Arleigh Burke-class destroyer

The Arleigh Burke class of guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) is a United States Navy class of destroyers centered around the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multifunction passive electronically scanned array radar. The class is named after Arleigh Burke, an American destroyer admiral in World War II and later Chief of Naval Operations. With an overall length of Template:Convert, displacement ranging from 8,300 to 9,700 tons, and weaponry including over 90 missiles, the Arleigh Burke–class destroyers are larger and more heavily armed than many previous classes of guided-missile cruisers.

These warships are multimission destroyers able to conduct antiaircraft warfare with Aegis and surface-to-air missiles; tactical land strikes with Tomahawk missiles; antisubmarine warfare (ASW) with towed array sonar, antisubmarine rockets, and ASW helicopters; and antisurface warfare (ASuW) with ship-to-ship missiles and guns. With upgrades to their AN/SPY-1 radar systems and their associated missile payloads as part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, as well as the introduction of the AN/SPY-6 radar system, the class has also evolved capability as mobile antiballistic missile and antisatellite platforms.

The lead ship of the class, Template:USS, was commissioned during Admiral Burke's lifetime on 4 July 1991. With the decommissioning of the last Template:Sclass, Template:USS, on Template:Nowrap 2005, the Arleigh Burke–class ships became the U.S. Navy's only active destroyers until the Template:Sclass became active in 2016. The Arleigh Burke class has the longest production run of any U.S. Navy surface combatant. Template:As of 74 are active, with 25 more planned to enter service.

Characteristics

Variants

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer has four variants, referred to as "flights". Newer flights incorporate technological advancements.<ref name="fas">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Flight I: DDGs 51–71
• Flight II: DDGs 72–78
• Flight IIA: DDGs 79–124 and DDG-127
• Flight III: DDGs 125–126 and DDG-128 onwards<ref name="factfile">Template:Cite web</ref>

• 
  Flight I ship Template:USS with Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS) in the center of the fantail, Harpoon missile launchers, distinctive stacks, and no helicopter hangars
• 
  Flight IIA ship Template:USS without TACTAS and no Harpoon launchers, but with helicopter hangars and new exhaust stacks design
• 
  Flight III ship Template:USS showing the larger AN/SPY-6 arrays, stacked rigid-hull inflatable boats, and slight exhaust stack modifications

Structure

The Arleigh Burke-class ships are among the largest destroyers built in the United States;<ref name="Photo Release">Template:Cite web</ref> only the Template:Sclass, Template:Sclass (Template:Convert), and Template:Sclass classes (Template:Convert) are longer. The Arleigh Burke class was designed with a new, large, water-plane area-hull form characterized by a wide, flaring bow, which significantly improves seakeeping ability and permits high speed in high sea states.<ref name="fas" /> The class's design incorporates stealth techniques, such as the angled (rather than traditional vertical) surfaces and the raked tripod mainmast, which make the ship more difficult to detect by radar.<ref name="Conways p592">Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p. 592</ref><ref name="Combat Fleets 98 p1020">Baker 1998, p. 1020</ref>

Its designers incorporated lessons from the Template:Sclass, which the Navy deemed too expensive to continue building and difficult to upgrade further.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> For these destroyers, the U.S. Navy returned to all-steel construction, except the mast made of aluminum.<ref name="Janes 15 p940" /> The Ticonderogas had combined a steel hull with a superstructure made of lighter aluminum to reduce top weight, but the lighter metal proved vulnerable to cracking. Aluminum is also less fire-resistant than steel;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a 1975 fire aboard Template:USS gutted her aluminum superstructure.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Battle damage to Royal Navy ships exacerbated by their aluminum superstructures during the 1982 Falklands War supported the decision to use steel. Other lessons from the Falklands War led to the Navy's decision to protect the Arleigh Burke class's vital spaces with double-spaced steel layers, which create a buffer against anti-ship missiles (AShMs), and Kevlar spall liners.<ref name="linchpin">Template:Cite web</ref> A design study called "Cruiser Baseline" was made for a ship that would incorporate the capabilities of the VLS-capable Ticonderoga class on a hull and superstructure designed to the same standards as the Arleigh Burke, although this study was for analytical purposes only and no such ship was built.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Passive defenses

Arleigh Burke destroyers are equipped with AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare (EW) suites that provide electronic support.<ref name="fas" /> Vessels with the SLQ-32(V)3, SLQ-32(V)6, or SLQ-32(V)7 variant can jam radars.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="SNA2022 SEWIP" />

