Work begins on new destroyer

PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Ingalls Shipbuilding on Tuesday marked the start of fabrication for the future Aegis-guided missile destroyer Paul Ignatius (DDG 117). Paul Ignatius, the ship's namesake, and his wife, Nancy Ignatius, the ship's sponsor, visited the shipyard to see steel cut for the destroyer. Paul Ignatius served as Secretary of the Navy from 1967 to 1969 and was the Assistant Secretary of Defense during President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration. The ship is the 31st Aegis destroyer to be built at Ingalls. Ingalls is building two other destroyers in addition to Paul Ignatius. John Finn (DDG 113) is scheduled to be delivered in 2016, and Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) is scheduled to be delivered in 2017. (Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries via Globe Newswire, 09/30/14)