WASHINGTON - Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have urged full funding of $2.6 billion for the third DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer, which would be built at Bath Iron Works.

The funding was requested by the Navy and included in both the president's 2009 budget request and the Senate version of the 2009 defense authorization bill. The House version of the same bill essentially eliminates all funding for the program.

The senators said a significant decrease in funding for the program would have a devastating impact on the stability of the shipbuilding industrial base, including the work force at BIW.

Navy Secretary Donald Winter recently accepted an invitation by Collins to visit and tour BIW and discuss the DDG-1000 program. The secretary’s visit is scheduled for next week.