Over the next 15 months, BAE Systems will conduct modernization efforts of the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, as part of a $146.3 million contract awarded by the U.S. Navy.
Repairs and alterations will take place at a shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia beginning January 2019. The hope is to have the ship operational again in March 2020 and give it life for another 15 years after. The vessel has currently been inactive for nearly four years. Many of its updates will include removal of obsolete equipment and replacing critical aluminum shipboard structures.
“We brought a lot of expertise to bear for a good start to the Gettysburg’s modernization two years ago,” said Dave Thomas, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair. “Working again with the Navy and our ship repair partners, we will return the Gettysburg back to the fleet in enhanced shape with clear improvements to its operational capability and better habitability for the crew.”
Other alterations will include updated weapons and engineering equipment, installation of an Aegis combat system, a new communications suite, and renovation of the living quarters.