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Bill has partial funding for 3rd DDG-1000

PORTLAND, Maine — Sen. Susan Collins says the House version of a defense appropriation measure for fiscal 2009 now includes $1.5 billion as partial funding for a third DDG-1000 Navy destroyer.

The Maine Republican says the House stopped short of the $2.6 billion contained in the Senate version. But she said the lesser amount should be enough to allow work to begin at Bath Iron Works as long as additional funds are forthcoming in the next fiscal year.

Previously, the House measure contained no funding for a third ship.

Collins says Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assured her Thursday of his continued support for the DDG-1000 program. In July, the Navy had sought to stop production after two ships, but it ended up backtracking.