The successful trials clear the way for the vessel to be delivered to the Navy in the coming weeks. Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette said, “Our goal is to deliver the most advanced and capable warships to the fleet as quickly as possible, addressing the increasing national security needs of the United States and our allies. The work of the entire DDG 128 team exemplifies our relentless pursuit to achieve this very mission.”
Blanchette added, “Our shipbuilders take great pride in reaching this milestone, which stands as a testament to the teamwork and skill that define our destroyer program at Ingalls.” DDG 128 is the second Flight III destroyer built by Ingalls and is equipped with the Flight III AN/SPY-6 (V)1 radar and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system.
Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy so far, including the first Flight III ship, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). Five more Flight III destroyers remain under construction: Ted Stevens (DDG 128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131), Sam Nunn (DDG 133), and Thad Cochran (DDG 135).
As Mississippi’s largest manufacturing employer, Ingalls Shipbuilding has spent 87 years designing, building, and maintaining destroyers for the U.S. Navy.
