The ship was formally christened on the shipyard’s dry dock during a ceremony attended by the Charette family, government officials and U.S. lawmakers. DDG 130 is the second Flight III destroyer being built by Bath Iron Works.
Ship sponsor Kathryn Charette Donovan performed the traditional sparkling-wine bottle break with Michelle Charette and Sara Charette Wright. Margaret Ann Henderson and Laura Charette Bennett were unable to attend and were represented by their nieces.
The destroyer is named for William R. Charette, a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman and Korean War veteran. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions on March 27, 1953.
Charette was the father of the ship’s sponsors, linking the vessel directly to his family and military service. The future USS William Charette carries the motto “Valor in Service.”
Guests included Medal of Honor recipient Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr., the namesake of the Bath-built DDG 124. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, Maine Governor Janet Mills and Senators Susan Collins and Angus King also attended.
The Navy ordered DDG 130 in September 2018, and steel cutting began on November 30, 2020. Bath Iron Works laid the ship’s keel on August 29, 2024.
USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), the first operational Flight III destroyer, is already in U.S. Navy service. Ted Stevens (DDG 128) is expected to join the fleet later this year.
Flight III ships retain the external profile of earlier Arleigh Burke-class destroyers but introduce major combat-system changes. The central upgrade is the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar, which replaces the AN/SPY-1D(V) used on previous variants.
Each of the radar’s four fixed arrays contains 37 radar modular assemblies measuring 61 centimetres on each side. Every assembly functions as an independent radar element, allowing the system to continue operating at reduced sensitivity if individual modules are damaged.
The modular architecture is also designed to simplify radar maintenance and repairs. The AN/SPY-6(V)1 is supported by the AN/SPQ-9B radar, which operates in the 8-10 GHz I-band.
The Navy plans eventually to replace the SPQ-9 with another I-band radar using fixed-panel antennas. Flight III destroyers will also operate the Aegis Baseline 10 combat management system.
