Ingalls begins destroyer fabrication

PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Ingalls Shipbuilding has marked the start of fabrication for the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119). The start of fabrication signifies that 100 tons of steel have been cut. The ship is named in honor of Delbert D. Black, who served as a gunner's mate and was aboard the battleship USS Maryland during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Black served in three wars and was the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. Delbert D. Black is the 32nd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be built at Ingalls. From this point on, shipbuilders will assemble the ship using modular construction, where pre-fabricated units are constructed separately and later lifted in place and integrated with other units. To date, Ingalls has delivered 28 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy. (Source: HII, 07/21/15)