General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) has christened the future USS William Charette (DDG 130), the US Navy's newest guided missile destroyer and the shipyard's second Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
The christening ceremony took place on August 1 in the dry dock at BIW's shipyard in Bath, Maine. The vessel is the 43rd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built by the shipyard and is named in honor of Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William Charette, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean War.
During the ceremony, BIW President Charles F. Krugh said the destroyer would carry the motto "Valor in Service," reflecting William Charette's heroism during the Korean War and his subsequent two decades of naval service.
USS William Charette is one of several Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers currently under construction at Bath Iron Works. The shipyard is also building Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), John E. Kilmer (DDG 134), Richard G. Lugar (DDG 136), J. William Middendorf (DDG 138), and Thomas G. Kelley (DDG 140).
The Flight III variant of the Arleigh Burke class incorporates enhanced air and missile defense capabilities, including the AN/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defense radar, to address evolving threats and support the US Navy's integrated air and missile defense missions.
