US Navy’s latest Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer launched

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has launched the future USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), the third Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be built at the shipyard.

Shipbuilders transferred DDG 129 from land to the company’s dry dock using translation railcars to support the ship during the move. Once in the dry dock, the ship was floated and moved by tugboats to a pier at the shipyard.

The launching ceremony took place on March 25, 2025. The vessel, an Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer, features the AN/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defense radar (AMDR) and the Aegis baseline 10 combat system.

“The launch of DDG 129 is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Ingalls shipbuilders and a collaborative achievement with our Navy partners,” Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG Program Manager Ben Barnett said.

“The future USS Jeremiah Denton will now undergo final outfitting, systems activation, and testing before entering the fleet.”

DDG 129 is named for former US Sen. Jeremiah Denton Jr., a Vietnam War veteran who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism as a prisoner of war. Following his navy career, he was elected to the US Senate representing his home state of Alabama in 1980.

Ingalls Shipbuilding has five Flight IIIs currently under construction, including Ted Stevens (DDG 128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131), Sam Nunn (DDG 133) and Thad Cochran (DDG 135).