HII launches US Navy’s DDG 121
Huntington Ingalls Industries has launched the US Navy’s future Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer Frank E Petersen Jr (DDG 121) the company announced on 16 July.
DDG 121 is being configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection, escort operations and forward presence at sea in support of low intensity conflict/coastal and littoral offshore warfare as well as open ocean conflict.
Equipped with the navy’s Aegis Combat System Baseline 9, the vessel will provide cooperative engagement capability, allowing for integrated air and missile defence. This system delivers quick reaction time, high firepower and increased electronic countermeasures capability for anti-air warfare.
More from Naval Warfare
-
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial effort designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
China’s mineral processing dominance exposes naval supply chain vulnerabilities
Competition for critical minerals, and China’s dominance of their processing, is emerging as a decisive factor in future naval procurement programmes.
-
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.