Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced it has completed the second round of builder’s sea trials for the guided missile destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128), marking another step toward delivery of the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class vessel to the U.S. Navy.
The destroyer spent several days in the Gulf, testing propulsion, combat, and other key systems. The second trials followed initial builder’s trials in late September and will be succeeded by Navy-led acceptance trials.
“The Ingalls and Navy team demonstrated tremendous teamwork during this trial and are fully committed to delivering DDG 128 to the fleet,” said Ben Barnett, Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG program manager. “Our focus remains on ensuring that every system is thoroughly tested and fully operational as we progress toward readiness for acceptance trials.”
During the latest sea trials, HII said Ingalls and Navy crews conducted additional testing of hull, mechanical, electrical, and combat systems, including evaluations of the Flight III AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system. These trials are designed to confirm the destroyer’s performance and validate that it meets or exceeds Navy standards.
Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers feature upgraded radar, power, and combat systems, giving the Navy greater situational awareness and improved defense capabilities, HII said. Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to date, including the first Flight III ship, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). Five additional Flight III destroyers are currently under construction at Ingalls: Ted Stevens (DDG 128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131), Sam Nunn (DDG 133), and Thad Cochran (DDG 135), which had its keel authenticated Oct. 23.
