BATH — Bath Iron Works, which traces its history to a 19th-century iron foundry, has turned out yachts and trawlers as well as frigates and cruisers.
But the Navy contractor along the Kennebec River remains best known as a destroyer yard.
During World War II, BIW turned out a destroyer every two weeks. By the war’s end, the yard’s production of 84 of the ships exceeded Japan’s entire destroyer output.
Over the next half-century, destroyers and other surface ships remained the yard’s bread and butter.
Production included:
The FFG-7 Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigate.
The CG-47 Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser with Aegis radar systems.
The DDG-51 Arleigh Burke class Aegis-equipped guided missile destroyer.
Since World War II, Bath has built the lead ship for 10 of the Navy’s 20 surface combat ships, including the USS Arleigh Burke. That class of ship will make up most of the yard’s work through the end of the century.
Bath’s production hasn’t been limited to ships of war. It built the Ranger, which won the America’s Cup in 1937, as well as J.P. Morgan’s yacht, the Corsair.
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