Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, has formally delivered the guided missile destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128) to the U.S. Navy, reinforcing the service’s push to modernize its surface combatant fleet. The delivery, completed at Ingalls’ Pascagoula, Mississippi facility, represents a key advancement in the Navy’s Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer program.
HII executives described the handover as evidence of steady industrial progress in destroyer construction, particularly as Flight III production ramps up. Ingalls President Brian Blanchette noted that the program is benefiting from improved shipyard performance and workforce expansion, enabling faster delivery of more capable warships tailored for future naval operations.
Flight III destroyers build upon the proven Arleigh Burke-class design while introducing substantial upgrades in sensors, computing power, and electrical capacity. Central to these improvements is the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar, which offers a significant increase in sensitivity and target discrimination over legacy systems. The radar allows simultaneous tracking of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft, and surface threats, even in highly contested electronic warfare conditions.
Integrated with the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System, the Ted Stevens can support advanced weapons such as the SM-6 missile and next-generation electronic warfare capabilities. U.S. Navy officials say this combination enables Flight III destroyers to serve as key nodes in Distributed Maritime Operations, extending air and missile defense coverage across wide operational areas and strengthening U.S. maritime dominance.
