The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers is the longest US Navy surface combatant production run since post-World War II, with over 70 ships built and currently operational, and a dozen plus more are expected to be delivered in the next two-three decades. The building contracts for these modern warships were split between America’s biggest defense technology manufacturers, including Ingalls Shipbuilding (now Northrop Grumman Ship Systems) based in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics based in Maine.
Powerful Destroyers
Similar to the larger Ticonderoga-class cruisers, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are equipped with Aegis Weapon System (AWS) that includes the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar, advanced Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) systems, Vertical Launch System (VLS), and the Tomahawk Weapon System—giving more sophisticated capabilities compare to its predecessor the Spruance-class destroyer.
When the last Spruance-class vessel had been decommissioned, the Aegis-powered ships became the only active US Navy destroyers and fulfilled the role of providing tactical support on the multi-mission offensive and defensive, as well as operating independently or as part of carrier strike groups and other naval groups.
Since the commissioning of the lead ship USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) in 1991, the destroyers in the class have participated in numerous military operations and exercises, circumnavigating the vast ocean to support and protect US territories and its Allies. One of its notable involvement was during the fourth wave of Operation Desert Fox in 1998, where an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer launched a Tomahawk cruise missile toward Iraq.
The destroyer has three distinct “Flights,” namely: Flight I, which represents the first 21 destroyers that follow the original design; Flight II consists of DDG 72-78, which features the improvements over the original ship, such as the integration of combat direction finding; Flight IIA has been further subdivided into three types as a result of several changes in design, technology, and armaments, with DDG 79-112 as the main Flight IIA, DDG 113-115 as Flight IIA Restarts, and DDG 116-124 and DDG 127 as Flight IIA Technology Insertion.
Initially, the Navy planned to acquire a new generation destroyer class under its DD(X) program. However, it was later decided that it would revert to the production of the Arleigh Burke class and resume Flight III destroyers from DDG 125-126 and DDG 128-133 under construction beginning in the later part of the 2010s. Other vessels under the recent Flight from DDG 134-139 have also been approved for construction as of 2018.
The most recent destroyer to have its keel laying ceremony was the USS Sam Nunn (DDG 133), held at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)’s shipyard on December 12, 2022. Meanwhile, the first Flight III ship to be laid down was the USS Jack H Lucas (DDG 125), which took place in November 2019 and was launched in June 2021, with a commissioning date set for this year.
Flights I and II have similar measurements and displacements at 505 feet (154 meters) and more than 8,000 tons, respectively. On the other hand, due to the expansion of its flight deck, Flights IIA and III have significantly lengthier sizes of around 509-510 ft (155 m) and a heavier displacement between 9,500 to 9,700 tons when fully loaded. The entire ship is made of steel except for the two aluminum funnels, sporting two layers on its vital areas in addition to a 70-ton Kevlar armor and notably the first USN class to be outfitted with anti-Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) warfare protection.
Like most modern Navy vessels, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers use gas turbine propulsions, particularly four General Electric LM2500-30 engines that generate up to 100,000 shaft horsepower through dual shaft design. This powers the destroyers and achieves up to 30+ knots of maximum speed.
Moving on to the ship destroyers’ armaments. Each features a variety of missile launchers and combat systems, including RIM-66 Standard Missile (SM-2MR), Mk41 VLS, RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow (ESSM), 5-inch Mk45 Mod 1/2 Gun (DDG 51-80), 5-inch Mk45 Mod 4 (DDG 81-onwards), and Mk15 Phalanx Close-in weapon system (CIWS), among many others. Moreover, the destroyers are fitted with Raytheon AN/SLQ-32(V)3 as its electronic countermeasures and support measures system, plus a new SLQ-32(V)6 variant was recently introduced that enhances the electronic warfare capabilities of the ships in the class. Other countermeasure systems include Lockheed Martin Sippican SRBOC six-barrelled launchers (chaff and infrared flares) and Argon ST AN/SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo system as a decoy system.
Lockheed Martin provides radar and sensors of the Arleigh Burke-class ships for air search and fire control, AN/SPY-ID 3D phased array radar, while DRS Technologies installed AN/SPS-67(V)3 as a surface search radar. It also equipped Raytheon-built navigation radar SPS-64(V)9 and fire control AN/SPG-62 and Lockheed Martin’s SQQ-89(V)6 sonar suite, which has been upgraded to allow destroyers to sweep for mines.
Aside from the ongoing construction of future AEGIS destroyers, some DDGs are undergoing modernization to extend each ship’s service life expectancy and maintain its relevancy in the Navy, as well as boosting the fleet strength well into the mid-21st century.
Below are the Arleigh Burke class destroyers according to their respective Flights.
Flight I
Production of Flight I (DDG 51-71) ran from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s.
USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51)
Fast and Feared
Namesake: US Navy Admiral Arleigh Albert Burke
Commissioned: July 1991
Status: In active service
Homeport: Rota, Spain
USS Barry (DDG 52)
Strength and Diversity
Namesake: Continental Naval Officer John Barry
Commissioned: December 1992
Status: In active service
Homeport: Yokosuka, Japan
USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53)
In Harm’s Way
Namesake: American Revolutionary War Naval Captain John Paul Jones
Commissioned: December 1993
Status: In active service
Homeport: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54)
Prudens Potens Patria (“Judicious Power for Country”)
Namesake: Curtis Dwight Wilbur, who served as the 43rd United States Secretary of the Navy
Commissioned: March 1994
Status: In active service
Homeport: San Diego, California
USS Stout (DDG 55)
Courage – Valor – Integrity
Namesake: US Navy Rear Admiral Herald Franklin Stout, who served in World War II and Korea
Commissioned: August 1994
Status: In active service
Homeport: Norfolk, Virginia
USS John S. McCain (DDG 56)
Fortune Favours the Brave
Namesake: John S. McCain Sr. and John S. McCain Jr., both admirals in the US Navy
Commissioned: July 1994
Status: In active service
Homeport: Everett, Washington
USS Mitscher (DDG 57)
Seize the Day
Namesake: Famed Naval Aviator Admiral Marc A. Mitscher
Commissioned: December 1994
Status: In active service
Homeport: Norfolk, Virginia
USS Laboon (DDG 58)
Without Fear
Namesake: Fr. John Francis Laboon, who served as a captain in the Chaplain Corps of the USN during World War II
Commissioned: March 1995
Status: In active service
Homeport: Norfolk, Virginia
USS Russell (DDG 59)
Strength in Freedom
Namesake: In honor of Rear Admiral John Henry Russell and his son, Commandant of the Marine Corps John Henry Russell Jr.
Commissioned: May 1995
Status: In active service
Homeport: San Diego, California
USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60)
The Courage to Prevail
Namesake: Paul Hamilton, the third United States Secretary of the Navy
Commissioned: May 1995
Status: In active service
Homeport: San Diego, California
USS Ramage (DDG 61)
Par Excellence
Namesake: Lawson Paterson “Red” Ramage, a WWII Medal of Honor recipient
Commissioned: July 1995
Status: In active service
Homeport: Norfolk, Virginia
USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62)
Protect Your People
Namesake: Lt. William “Bill” C. Fitzgerald, a US Navy officer who was killed while serving as an advisor to the Republic of Vietnam Navy
Commissioned: October 1995
Status: In active service
Homeport: San Diego, California
USS Stethem (DDG 63)
Steadfast And Courageous
Namesake: Steelworker 2nd Class Robert Stethem
Commissioned: October 1995
Status: In active service
Homeport: San Diego, California
USS Carney (DDG 64)
Resolute, Committed, Successful
Namesake: Admiral Robert Carney, a former Chief of Naval Operations
Commissioned: April 1996
Status: In active service
Homeport: Mayport, Florida
USS Benfold (DDG 65)
Onward with valor!
Namesake: HM3 Edward Clyde Benfold, a Medal of Honor recipient
Commissioned: March 1996
Status: In active service
Homeport: Yokosuka, Japan
USS Gonzalez (DDG 66)
Beyond the Call
Namesake: USMC Sergeant Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez, a Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam War
Commissioned: October 1996
Status: In active service
Homeport: Norfolk, Virginia
USS Cole (DDG 67)
Gloria Merces Virtutis (“Glory is the Reward of Valor”)
Namesake: Marine Sergeant Darrell S. Cole, a machine-gunner killed in action during World War II
Commissioned: June 1996
Status: In active service
Homeport: Norfolk, Virginia
USS The Sullivans (DDG 68)
Courage Honor Commitment We Stick Together
Namesake: In honor of the five Sullivan brothers—George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert Sullivan, aged 20 to 27—who lost their lives when their ship, USS Juneau, sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II.
Commissioned: April 1997
Status: In active service
Homeport: Mayport, Florida
USS Milius (DDG 69)
Alii Prae Me (“Others Before Me”)
Namesake: Naval Aviator Captain Paul L. Milius
Commissioned: November 1996
Status: In active service
Homeport: Yokosuka, Japan
USS Hopper (DDG 70)
Aude Et Effice (“Dare And Do”)
Namesake: Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneering computer scientist
Commissioned: September 1997
Status: In active service
Homeport: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Ross (DDG 71)
Fortune Favors Valor
Namesake: US Navy officer Donald K. Ross, a WWII Medal of Honor recipient
Commissioned: June 1997
Status: In active service
Homeport: Norfolk, Virginia
Flight II
Production of Flight II (DDG 72-78) ran soon after the first Flight ended, from the mid-to-late 1990s, and all were commissioned to service by 1999. One Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is homeported in Japan (USS Higgins (DDG 76)), two (USS Decatur (DDG 73) and USS O’Kane (DDG 77)) in San Diego, three (USS Mahan (DDG 72), USS McFaul (DDG 72), and USS Porter (DDG 74)) in Norfolk, and one (USS Donald Cook (DDG 75)) in Mayport.
