TEWKSBURY, Mass., Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy, Raytheon and members of the DDG 1000 industry team have received the 2010 Department of Defense Value Engineering Award.
The team, developing the planned Zumwalt-class destroyer, was recognized for results achieved through the government-sponsored Surface Ship Affordability Initiative, Raytheon said in a news release.
The Value Engineering Awards Program acknowledges exemplary achievements and encourages projects to improve in-house and contractor productivity.
"This type of innovative collaboration between the Navy and industry is a hallmark of the DDG 1000 program," said Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' Bill Marcley, vice president of Total Ship Mission Systems and DDG 1000 program manager. "These initiatives not only save money but also help develop and mature DDG 1000's advanced technologies, which will benefit the fleet for years to come."
The company said The Surface Ship Affordability Initiative was created when the Navy's program management office for DDG 1000 partnered with the Office of Naval Research and members of industry to increase affordability for the DDG 1000 class.
In all, about 35 manufacturing technology projects have been executed to improve efficiency of development, production and shipbuilding, resulting in an estimated total savings of $138 million.
Other members of the DDG 1000 team include BAE Systems, Bath Iron Works and Northrop Grumman.
