Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), one of two shipbuilders in charge of constructing the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, has recently shared a video of USS John Finn (DDG 113) launching SM-2 missiles during Bravo trials.
The video shows the ship firing one SM-2 missile each from the ship’s forward and aft MK 41 vertical launch system.
Bravo trials are the second in a series of three test trials that the destroyer is set to undergo before being delivered to the navy. The first, Alpha trials, were completed in late August and the third trials will be joined by the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey.
John Finn is the 63rd Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class destroyer and the first of the DDG 51 Flight IIA restart ships.
Construction on the ship began in November 2013, and the christening ceremony took place on May 2, 2015.
Other destroyers currently under construction at Ingalls include Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) and Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121). Construction on Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2017.
John Finn will be equipped with the Navy’s Aegis Combat System. DDG 51 Flight IIA ships will provide increased capabilities over previous flights of Arleigh Burke destroyers, including advances in anti-submarine warfare, command and control, and anti-surface warfare.