Mark 36 SRBOC fires a chaff decoy from Template:USS

The destroyers have Mark 36 infrared and chaff decoy launchers, as well as Nulka decoy launchers, for spoofing incoming AShMs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Combat Fleets 05 p913">Wertheim 2005, p. 913</ref> For defeating incoming torpedoes, the class has two AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed countermeasures.<ref name="Polmar p142">Polmar 2013, p. 142</ref> The ships' Prairie-Maskers can reduce their radiated noise.<ref name="Combat Fleets 05 p948">Wertheim 2005, p. 948</ref>

A collective protection system makes the Arleigh Burke class the first U.S. warships designed with an air-filtration system against nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare (NBC).<ref name="NYTimes1" /> Other NBC defenses include double air-locked hatches, pressurized compartments, and an external countermeasure washdown system.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The class's electronics are hardened against electromagnetic pulses.<ref name="Tucker p376">Template:Cite book</ref> Fire suppression equipment includes water sprinklers in the living quarters and combat information center (CIC).<ref name="linchpin" />

Weapon systems

The Arleigh Burke class are multi-mission ships<ref name="US Navy Ship - Destroyer" /> with numerous combat systems, including anti-aircraft missiles, land attack missiles, ship-to-ship missiles, and an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) system.<ref name="linchpin" /> Missiles are stored in and fired from Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) cells; with 90 cells on Flights I–II and 96 cells starting with Flight IIA,<ref name="Combat Fleets 05 p946">Wertheim 2005, p. 946</ref> the Arleigh Burkes are more heavily armed than many preceding guided-missile cruiser classes.<ref name="Photo Release" /> The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is equipped with the Aegis Combat System, which combines information from the ship's sensors to display a coherent image of the environment and guides weapons to targets using advanced tracking and fire control.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Their main radar differs from traditional mechanically rotating radars. Instead, Aegis uses the AN/SPY-1D passive electronically scanned array (or the AN/SPY-6 active electronically scanned array on Flight III ships), which allows continual tracking of targets simultaneous to area scans. The system's computer control also allows centralization of the previously separate tracking and targeting functions. The system is resistant to electronic countermeasures.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Polmar p127">Polmar 2013, p. 127</ref>

Template:USS (foreground) and other ships conducting a coordinated SM-2MR launch

The Standard Missile SM-2MR/ER and SM-6 provide area air defense, though they may also be used in a secondary anti-ship role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The SM-2 uses semi-active radar homing (SARH); up to three targets may be simultaneously intercepted as the Arleigh Burkes have three AN/SPG-62 fire-control radars for terminal target illumination.<ref name="CNOPR201422">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="US Navy Ship - Destroyer">Template:Cite web</ref> The SM-6, which provides over-the-horizon defense,<ref name="bd815">Template:Cite web</ref> and the SM-2 Block IIIC feature a dual-mode seeker with active radar homing (ARH) capability; they do not have to rely on external illumination, so more targets may be intercepted simultaneously.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Flights IIA and III—and modernized Flight I and II ships—can carry RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSMs),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ProgramGuide2017">Template:Cite book</ref> which provide medium-range air defense and are also capable of targeting other ships. ESSM is small enough to be quad-packed into a single Mk 41 VLS cell. ESSM Block 1 uses SARH, guided similarly to older SM-2s. ESSM Block 2, which achieved initial operating capability (IOC) in 2021, features a dual-mode seeker with ARH capability.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The SM-3, SM-6, and SM-2ER Block IV provide Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), the SM-3 being an exoatmospheric interceptor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the latter two having terminal phase anti-ballistic capability.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="bd815" /> So vital has the Aegis BMD role become that all ships of the class are being updated with BMD capability.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By January 2023, there were 51 BMD-capable Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Flight III ships have been delivered since 2023 with AN/SPY-6(V)1 radars and improved BMD capabilities; Flight IIA ships are also planned to receive these upgrades with AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar retrofits.<ref name="SPY-6(V)4">Template:Cite web</ref>

