Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII’s) Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced on May 19, 2023 the successful completion of acceptance trials for Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125).

«Collaboration has been the single largest enabler to delivering this new capability to the fleet», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. «Our extended network of Navy, Ingalls and supplier partners got this done through open communication, hard work and tenacity».

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) is the first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer being built for the U.S. Navy by Ingalls and incorporates a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. DDG-125 contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century. Flight III configured destroyers include the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System that is required to keep pace with the threats of the future.

Ingalls has delivered 34 destroyers to the U.S. Navy, with five Flight IIIs currently under construction including DDG-125, USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128), USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129), USS George M. Neal (DDG-131) and USS Sam Nunn (DDG-133). The final Ingalls-built Flight IIA ship, USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), sailed away from Ingalls in April and was commissioned this month in Key West, Florida.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly 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 and the joint force. Guided missile destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. surface fleet and are capable of fighting multiple air, surface and subsurface threats simultaneously.

CHARACTERISTICS

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III

The first DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer to be built in the Flight III configuration, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), was successfully launched at Huntington Ingalls Industries, Ingalls Shipbuilding division, June 4.

The DDG-51 Flight III upgrade is centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity plus additional associated changes to provide greatly enhanced warfighting capability to the fleet. The Flight III baseline begins with DDGs 125-126 and will continue with DDG-128 and follow on ships.

«Flight III ships will provide cutting edge Integrated Air and Missile Defense capability to include significantly greater detection range and tracking capacity. Launching the first Flight III ship, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), is another important step to delivering Flight III to the U.S. Navy», said DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class Program Manager, Captain Seth Miller.

The DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG-51) is a multi-mission guided missile destroyer designed to operate offensively and defensively, independently, or as units of Carrier Strike Groups, Expeditionary Strike Groups, and Surface Action Groups in multi-threat environments that include air, surface and subsurface threats. These ships will respond to Low Intensity Conflict/Coastal and Littoral Offshore Warfare scenarios, as well as open ocean conflict, providing or augmenting power projection, forward presence requirements and escort operations at sea. Flight III is the fourth Flight upgrade in the 30+ year history of the class, building on the proud legacy of Flight I, II and IIA ships before it.

HII is currently constructing four other DDG-51 class ships, including the future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) in the Flight IIA configuration, and the future USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128) and USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129) as Flight III ships. There are a total of 20 DDG-51 class ships under contract at both new construction shipyards.

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, sealift ships, support ships, boats, and craft.

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III