HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding launches latest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
USS Ted Stevens is the latest Arleigh Burke Flight III to take a step towards service. (Photo: HII)
Ingalls Shipbuilding has launched the USN’s third Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, Ted Stevens (DDG 128), bringing it one step closer to service entry.
Ted Stevens is the 76th Arleigh Burke ship, and its name honours former US Senator Ted Stevens, who served as a pilot in World War II and later as a senator representing Alaska.
Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke destroyers to the USN including the first Flight III, Jack H Lucas (DDG 125), in June this year. In addition, Ingalls Shipbuilding has four Flight IIIs currently under construction and was awarded an additional six destroyers earlier this month.
Ted Stevens will be christened 19 August while Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131) and Sam Nunn (DDG 133) are also under construction at Ingalls. The Flight III standard ships include the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defence Radar (and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System
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The recent milestones in the programme follow the announcement in early August of a further six to be built by Ingalls and a contract award on 11 August for another of the class.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that two of the class are funded every year up to 2027 with a unit cost of $936 million.
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Arleigh Burke Flight III (DDG 140 - DDG 149) [USN]
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