The future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) successfully completed acceptance trials December 20, returning to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Pascagoula shipyard after spending two days at sea in the Gulf of Mexico.

During acceptance trials, the ship and its crew performed a series of demonstrations for review by the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). These demonstrations are used by INSURV to validate the quality of construction and compliance with Navy specifications and requirements prior to delivery of the ship to the U.S. Navy.

«The ship performed very well, which is a testament to the preparation and commitment of the Navy-shipbuilder team», said Captain Casey Moton, DDG-51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «The ship also previously performed a successful SM-2 shoot during builder’s trials, further demonstrating the readiness of the ship’s Aegis weapon system and ship’s force. These trials put the ship on a solid path towards delivery to the U.S. Navy».

The DDG-51 class ships currently being constructed are Aegis Baseline 9 Integrated Air and Missile Defense destroyers with increased computing power and radar upgrades that improve detection and reaction capabilities against modern air warfare and Ballistic Missile Defense threats. When operational, USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) and her sister ships will serve as integral assets in global maritime security.

The future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) is expected to be delivered to the Navy early next year. HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the future destroyers USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119), USS Frank E. Peterson Jr. (DDG-121), USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) and USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the first Flight III ship. HII was recently awarded a contract for the design and construction of six additional DDG-51 class Flight III ships.

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and boats and craft.

 

Ship Characteristics

Length Overall	510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline	59 feet/18 m
Draft	30.5 feet/9.3 m
Displacement – Full Load	9,217 tons/9,363 metric tons
Power Plant	4 General electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed	in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range	4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew	380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance	SPY-1D Phased Array Radar and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V) Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures	SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft	2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament	2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/54 (62) Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46 or Mark-50 ASW torpedos

 

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

 

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship	Yard	Launched	Commissioned	Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner	GDBIW	04-23-17	12-01-18	Mayport, Florida
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius	HIIIS	11-12-16
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye	GDBIW
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black	HIIIS	09-08-17
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin	GDBIW
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr.	HIIIS	07-13-18
DDG-122 John Basilone	GDBIW
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee	HIIIS
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr.	GDBIW