The first restart Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer (DDG-51) completed its builder’s trials this week, according to a Friday statement from Naval Sea Systems Command.
John Finn (DDG-113) spent three days at sea testing the ship’s systems in the Gulf of Mexico from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).
“Finn successfully conducted a full power run and demonstrated key communication, damage control, and navigation systems as well as various hull, mechanical and electrical, and propulsion applications,” read the NAVSEA release.
The 9,200-ton multi-mission destroyer is built around the Aegis combat system and will feature the Navy’s new Baseline 9 version that will allow the ship to simultaneously track and target ballistic missile and traditional air warfare threats.
“We’re excited about how strongly DDG 113 performed while underway,” said Capt. Casey Moton, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships in the statement,
“DDG 113 is the first new construction Arleigh Burke class ship to go to sea in over four years. Our shipbuilder is on a solid path to delivering a high quality ship following the program’s restart in 2010.”
In 2009 then Secretary of Defense Bob Gates announced the service cancelled the planned CG(X) cruiser replacement and truncated the DDG-1000 guided missile destroyer program to three ships.
Contracts for the first four DDGs – two to HII and two to General Dynamics Bath Iron Works — were awarded in 2011.
“HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is currently in production on future destroyers Ralph Johnson (DDG-114), Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), Delbert Black (DDG 119) and Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and under contract for two additional ships awarded as part of the five-ship multi-year procurement for fiscal years 2013-2017,” NAVSEA said.
The ship is named for Navy Lt. John Finn who received the Medal of Honor during actions taken in the surprise attack of Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy on Dec. 7, 1941.
The following is the Sept. 2, 2016 statement from NAVSEA.
John Finn Successfully Completes Alpha Trials
From Team Ships Public Affairs
PASCAGOULA, Miss. – The future USS John Finn (DDG 113) successfully completed initial builder’s sea trials on Aug. 30 following three days at sea.
The trials were conducted by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
During this underway period, many of the ship’s systems were tested to demonstrate that they are installed properly and are operational. John Finn successfully conducted a full power run and demonstrated key communication, damage control, and navigation systems as well as various hull, mechanical and electrical, and propulsion applications.
“We’re excited about how strongly DDG 113 performed while underway,” said Capt. Casey Moton, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “DDG 113 is the first new construction Arleigh Burke class ship to go to sea in over four years. Our shipbuilder is on a solid path to delivering a high quality ship following the program’s restart in 2010.”
Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers provide a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface environments. The ship’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense radar will provide increased computing power and radar upgrades that improve detection and reaction capabilities against modern air warfare threats as well as Ballistic Missile Defense. The Aegis Combat System will enable the ship to link radars with other ships and aircraft to provide a composite picture of the battlespace and effectively increase the theater space.
The ship is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots. DDG 113 is planned to return to sea later next month for a second round of sea trials prior to a third underway period with members of the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey.
John Finn is the 63rd Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class destroyer, and the first of the DDG 51 Flight IIA restart ships. HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is currently in production on future destroyers Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Delbert Black (DDG 119) and Frank E. Petersen Jr (DDG 121) and under contract for two additional ships awarded as part of the five-ship multi-year procurement for fiscal years 2013-2017.
As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and boats and craft.
