US Navy Destroyer Jack H. Lucas Departs Ingalls Shipbuilding

The U.S. Navy's first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) departed HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division Tuesday. DDG 125 will be commissioned October 7, 2023 at a ceremony in Tampa, Fla., before sailing to its homeport in San Diego.

“Watching Jack H. Lucas sail away is a proud moment for our entire DDG shipbuilding team,” Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG Program Manager Ben Barnett said. “Our shipbuilders will follow this first Flight III destroyer with honor as it joins the fleet as one of the most highly capable destroyers we have delivered.”

Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy including the Jack H.Lucas (DDG 125), in June of this year. Additionally, Ingalls has four other Flight III destroyers currently under construction including Ted Stevens (DDG 128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131) and Sam Nunn (DDG 133).

Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. DDG 125 includes the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System that are designed to keep pace with the threats well into the 21st century.

HII describes Arleigh Burke-class destroyers as highly capable, multi-mission ships that can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Guided missile destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. surface fleet and are capable of fighting multiple air, surface and subsurface threats simultaneously, the builder said.