Flights I and II carry two stand-alone Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers for a total of four or eight Harpoons,<ref name="Combat Fleets 05 p947">Wertheim 2005, p. 947</ref> providing an anti-ship capability with a range in excess of Template:Convert.<ref name="fas" /> During Exercise RIMPAC 2024, DDG-62, a Flight I ship, launched a Naval Strike Missile (NSM); the launchers for the Harpoons were removed to make room for the NSM's proprietary launch boxes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Long Range Anti-Ship Missile could be used from the class's VLS, as it has been tested with the Self Defense Test Ship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The class can perform tactical land strikes with VLS-launched Tomahawks.<ref name="fas" /> With the development of the Tomahawk Block V, all existing Block IV Tomahawks carried will be converted to the Block V. The Tomahawk Block Va version is called the Maritime Strike version, and it provides anti-ship capability in addition to its land attack role. The Block Vb version features the Joint Multi-Effects Warhead System for hitting a wider variety of land targets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:USS shooting a Mark 46 torpedo

Arleigh Burke-class ships have the AN/SQQ-89 ASW combat system, which is integrated with Aegis. It encompasses the AN/SQS-53C bow-mounted sonar and a towed array sonar, though several Flight IIA ships do not have a towed array.<ref name="FY2022_Budget">Template:Cite web</ref> The towed array is either the AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS) or the newer TB-37U Multi-Function Towed Array (MFTA). The ships can carry standoff RUM-139 vertical launch anti-submarine rockets. A Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes mount on each side of the ship can fire Mark 46, Mark 50, or Mark 54 lightweight torpedoes for short-range ASW. The ships can detect anti-ship mines at a range of about 1,400 meters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

All ships of the class are fitted with at least one Phalanx close-in weapon system (CIWS), which provides point defense against air and surface threats. Eight ships (DDG-51, DDG-64, DDG-71, DDG-75, DDG-78, DDG-80, DDG-84, DDG-117) are equipped with one SeaRAM CIWS for improved self-defense.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Arleigh Burke SeaRAM">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Roosevelt SeaRAM">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Bulkeley SeaRAM">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Paul Ignatius SeaRAM">Template:Cite web</ref> Arleigh Burkes can also carry two 25 mm Mk 38 machine gun systems, one on each side of the ship, designed to counter fast surface craft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are numerous mounts for crew-served weapons like the M2 Browning.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:USS in 2007, test firing her new 5-inch/62-caliber Mark 45 Mod 4 gun, located forward of her 32-cell missile pack module

Located on the forward deck is the 5-inch (127 mm) Mark 45 gun. Directed by the Mark 34 Gun Weapon System, it can be used in anti-ship, anti-air, and naval gunfire support (NGFS) roles. It can fire 16–20 rounds per minute and has a range of Template:Convert.Template:Refn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Arleigh Burkes can stow 680 5-inch rounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name ="NW Mk45Mod4">Template:Cite web</ref>

USS Kidd (DDG-100) near Naval Base San Diego with front ODIN system

As of 2023, six destroyers (DDG-100, DDG-104, DDG-105, DDG-106, DDG-111, DDG-113) are equipped with the Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN), a directed energy weapon that can target unmanned vehicles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> DDG-88 is equipped with the higher-power High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS).<ref name="HELIOS" />

Aircraft

MH-60R Seahawk above Template:USS's flight deck

Flights IIA and III have two hangars for stowing MH-60 helicopters. Their Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopter system improves the ship's capabilities by enabling the MH-60 to monitor submarines and surface ships, launch torpedoes and missiles against them, and provide fire support during insertions/extractions with machine guns and Hellfire anti-armor guided missiles. The helicopters also serve in a utility role, able to perform vertical replenishment, search and rescue, medical evacuation, communications relay, and naval gunfire spotting and controlling.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2022, an Arleigh Burke destroyer was deployed with an AAI Aerosonde unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The aircraft is under demonstration for Flight I and II ships, which do not have accommodations for permanently storing helicopters. The Aerosonde has a small enough footprint to be stowed on those destroyers. It can perform missions such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance at a much lower cost than manned helicopters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Development

Origins and Flight I

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) from 1970 to 1974, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, sought to improve the U.S. Navy through modernization at minimal cost. Zumwalt's approach to the fleet was a "high-low mix"—a few high-end, high-cost warships supplemented by numerous low-end, low-cost warships. The introduction of the Aegis-equipped Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the early 1980s filled the high end. The Navy started work to develop a lower-cost Aegis-equipped vessel to fill the low end and replace the aging Template:Sclass<ref name="designing">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Conways pp550–551">Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, pp. 550–551</ref><ref name="Friedman 82 pp388–389">Friedman 1982, pp. 388–389</ref> and Farragut class destroyers, along with the Leahy and Belknap class cruisers.<ref name="Flight III 1-1">Template:Cite journal</ref>

