The USS Gettysburg is to undergo about 15 months of work at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia — the ship’s home port. The contract includes options that, if ‘exercised’, would bring the cumulative value to $151.3
million.

Starting in January 2019, the ship will undergo extensive repair and upgrade work that will return the ship to full capability after nearly four years of ‘inactive’ status under the Navy’s cruiser modernisation programme.

BAE Systems’ Norfolk shipyard performed the initial modernisation work on board the ship in 2016, including the removal of obsolete equipment and the replacement of key aluminium shipboard structures.

Dave Thomas, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, said: “We brought a lot of expertise to bear for a good start to the Gettysburg’s modernisation two years ago.

"Working again with the Navy and our ship repair partners, we will return the ship to the fleet in enhanced shape, with clear improvements to its operational capability and better habitability for the crew.”

Under the new contract, BAE Systems will: upgrade the 27-year-old ship’s weapons and engineering equipment; assist the installation of a new Aegis combat system, a new communications suite and the Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Systems; and renovate the crew’s living spaces.

The work is scheduled to be completed in March 2020, and it is expected to extend the service life of the Gettysburg to 2035.

BAE Systems (www.baesystems.com) operates four full-service shipyards in California, Florida, Hawaii and Virginia.