BAE Systems was awarded a $23.9 million contract for post-shakedown availability of the Paul Ignatius, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.

The contract exercises options for the post-shakedown availability of approximately 16 weeks between when the ship custody is transferred to the Navy and the shipbuilding and conversion obligation of the Navy work-limiting date, the Defense Department announced Thursday.

On Feb. 25, Huntington Ingalls Industries delivered the Ignatius to the U.S. Navy during a ceremony at its shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss.

Work will be performed at BAE's plant in Jacksonville, Fla. and is expected to be completed by May 2020.

The PSA comprises all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the PSA.

Work will include correction of government responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA, and incorporation of engineering changes not incorporated during the construction period, which are not otherwise the building yard's responsibility under the ship construction contract.

Naval fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $5.1 million and Naval fiscal 2013 shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $5.6 million will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The keel for the Ignatius was laid down in 2016, and the vessel was christened in 2017. In December, the vessel completed acceptance trials ahead of its delivery to the Navy.

The Ignatius, identified as DDG117, is the 31st Arleigh Burke-class destroyer delivered to the Navy.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers can simultaneously fight air, surface and subsurface battles. Missions range "from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States' military strategy," according to HII.

Four more destroyers are under construction at Hunter's shipyard, including Jack H. Lucas, the first DDG-51 Flight III vessel, fabrication on which started in May 2018. The others are the USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee, USS Ted Stevens, USS Jeremiah Denton and George M. Neal.

DDG117 is named for Paul Ignatius, who served as the 59th secretary of the Navy, from 1967 to 1969. He currently resides in Washington, D.C.

On Feb. 21, BAE was also awarded a $55.4 million contract for post shakedown work on the USS Thomas Hudner, also an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

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