BENICIA, CA, RIX Industries, Inc. (RIX) announced that it has been awarded compressor contracts for the newest Arleigh Burke-class Flight III ships. DDG-51 Flight III CompressorThis program has been so successful that it enjoys the longest production run of any post-World War II U.S. Navy surface combatant. According to Congress, the Navy is expected to extend the acquisition of some form of these ships into the 2050s. The first of the Flight III ships, DDG-125, will be the 75th in its class and is projected to enter service in 2023.
The RIX STAR-200 compressors have delivered proven performance and reliability to the Arleigh Burke-class for decades. This is great news for RIX Industries. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral John Richardson, has been “very adamant about getting a new Large Surface Combatant (LSC) that will the leverage the Flight III capabilities in a new larger hull design.” Rear Admiral Ron Boxall, Director of Surface Warfare, echoes the CNO, “We’re at the limit of what we can put on the DDG-51 hull. We need to expand so it’s got room and opportunity for growth.”
The Navy expects to build 10-12 Flight IIIs before moving to the future LSC. The new class is expected to enter service in the early 2030s and serve alongside Flight III DDGs. The new LSC class will incorporate emerging technologies like lasers, on-board power-generation systems, increased automation, and next-generation weapons, sensors, and electronics. They will leverage technologies in use on other platforms such as the Zumwalt-class destroyer and Gerald R. Ford-class carriers where RIX is already a major supplier.
“RIX Industries is pleased to have been awarded this important contract, which continues our long-standing relationship with the most advanced U.S. Navy combatants,” commented George Wood, Executive Vice President of RIX Industries. “RIX’s commitment to providing and supporting the most advanced and reliable technologies will directly impact new innovations like the High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with Surveillance (HELIOS) system. It will be the first time a laser will be mounted on a U.S. Navy warship and expected to be delivered in 2020.”
RIX Industries manufactures a wide range of reciprocating piston compressors and generators for industrial gases and breathing air. RIX has been in business since 1878 and has been proudly serving our US Armed Forces for over 120 years. With a solid industry reputation that is second to none, RIX is the established leader in engineering and manufacturing of American-made compressors.
A company built on trust, experience, and a growing client base of over 80% repeat customers, RIX is dedicated to making clients for life, both domestically and globally. RIX Industries’ compressors and generators are used by an extensive list of customers within industrial gas companies, refineries and chemical plants, offshore oil platforms, commercial diving operations, SCUBA tank filling stations, and Government Agencies, all of which increase RIX’s global role in strategic deterrence, homeland defense, and economic security.
