Raytheon awarded contract to activate first Zumwalt-class destroyer

April 25 (UPI) -- Raytheon has been awarded a $111.3 million contract for engineering services on the U.S. Navy's new Zumwalt-class destroyer. The work will include activation services and testing of the ship's equipment.

The contract has options that could eventually expand the program to $490.2 million. The work will take place in districts across the country, including Portsmouth, R.I., Tewksbury, Mass., and San Diego, Calif. The program also includes smaller projects in several other states.

Work is expected to be complete by April 2021. The contract includes $43.4 million in funds appropriated for Navy maintenance, with $2.1 million expiring at the end of the fiscal year.

The contract was not competitive, as Raytheon was deemed the only responsible source for the project. The Zumwalt-class destroyer has stealth capabilities and is armed with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles. It also features an Advanced Gun System with a range of up to 72 miles.

The first ship of the class, the USS Zumwalt, started construction in 2009 and was launched in Oct. 2013. It is still undergoing testing, and the Raytheon contract will play a large role in getting the ship operational.

Two of the ships have been built -- the USS Zumwalt and the USS Michael Monsoor, with the latter expected to be commissioned in 2018 -- and one other still under construction. The original planned production of 32 has been scaled back due to cost overruns and the ship's nearly $4 billion price tag.