USS Paul Ignatius destroyer

The United States (US) Navy will commission its new Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the future “USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117)” on Saturday, July 27 at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The future USS Paul Ignatius will be the 67th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and is one of 21 ships currently under contract for the DDG 51 program. Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the ship was delivered to the US Navy in February of this year. The HII shipyard currently has four DDGs under construction, including Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), and the first Flight III ship, which started fabrication in May 2018.

Arleigh Burke-class can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. The guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains both offensive and defensive weapons. The warship has been built in the Flight IIA configuration for faster reaction time, higher firepower, and improved electronic warfare capabilities.