BATH, Maine (AP) — A Navy shipbuilder in Maine is marking a milestone in construction of the last of three stealthy destroyers.
The daughters of Lyndon B. Johnson are going to be on hand Monday at Bath Iron Works for the keel-laying ceremony of the warship bearing the late president's name.
Keel-laying ceremonies date to the days when construction began with a keel upon which the ship is built. In this case, it's going to mark the joining of two hull units, the first of many that will comprise the 610-foot-long destroyer.
The Lyndon B. Johnson is the last of three stealthy destroyers in the Zumwalt class.
They have wave-piercing hulls, a stealthy shape and electric propulsion. The crew size is half of the 300 personnel of other destroyers, thanks to advanced automation.
