US Navy Christens the Future USS Patrick Gallagher
The U.S. Navy christened the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), during a ceremony on July 27, in Bath, Maine.
The ship, built at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, is the last of the Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-Class guided missile destroyers.
The shipbuilder was awarded the contract for Patrick Gallagher on in September 2017 and construction started in November 2018. On March 30, 2022, the ship's keel was laid. Delivery is expected in Fall 2025.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy's surface fleet, providing protection to America around the globe. The multi-mission ships conduct various operations, from peacetime presence to national security, providing a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface, and subsurface domains.
The ship’s namesake, Marine Corps Cpl. Patrick Gallagher, immigrated to the United States from Ireland and joined the United States Marine Corps. He received the Navy Cross for heroism during the Vietnam War when he managed to jump on and throw an enemy grenade into a river to save his fellow Marines. He was killed in action just one year later.