In 1980, the U.S. Navy initiated design studies with seven contractors. By 1983, the number of competitors had been reduced to three: Bath Iron Works, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Todd Shipyards.<ref name="NYTimes1">Template:Cite news</ref> On 3 April 1985, Bath Iron Works received a US$321.9 million contract to build the first of the class, USS Arleigh Burke.<ref name="NYTIMES2">Template:Cite news</ref> Gibbs & Cox was awarded the contract to be the lead ship design agent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Navy contracted Ingalls Shipbuilding to build the second ship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political restraints led to design restrictions, including the absence of helicopter hangars, a displacement limit of 8,300 tons, and a 50-foot shorter hull than the Ticonderoga's. To compensate for the limited length, a wide flaring bow was incorporated to maintain favorable seakeeping characteristics, and the originally planned 80,000-shaft-horsepower (shp) LM2500 gas turbines were upgraded to 100,000 shp.<ref name="designing" /> No main gun was included in the original design, later amended to include an OTO Melara 76 mm, before finally selecting the 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 45.<ref name="Polmar p145" /><ref name="Friedman 82 pp388–389" /> Despite their constraints, the designers benefited from insight gained from previous classes; for example, they chose an all-steel superstructure to improve survivability.<ref name="linchpin" />

The total cost of the first ship was $1.1 billion, the other $778 million being for the ship's weapons systems.<ref name="NYTIMES2" /> USS Arleigh Burke was laid down by the Bath Iron Works at Bath, Maine, on 6 December 1988, and launched on 16 September 1989 by Mrs. Arleigh Burke. The Admiral himself was present at her commissioning ceremony on 4 July 1991, held on the waterfront in downtown Norfolk, Virginia.<ref name="designing" /> Orders for Flight I ships continued through 1995.Template:Citation needed

Flight II

The Flight II iteration of the class was introduced in FY1992.<ref name="fas" /> The incorporation of the AN/SRS-1A(V) Combat Direction Finding enhanced detection of signals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The TADIX-B, JTIDS Command and Control Processor, and Link 16 improved communication with other assets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The SLQ-32 EW suite was upgraded to (V)3, and the SPS-67(V)3 surface search radar was upgraded to (V)5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Flight II also gained the capability to launch and control the SM-2ER Block IV.<ref name="esd.whs.mil">Template:Cite web</ref> An expansion of fuel capacity slightly increased the displacement.<ref name="Janes 15 p940">Saunders 2015, p. 940</ref>

Flight III (1988)

Work on a much improved design known as Flight III began in 1988, to be first procured in FY 1994. This design had a 40 foot plug amidships to provide greater volume for combat systems,<ref name="Flight III 5-1">Template:Cite journal</ref> and was of a flush deck configuration.<ref name="Flight III 5-2">Template:Cite journal</ref> Its main improvements were in ASW performance, with hangars and support facilities for two SH-60B LAMPS III helicopters and compatibility with the under development RUM-125 Sea Lance. The ship's AAW performance was also enhanced, with 32 additional VLS cells forwards, Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), integrated Anti-Ship Missile Defense (ASMD) systems, and air warfare commander facilities to coordinate the actions of a CSG in air defense, as was found on the Ticonderoga-class cruisers.<ref name="Flight III 2-2">Template:Cite journal</ref> The new AN/SAR-8 also provided the ship with an infrared search and track capability, and fiber optical cables replaced copper to improve bandwidth and reduce weight gain.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> To power the increased equipment load, the AG9130 ship service gas turbine generator sets were replaced with the newer AG9140, increasing power generation from 2,500 kW to 3,000 kW each.<ref name="Flight III 5-2" /> Incorporating lessons learned with the attacks on USS Stark in 1987 and USS Samuel B. Roberts in 1988, five blast-resistant bulkheads were incorporated into the ship to improve damage containment.<ref name="Flight III 4-5">Template:Cite journal</ref> The ship was designed with several upgrades to be added on later ships, including the AN/SQQ-89I Block III hull and towed sonar, intercooled recuperated gas turbines, and an improved fire control system. As tensions decreased throughout 1989 and 1990 however, there became less of a need for such a high performance ship, and Flight III was canceled in December 1990 as a cost reduction measure.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Flight IIA

