First Aegis Cruiser page: 10
- Water Jetting System To Install Steel Pilings Developed By Navy page: 11
- USCG And ASNE Flagship Section Sponsor Patrol Boat Symposium page: 12
- Webber Appointed Vice Admiral And U.S. Navy's Chief Engineer page: 12
- Automatic Power Offers 20-Page Color Brochure On Marine Signal Systems page: 12
- Captain Hjelde Named VP And GM At Barber page: 13
- TeleSystems MCS-9100 Receives Japanese Type Acceptance page: 13
- IS IT TIME TO TAKE THE PUBLIC SHIPYARDS PRIVATE? page: 16
- UPDATE ON FY 1986 NAVY PROGRAMS page: 26
- Navy Contracts Totaling $629.2 Million Awarded To Bath And Ingalls Yards page: 30
- Peterson Builders Delivers ARS-51, Grasp, To Navy page: 31
- 1986 Apelco Full-Color Product Catalog Available page: 34
- Carnegie Hero Medals Awarded Posthumously To Fournier, Govoni page: 34
- Coast Guard And Navy To Hold Joint Fire Research Program page: 35
- Peterson Builders Receives Navy Certification Of Metal Spray Facility page: 35
- Key Appointments At Oerlikon page: 36
- NICOR Consolidates Administrative Functions Of 2 Marine Subsidiaries page: 36
- BP Offers Free 32-Page Brochure On World Energy page: 37
- ASEA Names Jon Turley Manager Marine Offshore page: 37
- New One-Stop Shopping Sensors And Controls Catalog From Transamerica Delaval page: 38
- Marine Machinery Association To Sponsor Navy/Industry Panel Discussions On Feb. 26 page: 38
- The New 710G Series Diesel Engines From General Motors Electro-Motive Division page: 40
- Todd Ceases Operations At New Orleans Division page: 41
- Marine Travelift Introduces New Floating Boat Hoist Design page: 41
- Puroflow Filters To Protect Sperry Computers page: 42
- Texas Instruments Offers New GPS Software page: 43
- Aegis Missle Cruiser Valley Forge Commissioned At Ingalls Yard page: 44
- New Yard Opens In Port of Altamira page: 47
- Jacques Cousteau Receives Testimonial Plaque From Carrier Transicold Employees page: 47
- Vecom Takes Over Marine Division Of Houseman page: 48
- Caterpillar Offers Literature On New Marine Diesel Propulsion System Products And Support Programs page: 49
- New Teleflex Remote Valve Actuators Are Designed To Eliminate Problems And Cut Costs page: 52
- Dr. A.C. Antoniou Joins ASRY Production Team page: 53
- Dillingham Offers Free Full-Color Brochure On Ship Repair Facilities page: 53
- Hempel Introduces 'Damp Steel' Primer page: 54
- Reco Crane Promotes Hardin—Literature Offered page: 60
- Metropolitan Offers New Vanstone Flanged Fittings page: 60
- Meyer Retires As Deputy Commander At NAVSEA page: 60
- American Appoints Monaco New Cordage Engineer page: 61