Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has officially started fabrication of the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyer Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129).
The start of fabrication signifies the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.
The future Jeremiah Denton is the navy’s 79 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and the fourth ship of the Flight III series. Its name honors former U.S. Sen. Jeremiah Denton, a Vietnam War veteran who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism while a prisoner of war.
Ingalls has delivered 32 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the US Navy.
Other destroyers currently under construction include Frank E. Peterson Jr. (DDG 121), Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) and Ted Stevens (DDG 128) .
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 guided-missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles.