HII begins combat system trials on 1st US Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyer

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has achieved the Aegis light-off milestone on the US Navy’s first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG125).

The US military shipbuilding major said that this milestone marks the beginning of combat system testing as the ship is being prepared for propulsion tests and eventually sea trials.

As described, the Flight III upgrade incorporates a number of design modifications that collectively provide the enhanced capability. Therefore, Aegis light-off is an important step in integrating and activating all of the new electric plant equipment and combat systems.

“I am again very proud of our DDG 51 team and the work they have done”, said Kari Wilkinson, Ingalls Shipbuilding president. “Not only have they completed a significant program milestone aboard the first Flight III destroyer, but they have done so in the face of a pandemic. This team continues to prove it’s as strong as the ships it builds”.

The US Navy’s first DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer built in the Flight III configuration was launched on June 4 2021.

The DDG 51 is a multi-mission guided-missile destroyer designed to operate offensively and defensively, independently, or as units of carrier strike groups, expeditionary strike groups, and surface action groups in multi-threat environments that include air, surface and subsurface threats.

The ship was named after Jack. H Lucas, a longtime resident of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who was the youngest Marine and the youngest service member in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor.