BAE Systems’s Norfolk shipyard won a $197.4 million contract for maintenance and modernization work on USS Wasp.
To prepare, BAE shipped its own Norfolk drydock, the “Titan,” to a Baltimore shipyard for five months of maintenance work.
The Titan, which can lift up to 52,500 tons, is back in Norfolk now. The maintenance work done in Baltimore allows BAE to handle the largest Navy ships in Norfolk for another 20 to 25 years. BAE will begin working on the Wasp’s hull, tanks and mechanical systems in February and is expected to be completed the work by May 2022.
Its contract includes options that could boost its eventual value to $237.7 million.
This contract was posted for competitive bid, with one offer in response, the Navy reported.
BAE added modifications to 843-foot Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, to support onboard Joint Strike Fighter during the ship’s last maintenance session between December 2016 and May 2017.
“BAE Systems is very familiar with USS Wasp, performing substantial upgrade work onboard before its forward deployment to Japan three years ago,” said Mark Whitney, deputy general manager of BAE Systems Ship Repair and general manager of Norfolk Ship Repair.
The Wasp was built at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shibuilding yard and commissioned in 1989. It was the first Navy ship designed to handle Harrier Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing jets and air cushion landing craft, as well as F-35B fighters.
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