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April 10 (UPI) -- An $8.1 million contract for post-shakedown work on the USS Wichita was awarded to BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair, the Pentagon announced. The contract, announced Tuesday, follows a previously awarded contract to exercise options for the littoral combat ship's post-shakedown and availability.
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Correction of government-responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of the PSA and incorporation of approved engineering changes that were not integrated into the ship during the its construction period are among the adjustments specified in the contract.
The Wichita, or LCS 13, is the 13th in the U.S. Navy's fleet of ships designed to operate close to shore for patrol, interdiction, mine-countermeasures, undersea warfare operations and other missions. The ships' modular design is meant to be customized for mission requirements. Eight more are in construction or testing phases.
The newly-contracted PSA of the Wichita is expected to take 10 to 16 weeks and encompasses its manpower, support services, non-standard equipment, technical data and documentation.
The Navy announced the ship completed acceptance trials last July on Lake Michigan.
"This ship is agile, powerful and lethal, and the industry team and I are looking forward to her delivery, commissioning and deployment," Joe Depietro, vice president at manufacturer Lockheed Martin, said at the time. "These are complex vessels, and it takes a strong team effort to design, build and test these American warships."
The Wichita and a sister ship, the USS Sioux City, or LCS 11, were delivered to the Navy in August. In December, Lockheed Martin received a $16 million contract for the Navy post-shakedown services prior to the Wichita's formal commissioning.
The ship was commissioned on Jan. 12 at Naval Station Mayport, near Jacksonville, Fla.
BAE Systems' work will be conducted at its Jacksonville facilities and is expected to be completed by March 2020. The Naval Sea Systems Command, in Washington, D.C., was the contracting agent.
