HII launches USS Delbert D Black
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has launched the future US Navy destroyer USS Delbert D Black at its shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
The ship is being configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection, forward presence, and escort operations at sea in support of low intensity conflict/coastal and littoral offshore warfare as well as open ocean conflict.
USS Delbert D Black will be equipped with the navy’s Aegis Combat System, and will incorporate cooperative engagement capability. When combined with the Aegis Combat System, it will permit groups of ships and aircraft to link their radars to provide a composite picture of the battle space, effectively increasing the theatre space.
HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the future destroyers Ralph Johnson, Paul Ignatius, Frank E Petersen Jr and Lenah H Sutcliffe Higbee.
HII is also contracted for one additional ship, Jack H Lucas, as part of the five-ship multi-year procurement for fiscal years 2013-2017. This will be the first ship to be configured in the FLT III design.
More from Naval Warfare
-
UK’s $1 billion AUKUS support request signals strong ongoing US collaboration
The latest foreign military sales request from the UK has implications for the future of the programme and collaboration between the three nations.
-
What the rise of interoperability between Western allies means for defence procurement
Major naval initiatives including the European Patrol Corvette programmes and Norway’s UK partnership-focused purchase of Type 26 frigates point to the growing interest in the advantages of commonality across allied navies.
-
Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
-
HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.