US Navy names newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer

January 6, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Secretary of the U.S. Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro has named the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146).

The destroyer is named after former U.S. Senator, Nebraska Governor and naval officer Joseph Robert Kerrey, who received the Medal of Honor for actions taken during the Vietnam War. Kerrey served as the 35th Governor of Nebraska (1983-1987) and as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska (1989-2001), as well as a member of the 9/11 Commission.

Del Toro stated: “One of the great privileges I have as Secretary of the Navy is to name ships, and it is my honor to name the future USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146). This will be the first Navy vessel named in his honor, and it is most appropriate we do so, for his actions in Vietnam and his continued service to this country well beyond his Naval service.”

Kerrey expressed gratitude for the recognition: “My sincere thanks to President Biden, Secretary of the Navy Del Toro, and the United States Navy that gave me the opportunity to serve my country for three of the best years of my life.”

To note, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, built around the Aegis Combat System, are said to be the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet, providing protection to America around the globe.

According to the U.S. Navy, they can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection.

Among other activities, in 2024, HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding authenticated the keel of the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Sam Nunn (DDG 133). These destroyers feature key design upgrades such as the AN/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defense radar (AMDR), as well as the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system. Reportedly, these enhancements are designed to address evolving threats to the navy well into the 21st century.