Flight IIA
34 Flight IIA destroyers were built between 1997 and 2010, where two are homeported in Yokosuka, Japan; two in Rota, Spain; four each in San Diego, California and Mayport, Florida; five destroyers are in Everett, Washington; and eight are in Norfolk, Virginia. Ships in the Flight IIA class include USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), USS Lassen (DDG 82), USS Howard (DDG 83), USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Shoup (DDG 86), USS Mason (DDG 87), USS Preble (DDG 88), USS Mustin (DDG 89), USS Chafee (DDG 90), USS Pinckney (DDG 91), USS Momsen (DDG 92), USS Chung Hoon (DDG 93), USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS James E. Williams (DDG 95), USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), USS Halsey (DDG 97), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Kidd (DDG 100), USS Gridley (DDG 101), USS Sampson (DDG 102), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Sterett (DDG 104), USS Dewey (DDG 105), USS Stockdale (DDG 106), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), USS Spruance (DDG 111), and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112).
Flight IIA Restart
Comprise of three ships from DDG 113-115, with two homeported in Japan and the other in San Diego, California.
USS John Finn (DDG 113)
Status ET Pugno (“Stand Fast and Fight”)
Namesake: Navy Officer John William Finn, the first WWII Medal of Honor recipient
Commissioned: July 2017
Status: In active service
Homeport: San Diego, California
USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114)
Celer Silens Mortalis (“Swift – Silent – Deadly”)
Namesake: Marine Private Ralph H. Johnson, a Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
Commissioned: March 2018
Status: In active service
Homeport: Yokosuka, Japan
USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115)
Fortis Ad Finem (“Courageous to the End”)
Namesake: Rafael Peralta, a Navy Cross recipient killed in action during the Second Battle of Fallujah of the Iraq War
Commissioned: July 2017
Status: In active service
Homeport: Yokosuka, Japan
Flight IIA Technology Insertion
USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116)
Above all Others
Namesake: Thomas J. Hudner Jr., a Korean War Medal of Honor recipient
Commissioned: December 2018
Status: In active service
Homeport: Mayport, Florida
USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117)
Always ready, fight on
Namesake: Paul Robert Ignatius, who served as the 59th United States Secretary of the Navy
Commissioned: July 2019
Status: In active service
Homeport: Rota, Spain
USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118)
Go for Broke
Namesake: Daniel Ken Inouye, a Medal of Honor recipient
Commissioned: December 2021
Status: In active service
Homeport: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119)
Anchored in Arms
Namesake: Delbert D. Black, the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)
Commissioned: September 2020
Status: In active service
Homeport: Mayport, Florida
USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120)
Tenacious in the Fight
Namesake: Carl Milton Levin, a former US Senator and Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Armed Services
Commissioned: Planned June 2023
Status: In active service
Homeport: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121)
Into the Tiger’s Jaw
Namesake: Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr., the first African-American Marine aviator and general
Commissioned: May 2022
Status: In active service
Homeport: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127)
Namesake: Irish Marine Lance Corporal, a Navy Cross recipient during the Vietnam War
Status: Keel laid
The remaining Flight IIA Technology Insertion destroyers, namely USS John Basilone (DDG 122), USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124), and USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), are being prepared for commissioning.
Flight III
Between 2019 and 2022, four Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyers have been laid down, including the USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128), USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), and USS Sam Nunn (DDG 133), with four more still under construction, namely: USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), USS William Charette (DDG 130), USS George M. Neal (DDG 131), and USS Quentin Walsh (DDG 132).
The Navy envisaged and consequently received the approval for the construction of four more Flight III destroyers, including USS John E. Kilmer (DDG 134), USS Thad Cochran (DDG 135), USS Richard G. Lugar (DDG 136), and USS John F. Lehman (DDG 137), with contracts awarded to Bath Iron Works and HII in 2018.
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Resources
Arleigh Burke-Class (Aegis) Destroyer. (2018, October 5). Naval Technology. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/burke/
Arleigh Burke class Guided Missile Destroyer DDG US Navy. (n.d.). Arleigh Burke Class Guided Missile Destroyer DDG US Navy. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://www.seaforces.org/usnships/ddg/Arleigh-Burke-class.htm
DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer. (n.d.). Military.com. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://www.military.com/equipment/ddg-51-arleigh-burke-class-destroyer
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