Ingalls christens DDG 117

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding christened its 31st Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) on April 8. DDG 117 is named in honor of Paul Ignatius, who served as the 59th Secretary of the Navy from 1967-69. His wife, Nancy W. Ignatius, the ship’s sponsor, officially christened the ship with a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. The couple, who have been married almost 70 years, escorted to the platform by Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. Ingalls has delivered 29 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy. “(W)hen the United States fired missiles on Syria, the two ships that fired those missiles were made right here at Ingalls in Pascagoula,” said Philip Gunn, speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives. Since WWII, the Ingalls shipyard has been an “integral part of providing freedom.” (Source: Ingalls Shipbuilding 04/08/17)