Profile of Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer

Work on Flight IIA began shortly after Flight III's demise, with the Destroyer Variant (DDV) study beginning in mid 1991. These designs were intended to be far more economical than Flight III in light of the less intense warfare they were expected to be used in while still retaining Flight III's helicopter facilities. Due to the expectation of lower intensity warfare, the Harpoon missile launchersTemplate:Refn and AN/SQR-19 TACTAS<ref name="FY2022_Budget" /> were to be removed, with reinstallation possible given two years notice.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The Phalanx CIWS systems were to be deleted as well, pending the availability of RIM-162 ESSM.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Most of the resultant designs from this study placed an increased emphasis on land attack, littoral warfare, and reduced operating costs. Almost all featured a reduced cell count and some even using a smaller hull.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite journal</ref> Despite this emphasis during the study phase, the selected design was one that did not compromise on the ship's existing performance beyond the mandated deletion of Harpoon and TACTAS.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Flight IIA was first procured in FY 1994,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and featured numerous improvements used on Flight III. The two hangars and support facilities for LAMPS helicopters remained, albeit located differently in two hangars outboard of the aft VLS module. To accommodate the hangars, the length was increased to Template:Convert, and the rear-facing SPY-1D arrays are mounted one deck (eight feet) higher to prevent a blind spot,<ref name="Polmar pp141–142">Polmar 2013, pp. 141–142</ref> as had been done on Flight III for the same reason.<ref name="Flight III 5-13">Template:Cite journal</ref> CEC, fiber optical data cables,<ref name="Janes 15 p942">Saunders 2015, p. 942</ref> blast-resistant bulkheads,<ref name="Combat Fleets 05 p946" /> and AG9140 ship service generators<ref name="AG9140">Template:Cite web</ref> were also carried over from Flight III. New to Flight IIA was the Kingfisher mine detection system, the deletion of the onboard missile reloading cranes and their replacement with six additional VLS cells, and redesigned propellers to reduce cavitation.<ref name="Combat Fleets 05 p945">Wertheim 2005, p. 945</ref> Phalanx was temporarily kept due to developmental issues which delayed ESSM, only being removed starting with Template:USS.<ref name="Ewing" /> This was partially reversed later, starting with Template:USS all ships would have an aft Phalanx CIWS, and all ships lacking one were to be modified as such by 2013.<ref name="Ewing">Template:Harvnb</ref>

Congressional concerns over the retirement of the Template:Sclasss saw the Navy begin a program to field the Extended Range Guided Munition (ERGM) for the DDG-51 class in 1996.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The ERGM was to extend the range of the class's 5-inch Mark 45 to Template:Convert, but required modifications to the gun. The longer 5-inch/62-caliber (127 mm) Mark 45 Mod 4 gun was installed starting with Template:USS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Combat Fleets 05 p946" /> However, the ERGM was canceled in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Later ships featured several additional modifications. Starting with Template:USS, the original AN/SPS-73(V)12 navigation radar was replaced by the BridgeMaster E.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> New signature reduction measures were incorporated: the hangars of DDG-86 onwards are made of composite materials, and the exhaust funnels of DDG-89 onwards are shrouded by the superstructure.<ref name="Combat Fleets 05 p946" /> The use of the improved SPY-1D(V) radar, starting with Template:USS, enhances the ships' ability to filter out clutter and resist electronic attack.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Template:USS, 2006, with torpedo tubes mounted on aft missile deck rather than earlier amidships mounting, superstructure changes to accommodate an AN/WLD-1 holding bay, and lacking CIWS

DDGs 91–96 (USS Pinckney, Template:USS, Template:USS, Template:USS, Template:USS, and Template:USS) were built with superstructure differences to accommodate the AN/WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, only Pinckney, Momsen, James E. Williams, and Bainbridge were installed with the system before the RMS program was canceled.<ref name="Polmar p142" />

