The U.S. Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta stopped at Naval Station Newport during the ship’s first port visit en route to its future homeport at Naval Base San Diego.
USS Rafael Peralta was delivered to the U.S. Navy on February 3, 2017 from General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine. The ship and her crew are now en route to San Diego where DDG 115 will officially enter service in a commissioning ceremony set for July 29, 2017.
Rafael Peralta is the navy’s 65th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and the second Flight IIA restart ship.
The destroyer is named after Sgt. Rafael Peralta, one of the most heralded Marines from 2004’s Battle of Fallujah. In November 2010, Peralta pulled a grenade tossed by insurgents towards himself and absorbed most of the blast with his body, thus saving the lives of two fellow marines. He was mortally wounded from the grenade blast.
Rafael Peralta is equipped with the Aegis baseline 9 combat system which includes an integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) capability incorporating ballistic missile defense 5.0 capability upgrade and naval integrated fire control-counter air. The ship’s IAMD radar will provide increased computing power and radar upgrades that improve detection and reaction capabilities against modern air warfare threats. The Aegis Combat System will enable the ship to link radars with other ships and aircraft to provide a composite picture of the battle space and effectively increase the theater space.