PORTLAND – The Navy will continue production of the current generation of destroyers while it seeks to expand technology for the next-generation stealth destroyer to an entire class of ships.

The Navy will extend construction of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers for an additional three years while teams led by Maine’s Bath Iron Works and Mississippi’s Ingalls Shipbuilding continue to develop technology for the new warship, now called the DD-X, said U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

Systems developed for the destroyer could be applied to a family of warships including a cruiser, destroyer and smaller craft, she said.

“On balance, this is positive news,” Collins said. In particular, she noted that the construction schedule fills a gap in production between the end of the old program and start of production of the new destroyer.

The decision on which team will build the prototype for the next destroyer will be pushed back until next April, roughly a year after the original deadline for final designs for the stealth destroyer.

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, reacted more cautiously to the news that the Navy had changed course after spending $1 billion on research and development for the so-called “stealth” destroyer.

But after meeting with Vern Clark, chief of naval operations, she said she was encouraged that the decision would “jump-start creation of a new surface combatant fleet” with the full support of the Pentagon.

The Navy’s disclosure ended speculation about the future of the program, which was deemed vulnerable when the Defense Department launched a top-to-bottom review of programs for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

The Pentagon’s review of military programs ultimately indicated shipbuilding will be a priority, but the report didn’t address whether the Defense Department was committed to what was known then as the DD-21 program.

The Navy’s decision recognizes that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be best for warships, said Kendell Pease, spokesman for General Dynamics in Falls Church, Va., which is the parent company of Bath Iron Works.

Defense contractors were told that both designs for the DD-21 were too large. The design by the team led by Bath Iron Works was larger than the current generation of destroyers, which are 510 feet long.

The Navy indicated it wants the technology to be put into a smaller package, along with different versions for large cruisers and for small, fast vessels operating in shallow water, Pease said.

It’s unclear how many or what type of warships the Navy wants to build. Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding will learn more when they meet with the Navy on Friday to discuss the requirements for the program.

Under the original $30 billion program, 32 DD-21 destroyers were expected to be built with Bath Iron Works and Ingalls constructing 16 ships apiece. Delivery of the first ship was supposed to be in 2010.

While the program was in limbo, lawmakers in the House sought last week to slash funding for research and development by 75 percent.

The House Appropriations Committee dealt a blow to the program when it approved a budget allocation of $150 million, which represented a cut of $493.5 million from the Defense Department’s budget request.

Collins and Snowe vowed to press for full funding in the Senate, where its spending panel gave the Defense Department the money it sought. The full Senate is expected to take up the matter soon.

Differences between the House and Senate versions would have to be ironed out by a conference committee. Lawmakers are moving quickly and the funding issue could be resolved within a matter of weeks.