Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division recently achieved the Aegis light-off milestone on the Navy’s first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). This milestone marks the beginning of combat system testing as shipbuilders ready the ship for propulsion tests and eventually sea trials. The Flight III upgrade incorporates a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. Aegis light-off is an important milestone for integrating and activating all of the new electric plant equipment and combat systems.
“I am again very proud of our DDG 51 team and the work they have done. Not only have they completed a significant program milestone aboard the first Flight III destroyer, but they have done so in the face of a pandemic. This team continues to prove it’s as strong as the ships it builds,” said Kari Wilkinson, Ingalls Shipbuilding president. .”
“Through perseverance, a good plan, execution of that plan and relentless follow up, our shipbuilders have reached ALO. There is a huge collaboration effort between Ingalls, the Navy, industry partners and multiple other contractors,” said Jeff J. Davis, DDG 125 construction manager.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States military strategy. Guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) is the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States as well as a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. HII, ranked No. 371 on the Fortune 500, was formed on March 31, 2011, as a spin-off of Northrop Grumman. HII comprises three divisions: Newport News Shipbuilding, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Technical Solutions. HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. With a 135-year history of trusted partnerships in advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities ranging from the most powerful and resilient maritime platforms ever built, to unmanned systems and AI/ML analytics.
