HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has completed the second builder’s sea trials for guided missile destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128), building on the success of the initial trials conducted at the end of September.
The Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyer spent multiple days in the Gulf of America testing the ship’s main propulsion, combat systems and other critical systems in preparation for the future acceptance trials.
During the second builder’s trials, the Ingalls and navy team completed additional hull, mechanical, electrical and combat systems tests.
This included testing the second-in-class Flight III AN/SPY-6 (V)1 radar system and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system. These tests are designed to validate critical system performance and ensure the ship meets or exceeds navy requirements.
“The Ingalls and Navy team demonstrated tremendous teamwork during this trial and are fully committed to delivering DDG 128 to the fleet,” Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG Program Manager Ben Barnett said.
“As we move forward, our focus remains on ensuring that every system is thoroughly tested and fully operational as we progress toward readiness for acceptance trials. I extend my gratitude to our test and trials team for their contributions to the ongoing success of the destroyer program.”
Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers represent the next generation of surface combatants for the U.S. Navy and incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. Upgrades include the AN/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defense radar (AMDR) and the Aegis baseline 10 combat system.
To date, Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy, including the first Flight III, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) and currently has five more Flight III destroyers under construction: Ted Stevens (DDG 128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131), Sam Nunn (DDG 133), and Thad Cochran (DDG 135), which authenticated the ship’s keel on October 23.