Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced on December 19, 2022 the successful completion of builder’s sea trials for guided missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125). The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer spent several days in the Gulf of Mexico with Ingalls’ test and trials team operating the ship and performing an extensive list of test events.

During the sea trials, the team successfully accomplished the hull, mechanical, and electrical tests, conducted the first in class Flight III events with the SPY-6 arrays and tested the machinery control system to ensure remote operability of the new electric plant.

«Getting DDG-125 underway is a significant milestone in keeping this first Flight III ship on schedule, and reflects the hard work and dedication of our combined Ingalls and Navy team to ensure successful sea trials», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. «We are all very happy with how DDG-125 performed, and we look forward to delivering this highly advanced ship to the Navy».

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) is the first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer being built for the U.S. Navy by Ingalls. DDG-125 features enhanced detection and engagement of targets, as well as ballistic missile defense capability. The Flight III upgrade incorporates a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability.

Ingalls has delivered 34 destroyers to the U.S. Navy, with five 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). USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) was delivered to the Navy by Ingalls on November 30 and will leave the shipyard early next year.

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. Guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.

CHARACTERISTICS

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III

The U.S. Navy christened the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, during a 9:55 a.m. CDT ceremony on Saturday, March 26, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Jacklyn Harold «Jack» Lucas, the ship’s namesake, served as a U.S. Marine during World War II and was awarded the Medal of Honor at the age of 17, making him the youngest recipient. Private First Class Lucas received the award during the Iwo Jima campaign when he hurled himself on two grenades to absorb the explosion with his own body and protect his fellow Marines. Surviving the blast, Lucas lived until June 5, 2008, when he died from cancer. The future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) is the first combat warship to bear his name.

Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, delivered the christening ceremony’s principal address. The Honorable Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator from Mississippi; the Honorable Steven Palazzo, U.S. Representative from Mississippi’s Fourth District; the Honorable Meredith Berger, Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of the U.S. Navy; Major General Jason Bohm, Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command; and Ms. Kari Wilkinson, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding also provided remarks. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsors, Ms. Ruby Lucas and Ms. Catherine B. Reynolds, christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

«The future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) will serve as a constant reminder of the immense impact actions taken by any one Sailor or Marine can truly have», said Secretary of the U.S. Navy Carlos Del Toro. «Private First Class Lucas is a national hero and this ship and crew will honor his legacy for decades to come».

The ship will be the 75th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and is one of 20 ships currently under contract for the DDG-51 program. The Flight III upgrade is centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR). It incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity plus additional associated changes to provide greatly enhanced warfighting capability to the fleet. The AMDR enables Flight III ships to perform Anti-Air Warfare and Ballistic Missile Defense simultaneously, satisfying the Navy’s critical need for an enhanced surface combatant Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capability. The Flight III baseline begins with DDGs 125-126 and continues with DDG-128 and follow on ships. The future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) will be 509.5 feet/155.3 meters long and 59 feet/18 meters wide, with a displacement of 9,496 tons. The ship will homeport in San Diego, California.

The DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG-51) is a multi-mission ship designed to operate offensively and defensively, independently, or part 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, and 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.

CHARACTERISTICS

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division achieved a substantial milestone today with the successful lift of the aft deckhouse onto guided missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125). The 320-ton aft deckhouse includes radar equipment rooms, main engine intake and exhaust compartments, electric shop, and staterooms.

«Our team has kept this first Flight III ship ahead of schedule by working collaboratively and using lessons learned from our long history of building destroyers», said Ben Barnett, Ingalls DDG-125 program manager. «Our entire shipbuilding team has worked tirelessly to ensure that all of our efforts have been aligned to implement all Flight III changes successfully on this ship. With this lift, we are one step closer to delivering the U.S. Navy the most technologically advanced destroyer in the fleet».

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) is the fifth of five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers HII was awarded in June 2013 and is the first Flight III ship, which adds enhanced radar capability and other technological upgrades. 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.

The ship is named for Jack. H Lucas, a longtime resident of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who was the youngest Marine and the youngest service member in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor. USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) is co-sponsored by Ruby Lucas, widow of the ship’s namesake.

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. 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.

Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division supports national security missions around the globe with unmanned systems, defense and federal solutions, nuclear and environmental services, and fleet sustainment. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 42,000 people operating both domestically and internationally.

CHARACTERISTICS

GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS LINEUP

Flight III

In an historic milestone for the DDG 51 program, the keel of the first Flight III destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), was ceremoniously laid and authenticated at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard, November 7.

Ruby Lucas and Catherine B. Reynolds, ship sponsors, authenticated the keel by etching their initials into the keel plate. Although the official start of fabrication began in May 2018, authenticating the ship’s keel symbolically recognizes the joining of modular components and represents the ceremonial beginning of the ship.

«This destroyer was named after an American hero, Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lucas, and I am humbled and honored to be here today as we authenticate the keel on his namesake ship», said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «The Flight III ships will bring increased lethality and warfighting capacity to our warfighters, and today’s milestone is the first of many to come as we work to deliver this highly capable ship to the Fleet», he added.

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) will be the first Arleigh Burke class destroyer built in the Flight III configuration with improved capability and capacity to perform Anti-Air Warfare and Ballistic Missile Defense in support of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense mission.

The Flight III design contains modifications from the earlier DDG-51 class, to enable the SPY-6 radar, in association with Aegis Baseline 10, which includes larger electronically scanned arrays and the power generation and cooling equipment required to operate the powerful new radar.

These multi-mission surface combatants serve as integral assets in global maritime security, engaging in air, undersea, surface, strike and ballistic missile defense, as well as providing increased capabilities in anti-submarine warfare, command and control, and anti-surface warfare.

HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the guided missile destroyers USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119), USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121), and USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), amphibious assault ships USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and USS Bougainville (LHA-8), and amphibious transport dock ships USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) and USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29).

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, boats and craft.

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III