BAE Systems has been awarded a $145m contract to modernize the USS Nitze

BAE Systems has been awarded a $145m contract to modernize the USS Nitze

 

 

The US Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $145-million contract to maintain and upgrade the USS Nitze (DDG 94) Arleigh Burke-class guided-mіѕѕіɩe destroyer.

Under the agreement, the Nitze will be dry-docked and receive underwater hull preservation and a renovated living quarters.

BAE Systems will also deliver updates for the ship’s Aegis combat system and related command and control equipment.

The company’s Norfolk shipyard will facilitate the overall depot maintenance period (DMP) for the destroyer.

The guided-mіѕѕіɩe destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) transits the Arabian Sea. Nitze is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeff Atherton)

Sustaining US Navy Destroyer EffectivenessCommissioned in 2005, the USS Nitze is the US Navy’s 44th Arleigh Burke ship.

At 360 feet long and 6,927 tons submerged, the Los Angeles–class submarines were designed to be 20 percent longer and 50 percent larger by displacement volume than their predecessors, the Sturgeon class. They are also reportedly much faster: while the Sturgeon class could make twenty-six knots submerged, the Los Angeles class can allegedly make a swift thirty-seven knots.

The Los Angeles–class submarines were constructed from HY-80 steel, with a glass reinforced plastic bow over the sonar array. This gives the submarine a maximum official depth of 650 feet. Other sources peg maximum operating depth at 950 feet. The absolute maximum diving depth in emergencies is reportedly 1,475 feet.

The submarines feature a teardrop hull first introduced with the Skipjack class, with diving planes mounted on the sail. The last twenty-three ships in class moved the diving planes to the bow and feature strengthened sails for breaking through Arctic ice. This was likely in response to the Soviet Union’s Typhoon-class ballistic-missile submarines, which were designed to operate under and through Arctic pack ice.

Alongside the vessel, BAE Systems has begun similar works for the USS Lassen (DDG 88) and USS Mustin (DDG 89) at its Florida and San Diego shipyards.

 

“The depot maintenance periods are necessarily complex and critical to maintain the combat effectiveness of DDGs,” BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair Vice ргeѕіdeпt and General Manager David Thomas Jr. stated.

“BAE Systems Norfolk looks forward to conducting the assigned DMP work that will enable the USS Nitze to move into its next phase of fleet readiness.”

USS Nitze (DDG-94) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. The ship is named after Paul H. Nitze, a prominent Cold wᴀʀ strategist and former Secretary of the Navy.missile destroyer in the United States

Construction and Commissioning: The Nitze was constructed by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine and was commissioned on March 5, 2005.missioning:

Dimensions and Propulsion: The USS Nitze has a length of 509 feet (155 meters), a beam of 66 feet (20 meters), and a draft of 31 feet (9.4 meters). The ship is powered by four General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, providing a maximum speed of over 30 knots (56 km/h).

Armament and Sensors: The Nitze is equipped with the Aegis combat system, which includes the SPY-1D radar and the AN/SLQ-32(V)3 electronic warfare system. The ship has two Mark 41 vertical launch systems, which can carry a variety of missiles, including the Standard Missile 2, Standard Missile 3, and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Nitze also has a 5-inch (127 mm) gun, two 25 mm chain guns, and two Phalanx close-in ωεɑρσռ systems for defense against incoming threats.missiles, including the Standard Missile 2, Standard Missile 3, and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Nitze also has a 5-inch (127 mm) gun, two 25missiles, including the Standard Missile 2,

Operations and Deployments: The Nitze has participated in various operations and deployments throughout its service, including:

• Operation Unified Protector in 2011, enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya
• Operation Odyssey Dawn in 2011, supporting the liberation of Libya
• Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012, conducting maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea
• Operation Inherent Resolve in 2016, conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria

In August 2016, the Nitze was involved in a minor clash with Iranian patrol boats in the Persian Gulf, firing warning shots to deter the boats from approaching too closely.

The USS Nitze is currently based in Norfolk, Virginia, and is assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command.