WASHINGTON – Congress approved more than $3 billion in funding for the building of the DDG-51 Arleigh-Burke Class Destroyers on Thursday. The legislation is now headed to the White House for President Bush’s signature.

Bath Iron Works, Maine’s largest private employer, shares in the building of the guided-missile destroyer, considered to be the backbone of the Navy’s surface fleet.

The funding paves the way for the building of three new ships – one being built at Bath – and is included in the massive $318 billion defense bill for the 2002 fiscal year. Both the House and the Senate approved the bill, which calls for an increase in defense spending by some $26.6 billion over last year and includes an average 5 percent pay raise for military personnel.

Under a multiyear procurement contract authored last year by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, the Defense Department is expected to build at least 58 destroyers in coming years, while also reducing procurement costs by an estimated $1.4 billion.

Praised by Snowe, the bill also includes continued funding for a number of other defense contractors based in Maine.

“This legislation not only will contribute to the ongoing modernization of the armed forces in dealing with the array of 21st century threats to our national security, but also benefit Maine’s manufacturing and research economies,” Snowe said.

Sen. Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who led much of the fight to secure funding for Maine projects, agreed. “This legislation makes critical investments in a variety of projects important to both our national defense and to the state.”

Funding for the DDG-51 also allows for more than $125 million to be spent on supplies and equipment for beginning work on a fourth DDG-51.

Rep. Tom Allen, D-Portland, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and whose first congressional district includes BIW, had been working with other lawmakers to secure full funding for a fourth destroyer, but partial funding is still welcomed news, said Allen’s spokesman, Todd Stein.

“It was always an uphill climb to get a fourth,” Stein said, “so it is good news to get a spending commitment toward it.” Stein added that full funding for a fourth DDG-51 must wait until next year.

Congress also approved the spending of $525.7 million for research and development of the Land Attack Destroyer Program, now called the DD-X, which the Navy considers to be the next-generation surface combatant ship. Production of the land-attack destroyer calls for a smaller and stealthier hull design and is expected to begin as the DDG-51 is phased out.

BIW and Ingalls Shipyard of Mississippi are leading teams on the design of this new vessel. Bath has teamed up with Lockheed-Martin and others in the competition to take over lead design responsibilities of the new ship.

BIW and Avondale Industries of Louisiana also will be sharing in a $155 million advance procurement authority for the LPD-17 amphibious transport vessel. The ship is designed to carry more than 700 Marines for humanitarian rescue operations and to project U.S. power. BIW is expected to build four of the anticipated 12 ships in this class.

Other spending provisions in the defense bill affecting Maine, include:

. $36 million in additional funding for the Anti-Surface Warfare Improvement Program to improve operational capabilities of P-3C aircraft, the type used by Brunswick Naval Air Station, through installation of upgraded sensor and communication suites.

. $54.4 million for F-15 “E-Kit” modifications by Pratt & Whitney of North Berwick, which aims to reduce costs, improve reliability, and enhance flight safety. The company also will benefit from $31.2 million for F-16 fighter engine modernization, which replaces the current F100-PW-220 engine with the F100-PW-229 engine.

. $28.8 million for procurement of MK-19 grenade launcher machine guns manufactured by Saco Defense Inc. MK-19 launchers are recognized for their rapid deployment and nighttime capabilities, as well as their superior mobility in military operations.

. $16.24 million to fully fund the USS Albuquerque refueling and overhaul currently under way at the Kittery-Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and $7.8 million in funding for the shipyard apprenticeship program, which helps the yard ensure that skilled workers are available for submarine repairs and overhaul.

. $21.5 million in additional funding for Civil Air Patrol operations, maintenance, and equipment upgrades to increase the capability of the patrol to assist the U.S. Coast Guard and other services in search and rescue, drug interdiction, and to enhance cadet programs such as flight instruction, scholarships and summer courses.

. $5 million to repair and modernize a failing runway located at Bangor International Airport.

. $4 million in funding for the transfer of property at the Navy’s Winter Harbor facility to Acadia National Park. The legislation encourages the Navy to work with the National Park Service to participate in an economic transition plan for the facility and surrounding area.

. $2.5 million in funding for the Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher/Striker weapons system used by U.S. Special Operations forces and the U.S. Marines. GD Armaments in Saco is among the leading contractors involved with production of this system.

. $2 million in funding for a fuel cell test center to be located at Brunswick Naval Air Station to perform research and conduct training on possible maritime applications of fuel cells. Snowe and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., are sponsors of legislation to encourage development of fuel cells.

. $2 million in additional funding for development of composite ship manufacturing advanced technology at Bath Iron Works. Funding will be used for BIW to design a composite rudder design to minimize erosion and corrosion on the DDG-51 program.

. $1.5 million in additional funding for design, fabrication and testing of a prototype Modular Advanced Composite Hull-form structure, used for new ship construction technologies. The University of Maine will lead a consortium in developing the MACH structure.

. $1.5 million in additional funding for development of the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System, a joint project of the University of Maine, the Maine State Planning Office, Bigelow Laboratory, and other partners.