The U.S. Navy christened the future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, during a 10:30 a.m. ET ceremony in Bath, Maine, October 2.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed, of Rhode Island, delivered the keynote address at the ceremony. Remarks were also be provided by the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the U.S. Navy; the Honorable Mike McCord, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller); and Admiral William Lescher, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, as well as the Honorable Janet Mills, Governor of Maine; U.S. Senator Angus King, of Maine; U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, of Maine’s 1st District; and U.S. Representative Andy Levin, of Michigan’s 9th District.
Senator Levin’s daughters, Kate Levin Markel, Laura Levin, and Erica Levin – the ship’s sponsors – participated in a time-honored Navy tradition to christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.
«The late Senator Carl Levin said that public service is in his DNA», said Del Toro. «Senator Levin’s decisions leading the Senate Armed Services Committee shaped our nation and Navy for the better. It is my honor, on behalf of the Navy, and with his three daughters serving as sponsor, to expand his legacy by christening a namesake ship, USS CARL LEVIN».
The future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) is named in honor of the former Michigan senator who remains the longest-serving senator in the state’s history. Levin became a staunch supporter of the armed services through his work and leadership as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Levin passed away July 29, 2021.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. These ships serve as crucial assets in global maritime security, conducting anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, as well as executing long-range strike and surface fire support missions. USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) will be a Flight IIA destroyer with the Aegis Baseline 9 Combat Systems, including Integrated Air and Missile Defense capability.
In addition to USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), General Dynamics – Bath Iron Works (BIW) has five additional Arleigh Burke-class destroyers under construction, to include the future: USS John Basilone (DDG-122), the future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124), the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127), the future USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG-126), and the future USS William Charette (DDG-130). BIW is under contract to construct four additional Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with the Flight III configuration that includes enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense capabilities.
CHARACTERISTICS
| Length Overall | 525 feet/160 m |
| Beam – Waterline | 65.6 feet/20 m |
| Draft | 32.8 feet/10 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 | AN/SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (Raytheon Company) 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 | 07-27-19 | Mayport, Florida |
| DDG-118 Daniel Inouye | GDBIW | 10-27-19 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | |
| DDG-119 Delbert D. Black | HIIIS | 09-08-17 | 09-26-20 | Mayport, Florida |
| DDG-120 Carl M. Levin | GDBIW | 05-16-21 | 10-02-21 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. | HIIIS | 07-13-18 | ||
| DDG-122 John Basilone | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee | HIIIS | 01-27-20 | ||
| DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher | GDBIW |