The future USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) successfully completed acceptance trials December 16 after spending two days underway off the coast of Maine.
The U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) reviewed the ship and its crew during a series of demonstrations while underway. INSURV evaluates the ship’s construction and compliance with Navy specifications and is the governing body that recommends the ship be delivered to the U.S. Navy.
The trials were conducted both pier-side and underway. Many of the ship’s onboard systems tested to validate performance, including navigation, damage control, mechanical and electrical systems, combat systems, communications, and propulsion applications, met or exceeded Navy specifications.
«DDG-115 performed exceedingly well during acceptance trials and throughout the test and trials period», said Captain Casey Moton, DDG-51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «This ship is another example of the excellent work performed by our Navy, waterfront, and industry teams. As we continue with serial production of the Arleigh Burke class, I look forward to delivering more of these world-class ships to the fleet».
USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) is equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9 Combat System which includes an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capability incorporating Ballistic Missile Defense 5.0 Capability Upgrade and Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air capability. The ship’s IAMD radar will provide increased computing power and radar upgrades that improve detection and reaction capabilities against modern air warfare threats. The Aegis Combat System will enable the ship to link radars with other ships and aircraft to provide a composite picture of the battlespace and effectively increase the theater space.
Following delivery, USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) will be the 65th Arleigh Burke class destroyer and the first of the DDG-51 Flight IIA Restart ships to be built at Bath Iron Works. The shipyard is currently in production on future Flight IIA Technology Insertion destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) and USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) and under contract for three additional ships awarded as part of the five-ship multi-year procurement for FY13-17.
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, and boats and craft.
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 |