Mississippi’s Ingalls Shipbuilding has been given a five-year deal to build six Arleigh Burke-class Flight III guided-missile destroyers (DDG-51) for the U.S. Navy.
The contract, which will allow the Burkes to be constructed from Fiscal Year 2023 to 2027, includes options for additional DDG 51 ships and for engineering, design, and post-delivery efforts.
“It is a privilege for our shipbuilders to build these ships in service of our Navy,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “We look forward to the years of stability that this award provides and the opportunity to continue working with our industry partners on this important class of ships.”
Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy including the first Flight III, Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), in June of this year.
In addition, Ingalls Shipbuilding has four Flight IIIs currently under construction including Ted Stevens (DDG 128), which is set to be christened this month. Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131), and Sam Nunn (DDG 133) are also under construction at Ingalls.
Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers built for the U.S. Navy incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability.
DDG 125 includes the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System that is required to keep pace with the threats well into the 21st century.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection.
The cumulative dollar value of the multi-year contract has not been disclosed at this time.
