Technological advances have improved the capability of modern destroyers culminating in the Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class replacing the older Charles F. Adams and Farragut class guided missile destroyers. Like the larger Ticonderoga-class cruisers, DDG-51’s combat capability centers around the Aegis Weapon System (AWS). AWS is composed of the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar, advanced AAW (Anti-Aircraft Warfare) and ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) systems, VLS (Vertical Launching System), and the Tomahawk Weapon System. These advances allow the Arleigh Burke-class to continue the revolution at sea.
The Arleigh Burke class employs all-steel construction and is comprised of three separate variants or «Flights»: DDG-51-71 represent the original design and are designated Flight I ships; DDG-72-78 are Flight II ships; DDG-79 and Follow ships are built or are being built to the Flight IIA design. The Flight III baseline is planned for the second ship in FY16. 62 ships are currently operating in the Fleet. An additional 13 ships are under contract, including the most recent contract award on June 3, 2013 for 9 ships as part of the FY13-17 multi-year procurement contracts with Huntington Ingalls Industries and Bath Iron Works.
Like most modern U.S. surface combatants, DDG-51 utilizes gas turbine propulsion. Employing four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines to produce 100,000 total shaft horsepower/75,000 kW via a dual shaft design, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are capable of achieving 30 plus knot/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h speeds in open seas.
The Flight IIA design includes the addition of the Kingfisher mine-avoidance capability, a pair of helicopter hangars, which provide the ability to deploy with 2 organic Lamps MK III MH-60 helicopters, blast-hardened bulkheads, distributed electrical system and advanced networked systems. Additionally, DDG-91-96 provide accommodations for the A/N WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS).
A DDG modernization program is underway to provide a comprehensive mid-life upgrade that will ensure the DDG-51 class will maintain mission relevance and remain an integral part of the Navy’s Sea Power XXI Plan. The modernization changes are also being introduced to new construction ships to increase the baseline capabilities of the newest ships in the class, and to provide commonality between new construction ships and modernized in-service ships. The goal of the DDG modernization effort is to reduce workload requirements and increase war-fighting capabilities while reducing total ownership cost to the Navy. In-service ships can be modernized by two distinct packages – Combat Systems (C/S) and Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical (HM&E) upgrades. The HM&E package includes new Gigabit Ethernet connectivity in the engineering plant and a Digital Video Surveillance System (DVSS), along with the Integrated Bridge Navigation System (IBNS), an Advanced Galley, and other habitability modifications. A complete Open Architecture computing environment is the foundation for ships receiving the C/S war fighting improvements. This upgrade plan consists of a new Multi-Mission Signal Processor to accommodate additional Ballistic Missile Defense capability and an improvement to radar performance in the littoral regions. Additional upgrades include: Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), CIWS Block 1B, SEWIP, and NULKA. The Arleigh Burke-class Mark-41 VLS will be upgraded to support SM-3 and newer variants of the SM missile family. Throughout their expected service life, DDG-51 destroyers will continue to provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities with the added benefit of sea-based protection from the ballistic missile threat.
As previously mentioned, Flight IIA ships started with USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79). U.S. Navy requirements during this phase of the program have involved various modifications to secondary armaments – some ships have one or no CIWS – others have a storage/launch facility for a minehunting Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV).
After a brief interruption in the program, the Navy plans to continue buying DDG-51 destroyers because of their growing role in ballistic missile defense. GDBIW has been awarded construction contracts for two further ships, DDG-115 and DDG-116. A Flight III redesign is underway, for ships in the FY 2016 timeframe.
