BAE awarded $78.8M by Navy to modernize USS Shoup

Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Maintenance and modernization of the USS Shoup will be performed by BAE Systems though a $78.8 million contract, the company announced on Wednesday.

Work to modernize the Shoup, an Arleigh Burke-class, or DDG, guided missile destroyer, will take place at BAE's facilities in San Diego.

The Pentagon had in early December announced work on the Shoup would be completed by February 2020, although BAE said Wednesday that work was due to start in March 2019 and be finishing up by May 2020.

The cumulative value of the contract, if all options for modernization are exercised, will be $87.6 million, according to the Department of Defense.

"The Shoup availability is a large, complex repair job," David M. Thomas Jr., vice president and general manager of BAE Systems' San Diego Ship Repair, said in a statement.

The DDG-class vessel, commissioned in 2002, returned to its home port of Naval Station Everett, Wash., in November after support of the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative. The initiative combats transnational illegal activity in the Pacific Ocean.

The vessel had previously conducted joint operations with the U.S. Air Force during 2018's Valiant Shield, a Pacific Ocean anti-submarine warfare exercise.

"Our team is experienced with the DDG class and ready to get to work to ready the Shoup for service in the fleet for many years to come," Thomas said.