Modernization

The current DDG-51 modernization program is designed to provide mid-life upgrades to ensure the destroyers remain effective with service lives of at least 35 years.<ref name="SeaPower2019 p20" /> Modernization of existing ships provides commonality with in-production ships. The program's goals are reduced manning, increased mission effectiveness, and reduced total cost.<ref name="US Navy Ship - Destroyer" /> Mid-life modernization of Flight I and II ships is done in two phases: the first phase updates the hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) systems, while the second phase focuses on Aegis Combat System upgrades and introduces an Open Architecture Computing Environment (OACE).<ref name="ProgramGuide2017" /> By 2017, modernization technologies were introduced to production ships, and the Navy started modernization of Flight IIA ships through a single process combining both phases of upgrading.<ref name="SeaPower2019 p20">Template:Cite book</ref> The capabilities of modernized destroyers include CEC, Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD),Template:Refn ESSM support, improved electronic support with Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 2, improved data processing with Boeing's Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex System,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and improvements to littoral warfare.<ref name="CNOPR20142">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ProgramGuide2017" />

Combat information center aboard Template:USS

Following the production restart in the 2010s, some Flight IIA ships have had a towed sonar array installed.<ref name="Polmar pp141–142" />

In July 2010, BAE Systems announced it had been awarded a contract to modernize 11 ships.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2014, USNI News reported that 21 of the 28 Flight I and II Arleigh Burke-class destroyers would not receive the full mid-life upgrade that included electronics and Aegis Baseline 9 software for SM-6 compatibility; instead, they would retain the basic BMD 3.6.1 software in a $170 million upgrade concentrating on HM&E systems, and on some ships, their anti-submarine suite.<ref name="USNI20140527">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Seven Flight I ships—DDGs 51–53, 57, 61, 65, 69—received the full $270 million Baseline 9 upgrade.<ref name="USNI20140527" /> Deputy of surface warfare Dave McFarland said that this change was due to the budget cuts in the Budget Control Act of 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2016, the Navy announced it would begin outfitting 34 Flight IIA Arleigh Burkes with a hybrid-electric drive (HED) to lower fuel costs. The four LM2500 gas turbines of the class are most efficient at high speeds; an electric motor was to be attached to the main reduction gear to turn the drive shaft and propel the ship at speeds under Template:Convert, such as during BMD or maritime security operations. Use of the HED for half the time could extend time on station by 2.5 days before refueling.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2018, the Navy announced the HED would be installed on Template:USS to test the technology, but upgrades of further destroyers would be halted due to changed budget priorities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:USS (left) and two other Arleigh Burke-class destroyers docked at Naval Station Norfolk in July 2009

Also in 2016, four destroyers of the U.S. 6th Fleet based in Naval Station Rota, Spain (USS Carney, USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, and USS Porter) received self-protection upgrades, replacing one of their two Phalanx CIWS with a SeaRAM CIWS, which combines the Phalanx sensor dome with an 11-cell RIM-116 launcher. This was the first time the system was paired with an Aegis ship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another four ships (USS Arleigh Burke, USS Roosevelt, USS Bulkeley, and USS Paul Ignatius) have since been forward-deployed to Rota and also received a SeaRAM.<ref name="Arleigh Burke SeaRAM" /><ref name="Roosevelt SeaRAM" /><ref name="Bulkeley SeaRAM" /><ref name="Paul Ignatius SeaRAM" />

In February 2018, Lockheed Martin received a contract to deliver its High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system for installation onto an Arleigh Burke destroyer. HELIOS is a "60+ kW"-class laser, scalable to 120 kW, that can "dazzle" or destroy small boats and UAVs up to Template:Cvt away.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It would be the first laser weapon put on a warship.<ref>Navy Buys Lasers to 'Dazzle' Drones, Take Out Small Boats Template:Webarchive. Military.com. 3 March 2018</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2019, Template:USS had the Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) system installed. ODIN differs from the XN-1 LaWS previously mounted on Template:USS in that ODIN functions as a dazzler, which blinds or destroys optical sensors on drones rather than shooting down the aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> HELIOS was delivered to the Navy in August 2022 and installed on Template:USS. Preble was expected to begin at-sea testing of the HELIOS in FY2023.<ref name="HELIOS">Template:Cite web</ref>

Also by 2018, all Arleigh Burke-class ships homeported in the Western Pacific were scheduled to have upgraded ASW systems, including the TB-37U MFTA replacing the AN/SQR-19 TACTAS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Greenert20130918">Template:Cite web</ref>

