Navy’s top officer is paying a visit to Bath Iron Works

BATH, Maine (AP) - The Navy’s top officer is paying a visit to shipbuilder Bath Iron Works.

Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, is scheduled to tour ships that are under construction and speak to shipyard workers and leaders on Monday about upcoming milestones in ship production.

Bath Iron Works is striving to get caught up on production of destroyers as the U.S. Navy faces growing competition from China and Russia.

The shipyard is making progress.

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.

Joining Gilda are Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine. Collins, a Republican, is on the Appropriations Committee and King, an independent, is on the Armed Services Committee.