Bath Iron Works’ latest destroyer commissioned into service

Bath Iron Works’ newest destroyer, USS Carl M. Levin, was commissioned Saturday morning in a ceremony in the port of Baltimore, Maryland.

The ship is BIW’s 38th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and is considered the backbone of the Navy’s fleet. Navy officials and politicians said the ships have recently gained prominence as a bulwark amid the Russia-Ukraine war and China’s growing naval fleet.

“This ship represents another chapter in our 139-year heritage and is the latest chapter in four centuries of shipbuilding on the banks of the Kennebec River in Maine,” said BIW President Chuck Krugh during the ceremony. “We thank all the men and women who poured their hearts and souls into this complex and incredible vessel for their dedication to their craft.”

The ship, the 70th Arleigh Burke destroyer in the Navy’s fleet, is equipped with missiles, torpedoes, machine guns and advanced radar and has space for two helicopters. The ship is about 510 feet long and has a crew of about 330 men. It will be based at Pearl Harbor under the command of Kelly Craft.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said the fleet was prepared for possible threats from Russia and China.

“It is imperative that we, the United States, stand ready to support our international partners and allies as we face shared challenges that threaten the freedoms of millions and disrupt the flow of trade around the world. To achieve this, our nation must maintain a strong united force.

“This ship before you and our entire naval fleet support not only the combined force but our entire nation by guaranteeing our unrestricted access to a free and open maritime community that serves as the lifeblood of our economy.”

The ship was named for US Democratic Senator Carl M. Levin, who, with 36 years of service, was Michigan’s longest-serving US Senator and chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He died in 2021.

Levin’s three daughters, the ship’s sponsors, attended the ceremony.

“He could think of no higher honor for an American citizen,” his daughter Erica said of the ship’s naming after him. “Dad fully understood and appreciated that the crew will put themselves at risk to protect the freedoms we enjoy.

“We would like to thank the community of Bath Iron Works for building this incredible vessel.”

His daughters shouted the ceremonial command, “Mann our ship and bring it to life!” to bring the ship online at the conclusion of the ceremony. Navy commissioning ceremonies date back to 1775 when the Alfred, the first ship in the Continental Navy, was commissioned in Philadelphia.

BIW laid the keel for the Levin in February 2019. Construction was delayed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and a union strike.

BIW currently has six destroyers under construction. The next to be completed is the USS John Basilone. Destroyers are the only ships BIW builds, and the company competes with larger Mississippi shipyard Ingalls Shipbuilding for naval construction contracts.

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