BAE Systems lands $202M in Navy ship repair contracts

Falls Church-based BAE Systems Inc.’s Norfolk Ship Repair unit has received two U.S. Navy contracts worth a combined $202 million for maintenance, modernization and repair of two vessels.

The U.S. arm of British defense giant BAE Systems announced the awards Monday. Its shipyard employees and their subcontractors will begin working on the guided missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) and the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) in February and March 2025, respectively.

“The award of these two contracts will provide extensive work for our Norfolk shipyard team,” David M. Thomas Jr., vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, said in a statement. “We look forward to using our proven experience on recent LHD and DDG work to return these ships to the fleet in excellent condition.”

According to the Department of Defense’s mid-October announcement of the awards, the Norfolk Ship Repair unit received a $114.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for work on the USS Laboon, commissioned in 1995. The contract also includes options that, if exercised, would bring its total value to $117.9 million.

BAE Systems will dry-dock the ship to perform underwater hull maintenance and repair the ship’s main propulsion system, preserve internal ballast and fuel tanks and the external superstructure, and rehabilitate crew berthing and dining compartments.

The $87.58 million firm-fixed-price contract for work on the USS Wasp includes options that, if exercised, would bring its total value to more than $104.69 million. The current USS Wasp is the 10th ship to carry the name and was commissioned in 1989. Work on both ships is expected to be completed by February 2026.

On the Wasp, BAE Systems will perform mechanical work, inspect and repair interior hull structures and refurbish habitability spaces for the crew and Marine troops. The company’s shipyard previously worked aboard the Wasp from February 2021 to April 2023.

The contractor’s Norfolk shipyard has about 900 employees.

Earlier this year, the Norfolk team began working aboard the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall, and the shipyard is currently finishing repair periods aboard USS Kearsarge, a Wasp-class ship, and destroyer USS Nitze.

BAE Systems has about 41,000 employees worldwide and reported $13.6 billion in 2023 revenue. In addition to its Norfolk shipyard, the company has one each in Florida and California.