Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has begun fabrication of the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyer Jack H Lucas (DDG 125) with the cutting of the first 100 tons of steel, the company announced on 7 May.
Jack H. Lucas will be the first Flight III ship in the Arleigh Burke-class of destroyers, incorporating a new Advanced Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) that will replace the existing SPY-1 radar installed on the previous ships.
The vessel is the fifth of five destroyers being built under a contract the company received in June 2013.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are multi-mission ships capable of conducting various operations including peacetime presence, crisis management, sea control and power projection. The guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface threats. The ship contains offensive and defensive weapons to support maritime defence needs.