In FY2019, the Navy started a program to procure the Mod 4 variant of the Mark 38 machine gun system<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to address "unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and high speed maneuverable unmanned surface vehicle (USV) threats."<ref name="Mk38Mod4">Template:Cite web</ref> Mod 4 will incorporate the 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II instead of the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster of previous variants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Mk 38 Mod 4 is planned to be fielded on Flight IIA and III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2020, National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien said that all three Flights of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer would field the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) missile developed under the Conventional Prompt Strike program. However, the C-HGB is expected to be around Template:Cvt wide, making it too large to fit in Mk 41 VLS tubes or on deck launchers. Installing them on Arleigh Burke destroyers would require removing some Mk 41 cells to accommodate the larger weapon, an expensive and time-consuming process.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is criticism of this idea: the oldest Flight I ships would need a service life extension to justify refit costs that would only prolong their service lives a short time when they are already more expensive to operate, and the newest Flight III ships that are optimized for BMD would be given a new, complex mission requiring a major refit shortly after introduction.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

About 20 Flight IIA destroyers will undergo further modernization under the DDG MOD 2.0 program.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> DDG MOD 2.0 will backfit SPY-6(V)4 and Aegis Baseline 10 to provide similar capabilities to Flight III ships,Template:Refn as well as upgrade cooling systems to support the new radar. DDG MOD 2.0 will also deliver the AN/SLQ-32(V)7 EW suite, which adds the SEWIP Block 3 electronic attack subsystem.<ref name="SNA2022 SEWIP">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="DDGMOD">Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2021, the Navy approved a "Smart Start Plan" for four ships—DDGs 91, 93, 95, 97—to make a gradual transition to DDG MOD 2.0. These ships will undergo a DDG MOD 1.5 phase that provides the SLQ-32(V)7; in 2023, DDG-91 became the first destroyer to receive SLQ-32(V)7.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They will then receive the SPY-6(V)4, Aegis Baseline 10, and cooling system upgrades during a later depot modernization period.<ref name="DDGMOD" />

Starting in 2025, the Navy will replace Phalanx CIWS on the destroyers with RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers to improve their point defense capability. Arleigh Burkes with the latest Aegis baselines will receive the 21-cell Mk 49 RAM launcher; Arleigh Burkes with older Aegis software will receive the 11-cell SeaRAM.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is unclear if ships with two Phalanx CIWS or ships already in a Phalanx-SeaRAM configuration will retain one Phalanx.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Production restarted

A destroyer of the Zumwalt class, the next after the Arleigh Burke class. Only 3 out of 32 planned Zumwalts were built.

Template:USS was originally intended to be the last of the Arleigh Burke class. The Navy planned to shift production to the Zumwalt-class destroyer focusing on naval gunfire support and littoral operations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, at a July 2008 hearing, Navy officials announced intentions to restart Arleigh Burke production in place of additional Zumwalts, testifying to the latter's inability to counter emerging ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, and blue-water submarines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Arleigh Burke-class destroyers have been in production for longer than any other surface combatant class in the U.S. Navy's history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2009, the Navy announced a plan limiting the Zumwalt class to three units while ordering another three Arleigh Burke-class ships from both Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding.<ref name="restart">Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2009, Northrop Grumman received a $170.7 million letter contract for Template:USS long lead-time materials.<ref>Template:Cite web Contract N00024-10-C-2308.</ref> Shipbuilding contracts for DDG-113 to DDG-115 were awarded in mid-2011 for $679.6 million–$783.6 million;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> these do not include government-furnished equipment such as weapons and sensors, which took the average cost of the FY2011/12 ships to about $1.843 billion per vessel.<ref>Template:Cite web Since 1 and 2 ships are procured in alternate years and the "1 in a year" ships cost more, the fairest estimate of unit price comes from averaging three ships across two years. Funds are spent on long lead-time items in the year before the main procurement of each ship. DDG-114 and DDG-115 together cost $577.2 million (FY2010) + $2.922 billion (FY2011) = $3.499 billion (p. 20), and DDG-116 cost $48 million (FY2011) + $1.981 billion (FY2012) = $2.029 billion (p. 7), making an average for the three ships of about $1.843 billion.</ref>

DDGs 113 through 115 are "restart" ships, similar to previous Flight IIA ships, but including modernization features such as OACE and the TB-37U MFTA, which are being backfit onto previous ships.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The U.S. Navy was considering extending the acquisition of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers into the 2040s, according to revised procurement tables sent to Congress, with the procurement of Flight IV ships from 2032 through 2041.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This was canceled to cover the cost of the Template:Sclasss, with the air defense commander role retained on one cruiser per carrier strike group.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In April 2022, the Navy proposed a procurement plan for nine ships, with an option for a tenth, to build two ships a year from 2023 to 2027. Some lawmakers pushed to add a third ship to be built in 2023, bringing the total of the proposed deal to eleven ships. This would follow the Navy's two-ship per year procurement from 2018 to 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Flight IIA Technology Insertion

