Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a $369.8 million contract to build an additional DDG 51 Class Aegis guided missile destroyer for the United States Navy. The work will be performed at the company's Ingalls Operations.

This contract represents funding for the 2002 fiscal year ship, DDG 102, included in a multi-year contract awarded to Ingalls in March 1998. With this announcement, Ingalls has been awarded contracts to build 25 Aegis destroyers, with 15 ships having been delivered. A 16th destroyer, SHOUP (DDG 86), completed her initial sea trials earlier this month and will be commissioned in the spring.

The U.S. Navy's Aegis program is one of the most important shipbuilding programs in America today. Aegis ships are designed to provide primary protection for the Navy's battle forces, but are also the most balanced surface warships ever built, equipped with the weapons, electronics, helicopter support facilities, and propulsion, auxiliary and survivability systems to carry out the Navy's missions. Aegis destroyers are equipped to conduct a variety of missions, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. The ships operate with battle groups in high-threat environments and also provide essential escort capabilities to Navy and Marine Corps amphibious forces, combat logistics ships and convoys.