Ship Characteristics
| Length Overall | Flights I & II – 154 m/505 feet |
| Flights IIA & III – 155.3 m/509.5 feet | |
| Beam – Waterline | 20 m/66 feet |
| Draft | 9.4 m/31 feet |
| Displacement – Full Load | Flight I – 8,300 metric tons/8,200 long tons |
| Flight II – 8,400 metric tons/8,300 long tons | |
| Flight IIA – 9,500 metric tons/9,300 long tons | |
| Flight III – 9,700 metric tons/9,500 long tons | |
| Power Plant | 4 General Electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 105,000 shaft horsepower/78,000 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 (Lockheed Martin)/AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V)12 Navigation; AN/SPS-67(V)3 or (V)5 Surface Search; 3 AN/SPG-62 Illuminator; AN/SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating AN/SQS-53C hull mounted and AN/SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system |
| Electronics/Countermeasures | AN/SLQ-32(V)3-7; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; AN/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 |
Arleigh Burke Class Flight IIA
Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup
Flight I
| Ship | Yard | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport |
| DDG-51 Arleigh Burke | GDBIW | 09-16-89 | 07-04-91 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-52 Barry | HIIIS | 06-08-91 | 12-12-92 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-53 John Paul Jones | GDBIW | 10-26-91 | 12-18-93 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-54 Curtis Wilbur | GDBIW | 05-16-92 | 03-19-94 | Yokosuka, Japan |
| DDG-55 Stout | HIIIS | 10-16-92 | 08-13-94 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-56 John S. McCain | GDBIW | 09-26-92 | 07-02-94 | Yokosuka, Japan |
| DDG-57 Mitscher | HIIIS | 05-07-93 | 12-10-94 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-58 Laboon | GDBIW | 02-20-93 | 03-18-95 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-59 Russell | HIIIS | 10-20-93 | 05-20-95 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-60 Paul Hamilton | GDBIW | 07-24-93 | 05-27-95 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-61 Ramage | HIIIS | 02-11-94 | 07-22-95 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-62 Fitzgerald | GDBIW | 01-29-94 | 10-14-95 | Yokosuka, Japan |
| DDG-63 Stethem | HIIIS | 07-17-94 | 10-21-95 | Yokosuka, Japan |
| DDG-64 Carney | GDBIW | 07-23-94 | 04-13-96 | Mayport, Florida |
| DDG-65 Benfold | HIIIS | 11-09-94 | 03-30-96 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-66 Gonzalez | GDBIW | 02-18-95 | 10-12-96 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-67 Cole | HIIIS | 02-10-95 | 06-08-96 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-68 The Sullivans | GDBIW | 08-12-95 | 04-19-97 | Mayport, Florida |
| DDG-69 Milius | HIIIS | 08-01-95 | 11-23-96 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-70 Hopper | GDBIW | 01-06-96 | 09-06-97 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-71 Ross | HIIIS | 03-22-96 | 06-28-97 | Rota, Spain |
GDBIW – General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
HIIIS – Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding
DDG – Destroyer, Guided Missile
Flight II
| Ship | Yard | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport |
| DDG-72 Mahan | GDBIW | 06-29-96 | 02-14-98 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-73 Decatur | GDBIW | 11-10-96 | 08-29-98 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-74 McFaul | HIIIS | 01-18-97 | 04-25-98 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-75 Donald Cook | GDBIW | 05-03-97 | 12-04-98 | Rota, Spain |
| DDG-76 Higgins | GDBIW | 10-04-97 | 04-24-99 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-77 O’Kane | GDBIW | 03-28-98 | 10-23-99 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-78 Porter | HIIIS | 11-12-97 | 03-20-99 | Norfolk, Virginia |
Flight IIA: 5″/54 variant
| Ship | Yard | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport |
| DDG-79 Oscar Austin | GDBIW | 11-07-98 | 08-19-00 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-80 Roosevelt | HIIIS | 01-10-99 | 10-14-00 | Mayport, Florida |
Flight IIA: 5″/62 variant
| Ship | Yard | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport |
| DDG-81 Winston S. Churchill | GDBIW | 04-17-99 | 03-10-01 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-82 Lassen | HIIIS | 10-16-99 | 04-21-01 | Yokosuka, Japan |
| DDG-83 Howard | GDBIW | 11-20-99 | 10-20-01 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-84 Bulkeley | HIIIS | 06-21-00 | 12-08-01 | Norfolk, Virginia |
Flight IIA: 5″/62, one 20-mm CIWS variant
| Ship | Yard | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport |
