Tag Archives: Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51)

Navy

Keel For Destroyer

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel of the guided missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) on February 21, 2017. The ship, named in honor of the U.S. Marine Corps’ first African-American general, will be the 33rd Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) destroyer Ingalls has built for the U.S. Navy.

Jeremy Lally, a structural welder at Ingalls Shipbuilding, welds the initials of ship sponsor D’Arcy Neller (left) onto the keel plate of the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)
Jeremy Lally, a structural welder at Ingalls Shipbuilding, welds the initials of ship sponsor D’Arcy Neller (left) onto the keel plate of the destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

«DDGs are traditionally named after great men and women in the history of our Navy, and the namesake of DDG-121 is a true trailblazer and an American hero», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said at a shipyard ceremony. «Like her namesake, DDG-121 will be strong and capable. She can be no other way, because our men and women in the Navy – and General Petersen’s legacy – deserve nothing less».

D’Arcy Neller, the wife of Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Neller, is the ship’s sponsor. Jeremy Lally, a structural welder at Ingalls Shipbuilding division, welded her initials onto a steel plate, signifying the keel of DDG-121 to be «truly and fairly laid». The plate will remain affixed to the ship throughout the ship’s lifetime.

«I appreciate the opportunity to be here with you today and the effort that goes on in this shipyard», General Neller said. «We’re being contested everywhere in the world right now, especially on the sea. We need ships like this one, and we need them to go fast and in harm’s way, every day. So, I know Ingalls will put great care, talent and skill into building this ship, and I appreciate your effort».

The guided missile destroyer honors Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr., who was the Marine Corps’ first African-American aviator and general officer. After entering the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in 1950, Petersen would go on to fly more than 350 combat missions throughout the Korean and Vietnam wars.

«This is such an honor for General Petersen and our family, particularly with this month being Black History Month», said Doctor Alicia Petersen, widow of General Petersen. «He wasn’t a man who wanted a lot of praise or recognition; however, if he could see this great ship being built for other young men and young women to see and look up to, he would be very proud».

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships that can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States’ military strategy. They are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ships contain myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.

 

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 90 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: Restart

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-113 John Finn HIIIS 03-28-15
DDG-114 Ralph Johnson HIIIS 12-12-15
DDG-115 Rafael Peralta GDBIW 10-31-15

 

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner GDBIW
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius HIIIS 11-12-16
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS

 

Flight III

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. GDBIW
DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas HIIIS
DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr. GDBIW

 

Navy

The start of fabrication

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division officially started fabrication of the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) destroyer USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) on Wednesday, January 26, 2017. The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.

Paul Bosarge, a steel fabrication burner at Ingalls Shipbuilding, presses the button to start fabrication of the Ingalls-built destroyer USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123). Bosarge has worked at Ingalls for 39 years (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)
Paul Bosarge, a steel fabrication burner at Ingalls Shipbuilding, presses the button to start fabrication of the Ingalls-built destroyer USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123). Bosarge has worked at Ingalls for 39 years (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

«Starting fabrication on another destroyer is a great way to start the year», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. «Ingalls has delivered 29 of these ships to the U.S. Navy, and our hot production line continues to improve the construction process. The ships are tremendous assets to our country’s fleet, and we look forward to delivering another quality destroyer to the Navy».

The ship is named in honor of Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee, the first woman to receive the Navy Cross. Higbee joined the U.S. Navy in October 1908 as part of the newly established Navy Nurse Corps, a group of women who would become known as «The Sacred Twenty», and became the second superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps in January 1911.

USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) is the fourth of five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers HII was awarded in June 2013. The five-ship contract, part of a multi-year procurement in the DDG-51 program, allows Ingalls to build ships more efficiently by buying bulk material and moving the skilled workforce from ship to ship.

With the start of Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee, Ingalls has five destroyers under construction. USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) will undergo sea trials later this year and is scheduled to be delivered by the end of the year. USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) will be christened on April 8. USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) will launch later this year, and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) will lay its keel in the first quarter of this year.

 

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 90 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

 

Flight IIA: Restart

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-113 John Finn HIIIS 03-28-15
DDG-114 Ralph Johnson HIIIS 12-12-15
DDG-115 Rafael Peralta GDBIW 10-31-15

 

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner GDBIW
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius HIIIS 11-12-16
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS

 

Flight III

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. GDBIW
DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas HIIIS
DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr. GDBIW

 

Navy

Trials for Destroyer

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on September 02 the completion of the first round of sea trials for the guided missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113). The Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) ship, built at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, spent three days in the Gulf of Mexico testing the ship’s main propulsion system and other ship systems.

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)
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)

«The DDG 51 program has been the backbone of our shipyard for nearly three decades», said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. «Getting DDG-113 underway is a significant milestone in this program, and we are looking forward to continuing our legacy of building these quality, complex ships for our U.S. Navy customer. The outstanding performance of DDG-113 during its initial sea trials – the first Arleigh Burke-class sea trials in nearly six years – is a testament to the outstanding workmanship of our Ingalls shipbuilders in building the ship to the highest quality standards for our sailors and for our nation», Cuccias added.

The alpha trial was the first of three builder’s trials planned for John Finn, Ingalls’ 29th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The U.S. Navy is requiring three sea trials as part of the restart effort on the DDG-51 program. USS John Finn (DDG-113) is the first destroyer built by Ingalls since the company delivered USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) in 2011.

«There’s nothing like taking an Aegis destroyer to sea, and our test and trials, craftsmen and Supervisor of Shipbuilding team really managed this alpha trial well», said George S. Jones, Ingalls’ vice president of operations. «We could really feel the quality of this ship while sailing through the Gulf. These ships are warfighters, and this extra set of trials will ensure the ship will get a lot of at-sea time in preparation for her delivery later this year».

Ingalls has delivered 28 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy. Other destroyers currently under construction at Ingalls include USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114), USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121).

Construction on USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2017.

«We will immediately get back to work on DDG-113 and get her ready for bravo trials later this year», said George Nungesser, Ingalls’ DDG program manager. «Our shipbuilders know and understand how important these ships are to our country’s defense, and it is something we take seriously. Our sailors deserve that focus».

DDG-113 is named in honor of the Navy’s first Medal of Honor recipient of World War II. Finn received the honor for machine-gunning Japanese warplanes for over two hours during the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, despite being shot in the foot and shoulder and suffering numerous shrapnel wounds. He retired as a lieutenant after 30 years of service and died at age 100 in 2010.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States’ military strategy. The guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.

 

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 90 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: Restart

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-113 John Finn HIIIS 03-28-15
DDG-114 Ralph Johnson HIIIS 12-12-15
DDG-115 Rafael Peralta GDBIW 10-31-15

 

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner GDBIW
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius HIIIS
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS

 

Flight III

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. GDBIW
DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas HIIIS
DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr. GDBIW

 

John Finn’s Builder’s Trials