Destroyer USS Delbert D. Black wraps up builder’s trials

The US Navy’s 68th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the future USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), successfully completed builder’s trials on February 22 after spending three days underway in the Gulf of Mexico.

The trials were conducted by the shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Ingalls Shipbuilding Division.

The ship was previously underway for Alpha trials in December 2019, and will be underway again in March for acceptance trials, which will be conducted by the navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey.

“The Navy and our … shipbuilders have continued to make strides towards delivering this exceptional capability to the fleet, and performed well during builder’s trials,” Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships, commented.

Delbert D. Black is configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection, forward presence and escort operations at sea in support of Low Intensity Conflict/Coastal and Littoral Offshore Warfare as well as open ocean conflict. DDG 119 will be equipped with the navy’s Aegis Combat System, the world’s foremost integrated naval weapon.

HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the future destroyers Frank E. Petersen Jr (DDG 121), Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) and Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), the first ship to be built in the Flight III configuration.