Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Frank E. Petersen Jr. (Photo: Lance Davis/HII)
The Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) has completed acceptance trials, shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on 17 September.
Ingalls has delivered 32 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the USN with four more under construction: another Flight IIA destroyer Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) and the Flight III vessels Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), Ted Stevens (DDG 128) and Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129).
The USN ordered 47 Flight IIA vessels in all from HII and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, and the first destroyer entered service in 2000.
Shephard Defence Insight calculates the unit price at $1.84 billion per ship.
The US multinational company is currently assembling 300 Rolling Airframe Missile rounds per year, with plans to reach 800 units annually after significant investment and modernisation of its facilities.
RTX’s solution for DARPA’s Pulling Guard programme is intended to provide advanced maritime defence technologies to protect platforms against uncrewed surface vehicles and other threats.
The Spanish Navy’s Alvaro de Bazan-class of air defence frigates will receive the latest Aegis Weapon System technology among other modernisations to extend the service life to 2045.
Shipbuilders are saying the programme is going ahead on time as the government estimates 7.7 million tonnes of steel are needed for 2026 infrastructure projects.
In an exclusive interview with Shephard, Raytheon’s VP of Shipboard Missiles disclosed what improvements the company plans to offer for the Sea Sparrow NSV.
Delays in the construction of the Polar Security Cutter – the future substitute for the Polar Star – are likely to prolong the ageing icebreaker’s service time even more, putting the USCG in a risky position.
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