| DDG-85 McCampbell | GDBIW | 07-02-00 | 08-17-02 | Yokosuka, Japan |
| DDG-86 Shoup | HIIIS | 11-22-00 | 06-22-02 | Everett, Washington |
| DDG-87 Mason | GDBIW | 06-23-01 | 04-12-03 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-88 Preble | HIIIS | 06-01-01 | 11-09-02 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-89 Mustin | HIIIS | 12-12-01 | 07-26-03 | Yokosuka, Japan |
| DDG-90 Chafee | GDBIW | 11-02-02 | 10-18-03 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-91 Pinckney | HIIIS | 06-26-02 | 05-29-04 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-92 Momsen | GDBIW | 07-19-03 | 08-28-04 | Everett, Washington |
| DDG-93 Chung-Hoon | HIIIS | 12-15-02 | 09-18-04 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-94 Nitze | GDBIW | 04-03-04 | 03-05-05 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-95 James E. Williams | HIIIS | 06-25-03 | 12-11-04 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-96 Bainbridge | GDBIW | 11-13-04 | 11-12-05 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-97 Halsey | HIIIS | 01-09-04 | 07-30-05 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-98 Forrest Sherman | HIIIS | 10-02-04 | 01-28-06 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-99 Farragut | GDBIW | 07-23-05 | 06-10-06 | Mayport, Florida |
| DDG-100 Kidd | HIIIS | 01-22-05 | 06-09-07 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-101 Gridley | GDBIW | 12-28-05 | 02-10-07 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-102 Sampson | GDBIW | 09-16-06 | 11-03-07 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-103 Truxtun | HIIIS | 06-02-07 | 04-25-09 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-104 Sterett | GDBIW | 05-19-07 | 08-09-08 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-105 Dewey | HIIIS | 01-26-08 | 03-06-10 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-106 Stockdale | GDBIW | 05-10-08 | 04-18-09 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-107 Gravely | HIIIS | 03-30-09 | 11-20-10 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-108 Wayne E. Meyer | GDBIW | 10-18-08 | 10-10-09 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-109 Jason Dunham | GDBIW | 08-01-09 | 11-13-10 | Norfolk, Virginia |
| DDG-110 William P. Lawrence | HIIIS | 12-15-09 | 06-04-11 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-111 Spruance | GDBIW | 06-06-10 | 10-01-11 | San Diego, California |
| DDG-112 Michael Murphy | GDBIW | 05-08-11 | 10-06-12 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
GDBIW – General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
HIIIS – Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding
DDG – Destroyer, Guided Missile
Flight IIA: Restart
| Ship | Yard | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport |
| DDG-113 John Finn | HIIIS | 03-28-15 | 07-15-17 | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii |
| DDG-114 Ralph Johnson | HIIIS | 12-12-15 | 03-24-18 | Everett, Washington |
| DDG-115 Rafael Peralta | GDBIW | 10-31-15 | 07-29-17 | San Diego, California |
Ingalls Shipbuilding’s 29th Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113) sails the Gulf of Mexico during Alpha sea trials (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)
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 | 12-08-21 | 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 | ||
| DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. | HIIIS | 07-13-18 | ||
| DDG-122 John Basilone | GDBIW | 06-12-22 | ||
| DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee | HIIIS | 01-27-20 | ||
| DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher | GDBIW |
Flight III
| Ship | Yard | Launched | Commissioned | Homeport |
| DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas | HIIIS | 06-04-21 | ||
| DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr. | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-128 Ted Stevens | HIIIS | |||
| DDG-129 Jeremiah Denton | HIIIS | |||
| DDG-130 William Charette | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-131 George M. Neal | HIIIS | |||
| DDG-132 Quentin Walsh | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-133 Sam Nunn | HIIIS | |||
| DDG-134 John E. Kilmer | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-135 Thad Cochran | HIIIS | |||
| DDG-136 Richard G. Lugar | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-137 John F. Lehman | HIIIS | |||
| DDG-138 J. William Middendorf | GDBIW | |||
| DDG-139 Telesforo Trinidad | HIIIS | |||
| DDG-140 Thomas G. Kelley |
USS Dewey (DDG-105) conducts maritime operations as part of Carrier Strike Group One (CSG 1). CSG 1 is on deployment in the 7th Fleet area of operations supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific region