USN to commission future USS Daniel Inouye
The future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) sails into Pearl Harbour. (Photo: USN)
The USN on 8 December will commission the future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) during a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickham.
The Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is equipped with Aegis Baseline 9, offering improved air and missile defence capability.
Daniel Inouye, built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, was christened in June 2019 and delivered to the USN in March this year.
Bath Iron Works is currently building a further five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and is under contract to construct four additional Flight III configuration destroyers.
The future destroyer is named for US Senator and Medal of Honour recipient Daniel Inouye who passed away in 2012.
Elsewhere, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division on 6 December began construction of its latest Flight III Arleigh Burke vessel, the future USS George M Neal (DDG 131).
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
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.
-
How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China
The offensive against Iran could impact training and maintenance cycles and accelerate the degradation of the US arsenal on top of depleting Washington’s stockpiles.
-
UK Royal Navy explores modular counter-drone capabilities for future hybrid fleet
The UK MoD is scoping out systems to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems, with a focus on low-cost modularity and speed to field.
-
US Pentagon claims to have severely damaged Iranian capabilities, promises to increase attacks
US military authorities claim to have sunk 20 Iranian vessels and destroyed Tehran’s Air Force, with the Pentagon making plans to send additional assets to the region.
-
Greece’s newly commissioned FDI frigate deployed to Cyprus
The recent naval modernisation efforts by the Hellenic Navy have been bolstered by the acquisition of advanced Naval Group frigates, the first of which was delivered in December 2025 and is now playing a crucial role in the latest Middle East conflict.