Ingalls Shipbuilding has announced it has handed over Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ted Stevens to the U.S. Navy.
The warship is the second Flight III vessel delivered by Ingalls; its first, USS Jack H. Lucas, was handed over in the summer of 2023.
The Flight III Aegis destroyers carry the AN/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defence radar system alongside the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system.
President of Ingalls Shipbuilding Brian Blanchette commented: “The delivery of Ted Stevens reflects the strong momentum of our destroyer program as we accelerate Flight III production and bring enhanced capabilities to the fleet.”
He added: “We are honored to deliver DDG 128 to the Navy knowing that it will stand as a powerful asset in strengthening U.S. maritime security for decades to come.”
USS Ted Stevens is named after a former United States Senator for Alaska, the longest serving Republican U.S Senator in history during his tenure.
Arleigh Burke-class programme manager at Program Executive Office (PEO), Ships Captain Jay Young said: “The delivery of the future USS Ted Stevens will provide our Fleet with another critical warship with advanced capabilities. DDG 128 will further strengthen our at sea advantage and serve as an enduring reminder of the ship’s namesake and his dedicated service to our nation.”
The shipyard is currently building a further four more Flight III warships — Jeremiah Denton, George M. Neal, Sam Nunn, and Thad Cochran — with another seven in the pipeline. These will be named John F. Lehman, Telesforo Trinidad, Ernest E. Evans, Charles French, Richard J. Danzig, Intrepid and Robert Kerrey.
To date, Ingalls Shipbuilding has built 36 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers for the U.S. Navy.
- You can read more details on the HII website and the NAVSEA website