BATH, Maine – General Dynamics Bath Iron Works celebrated the start of fabrication of the future USS Thomas G. Kelley (DDG 140) today, May 21 at the shipyard’s Structural Fabrication Facility in Brunswick, Maine.
DDG 140 is the 48th of its class built at Bath Iron Works and the seventh Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyer to start construction at the Maine shipyard. Advancements in radar and combat systems make Flight III Arleigh Burkes the most technologically advanced surface combatants in the world.
The ship’s namesake, retired Navy Capt. Thomas Kelley, a Medal of Honor recipient for heroism in in the Vietnam War, attended the Start of Fabrication ceremony.
Charles F. Krugh, president of Bath Iron Works, stated, “Bath Iron Works is proud of its mission to build the finest surface combatants for the U.S. Navy,” Krugh said. “We take seriously our responsibility to adapt and evolve so we remain on the cutting edge of ship construction, building ships on schedule and with BIW quality so they perform when called upon – much as a young Lt. Kelley did while commanding a column of river assault craft in Vietnam.”
In addition to the Thomas G. Kelley, Bath Iron Works currently has under construction the Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) as well as the Flight III destroyers Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), William Charette (DDG 130), Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), John E. Kilmer (DDG 134), Richard G. Lugar (DDG 136) and J. William Middendorf (DDG 138).
