Huntington Ingalls Delivers Arleigh Burke-class Guided Missile Destroyer to US Navy

An Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer named Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) has been delivered to the US Navy by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Friday.

The DD250 document has been signed, transferring the custody of the ship from HII to the Navy. Paul Ignatius is scheduled to sail away from the shipyard this June.

DDG 117 has been named after Paul Ignatius, who served as the 59th Secretary of the Navy, from 1967 to 1969.

The US Navy now has 31 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The HII shipyard currently has four DDGs under construction, including Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), the first Flight III ship, which started fabrication in May 2018.

Arleigh Burke-class can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. The guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains both offensive and defensive weapons.