USS Fitzgerald heading to Huntington Ingalls for repairs
Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) will repair the USS Fitzgerald, a guided missile destroyer that was damaged in a fatal crash in June.
The shipbuilder said Wednesday it was selected by the U.S. Navy to repair the USS Fitzgerald when it returns to the U.S. Huntington Ingalls’ facilities in Pascagoula, Mississippi, will handle the repairs.
“Ingalls and all of its employees regret the tragic circumstances that will bring the ship to Pascagoula,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias, “but it is an honor and a privilege to work with the Navy to return the ship to the fleet in the shortest time possible.”
Huntington Ingalls has previously repaired damaged Navy ships, including the frigate USS Stark and the USS Cole, the guided missile destroyer that was attacked in October 2000. Bath Iron Works, a division of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), built the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain, which was involved in a separate accident this week.
The USS Fitzgerald was damaged in a collision with a container ship off the coast of Japan on June 17. The crash killed seven sailors and injured three others.
A second deadly accident occurred on Monday, when the USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker collided near Singapore. Ten sailors are missing, and five were injured. The Navy said “some remains” were recovered from the ship. More divers were scheduled to join the search efforts on Wednesday.
A total of four Navy ships have been involved in accidents this year. The Navy on Thursday dismissed the commander of the 7th Fleet following the USS John S. McCain’s collision.