DDG-116 to DDG-124 and DDG-127 will be "Technology Insertion" ships with elements of Flight III.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For example, Template:USS and onwards have the AN/SPQ-9B, a feature of Flight III, instead of the AN/SPS-67.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Flight III proper began with the third ship procured in 2016,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:USS (DDG-125).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Flight III (2013)

USS Jack H. Lucas, the first Flight III destroyer, after her launch on 4 June 2021

In place of the canceled CG(X) program, the U.S. Navy began detailed design work on a DDG-51 Flight III design in FY2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Navy planned to procure 24 Flight III ships from FY2016 to FY2031.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2013, it awarded $6.2 billion in destroyer contracts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Costs for the Flight III ships increased as requirements for the program grew, particularly related to the planned Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) needed for the IAMD role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An AMDR with a mid-diameter of Template:Convert had been proposed for CG(X), while the DDG-51 Flight III design could carry an AMDR with a mid-diameter of only Template:Convert.<ref name="O'Rourke 11 p9">Template:Cite web</ref> The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the design would be "at best marginally effective" because of the "now-shrunken radar". The U.S. Navy disagreed with the GAO findings, stating that the DDG-51 hull was "absolutely" capable of fitting a large enough radar to meet requirements.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Flight III's AN/SPY-6 AMDR with a mid-diameter of Template:Convert uses an active electronically scanned array with digital beamforming, compared to the previous passive electronically scanned array AN/SPY-1D with a mid-diameter of Template:Convert.<ref name="O'Rourke 11 p9" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to the SPY-6's contractor Raytheon, the 37-RMA SPY-6(V)1 is 30 times more sensitive and capable of detecting objects "half the size at twice the distance" compared to the SPY-1D.<ref name="AMDR">Template:Cite web</ref> The Flight III's SPY-6 is integrated with Aegis Baseline 10.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The new radar also requires more power; the three-megawatt, 450 V AG9140 generators were upgraded to four-megawatt, 4,160 V AG9160 generators.<ref name="FltIII changes" /><ref name="AG9160" /> Additionally, the air conditioning plants were upgraded to increase the ships' cooling capacity.<ref name="DDG 51 Update" /> The area near where the two rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) are stored was enclosed to accommodate additional crew, so the RHIBs are stacked.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other modifications include replacement of the Halon-based fire suppression system with a water mist system and strengthening of the hull to support the design's additional weight.<ref name="DDG 51 Update">Template:Cite web</ref>

Flight III achieved IOC in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of a total of 24 Flight III ships have been ordered.<ref name="factfile" /> The U.S. Navy may procure up to 42 Flight III ships for an overall total of 117 ships of the class.<ref name="Now Hear This">Template:Cite web</ref>

Replacement

DDG(X) concept from Program Executive Office Ships as presented in the 2022 Surface Navy Association symposium

In April 2014, the U.S. Navy began the development of a new destroyer to replace the Arleigh Burke class called the "Future Surface Combatant". The new class is expected to enter service in the 2030s and initially serve alongside the Flight III Arleigh Burkes. The destroyer class will incorporate emerging technologies like lasers, onboard power-generation systems, increased automation, and next-generation weapons, sensors, and electronics. They will use technologies from other platforms, such as the Zumwalt-class destroyer, littoral combat ships, and the Template:Sclass.<ref name="military.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Future Surface Combatant may place importance on the Zumwalt-class destroyer's electric drive system that provides propulsion while generating 58 megawatts of electrical power, levels required to operate future directed energy weapons. Initial requirements for the Future Surface Combatant emphasize lethality and survivability. The ships must also be modular to allow for inexpensive upgrades of weaponry, electronics, computing, and sensors over time as threats evolve.<ref name="military.com"/> The Future Surface Combatant has evolved into the Large Surface Combatant, which became the DDG(X).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Navy plans to procure the first DDG(X) in FY2032.<ref name="DDG(X)" />

Operational history

Template:USS launches a TLAM toward Iraq, first days of the Iraq War in 2003

The class saw its first combat action through Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) strikes against Iraq.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Over 3 and 4 September 1996, