Newsletter navale

BATH — Bath Iron Works is hiring hundreds of new workers this year and launching an on-site training facility as the shipyard enters a phase when crews will be working on six Navy destroyers simultaneously.

BIW officials said they expect to hire about 600 people by the end of the year, elevating the shipyard’s workforce to nearly 6,000 for the first time since 2004. The hiring spree is a response to the fact that six destroyers – representing two entirely different designs – will be at various stages of construction at the General Dynamics-owned shipyard.

“That is more (work) than we have dealt with in a long, long time,” said Edward Kenyon, manager of the DDG-51 destroyer program at BIW.

With roughly 5,450 workers, BIW is one of Maine’s largest private employers. It is also one of the Navy’s primary shipyards and has benefited from a steady stream of new Navy contracts in recent years despite the budget cuts and financial uncertainty that have gripped Washington.

“The feeling is pretty good about the backlog. However, we know we have to perform on it,” said Jay Wadleigh, president of the Local S6 chapter of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union. Tight federal budgets and higher expectations will keep pressure on BIW to control costs, Wadleigh said.

BIW will be working on three DDG-51 Arleigh Burke destroyers, which are updated variants on a destroyer class in Navy service for more than two decades, and three DDG-1000 Zumwalt destroyers. The first of the “stealth” Zumwalt destroyers is pier-side at BIW, undergoing final construction before at-sea testing next year. Large sections of the second Zumwalt and the next Arleigh Burke are also under construction at the yard.

TRAINING FACILITY CREATED

Shipyard officials said they will be hiring a broad range of skilled workers, including electricians, pipe fitters, outside machinists, welders and tinsmiths, as well as electrical, structural and mechanical engineers.

Although most new workers arrive at BIW with prior experience or training in their field, shipyard officials have created a training facility to help workers tailor those skills to the shipyard’s needs. For instance, the high-voltage electrical power system in the Zumwalt destroyers operates at 4,160 volts, compared to the 110-volt systems that are standard in most residences and businesses.

The training facility, which opened on a limited basis in recent weeks, is set up like an industrial classroom with stations such as welding, pipe-bending, brazing and stud-welding. The program’s Rick Blair said new recruits will spend two to six weeks in training, depending on the trade.

In addition to the work-related expansion, the company also is bracing for a steady wave of retirements in the coming years. The average BIW tradesman has worked there for 20 years, said BIW spokesman Matt Wickenheiser.

“We expect we are going to need to continue training new workers for years to come because of that aging workforce,” Kenyon said. “It also means there will be great opportunities for people who live in the area.”

Wadleigh said BIW officials told his union that they could hire between 600 and 1,000 workers this year, depending on the rate of attrition.

WASHINGTON, Apr 11, 2014 – The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Germany for P-3C aircraft upgrades and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $250 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 11, 2014.

The Government of Germany has requested a possible sale for the procurement, integration, and installation of hardware and software to upgrade the aircraft mission computer and acoustic systems, and non-integrated simulator equipment on 8 P-3C aircraft. The hardware and software include A (structural and electrical) and B (Weapon Replaceable Assemblies) kits for future integration into the simulator. Also included are the design, development, integration, testing and installation of a ground-based mission support system (which includes the Portable Aircraft Support System and Fast Time Analyzer System); validation and acceptance; spare and repair parts; support equipment; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation; U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $250 million

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the military capabilities of a NATO ally and enhancing standardization and interoperability with U.S. forces.

This proposed sale will update hardware and software to ensure the P-3 aircraft maintain operational capability. The upgrades will enhance Germany’s ability to participate in future coalition operations and will promote continued interoperability. Germany will have no difficulty absorbing this upgraded equipment into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Owego, New York; General Dynamics in Bloomington, Minnesota; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, Georgia; and Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training in Manassas, Virginia.