{"id":19826,"date":"2021-05-11T20:58:02","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T20:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/11\/us-navys-top-officer-applauds-workforce-at-bath-iron-works\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:52:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:52:46","slug":"us-navys-top-officer-applauds-workforce-at-bath-iron-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2021\/05\/11\/us-navys-top-officer-applauds-workforce-at-bath-iron-works\/","title":{"rendered":"US Navy\u2019s top officer applauds workforce at Bath Iron Works"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BATH, Maine \u2014 The U.S. Navy\u2019s top officer liked what he saw Monday during a tour of shipbuilder Bath Iron Works, praising the shipyard and its workforce for getting back on track after a strike last summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adm. Mike Gilday<\/a>, chief of naval operations, applauded the patriotism he saw in the workforce and described the shipyard founded in 1884 as a \u201cnational treasure\u201d after touring ships under construction, and speaking to shipbuilders and shipyard leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ramping up construction of destroyers is important as the U.S. Navy faces growing competition from China and Russia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBath is on a path here to begin delivering two ships by the end of the year. That\u2019s a strong trajectory for Bath Iron Works. And it\u2019s not without a lot of hard work during a pandemic to get to that point,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The General Dynamics subsidiary was more than six months behind schedule before a two-month strike by production workers last summer. The delays were serious enough to knock the shipyard out of contention for a lucrative contract to build a new class of frigates, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t