DDG 51 construction milestones

WASHINGTON — The Arleigh Burke class (DDG 51) of destroyers continue to reach milestones with the start of construction - signify the cutting of the first 100 tons of steel having been cut – at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., and Bath (Maine) Iron Works, according to a Naval Sea Systems Command media release. HII-Pascagoula construction of the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) officially began May 7. Construction of the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) officially began on May 7 at BIW. HII’s DDG 125 will be the first Arleigh Burke destroyer built in the Flight III configuration with improved capability and capacity to perform anti-air warfare and ballistic-missile defense in support of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) mission. The two ships are Aegis baseline 9 (DDG 124) and baseline 10 (DDG 125) IAMD destroyers with significant capabilities against modern air warfare and ballistic missile threats. The multi-mission combatants will serve as integral players in America’s global maritime security, engaging in air, undersea, surface, strike, and ballistic missile defense as well as providing increased capabilities in anti-submarine warfare, command and control, and anti-surface warfare. (Source: Seapower Magazine 05/17/18)