General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) has hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the US Navy’s final Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built in the Flight IIA configuration, the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127).
The keel was laid at the company’s shipyard on 30 March. The ship is named for Marine Corps Cpl. Patrick Gallagher, who received the Navy Cross for heroism during the Vietnam War when he managed to jump on and throw an enemy grenade into a river. He was killed in action just one year later.
The construction of the vessel began in 2018 when the firm held a steel-cutting ceremony.
The vessel is equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9C2 combat system, which brings ballistic missile defence capabilities to the US Navy’s fleet in addition to the ship’s primary missions of anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine, and strike warfare.
“The future USS Patrick Gallagher will strengthen our maritime dominance and bring proven capability to the fleet,” said Capt. Seth Miller , DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships.
BIW is also currently in production on the future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), USS John Basilone (DDG 122), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124), USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), USS William Charette (DDG 130), and USS Quentin Walsh (DDG 132).
The steel cutting ceremony for the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Quentin Walsh took place last November.