BAE awarded $68.9M for work on three U.S. Navy vessels

Jan. 31 (UPI) -- BAE Systems has been awarded contracts for maintenance, repairs and upgrades to the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal, the amphibious assault ship USS America and the guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George.

The three contracts, announced Tuesday by the Department of Defense and BAE Systems, are valued at a combined $68.9 million.

The contract for the USS Port Royal comes under the terms of an undefinitized contract that is a modification to a previously awarded one. Due to contract options for the USS America and USS Cape St. George, the total cumulative value of the three contracts could surge to a combined $76.3 million.

"These contracts are important to expanding the service lives and capability of these Navy ships," David Thomas, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, said in a press release.

"Our work onboard the America will keep the ship ready for immediate service. For the Cape St. George, it is the beginning of a four-year journey toward full modernization and the ability to serve in the fleet longer."

BAE Systems will perform hull, mechanical, and electrical repairs to the USS America, an amphibious assault ship. Additionally, the USS America will have its flight deck modified to accommodate the F-35 Lightning II, the company said.

The USS America will be ported at Naval Station San Diego with modernization expected to start in March and finish in December 2018.

For the USS Cape St. George, BAE Systems will provide ship alterations and repairs, including the replacement of critical aluminum structures and the removal of obsolete equipment.

The vessel will be docked at BAE Systems' shipyard in San Diego, with work beginning in March and expected to be completed by January 2019.

The USS Port Royal will undergo selected restricted availability, or SRA, which is part of a ship's normal life cycle in order to keep it performing at peak condition.

Usually, ships in SRA are unavailable unless extreme conditions warrant the their return to active service.

"A focal point of the work is to perform extensive aluminum superstructure repairs and install a reverse-osmosis water purification unit," the Pentagon said in a press release.

Work on the Port Royal will occur at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by November 2018.

The total contract amount for the USS Port Royal of more than $14.1 million has been obligated to BAE Systems at the time of award from Navy Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funding, which will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

BAE Systems declined to comment on details of the contracts for work on the USS America and USS Cape St. George.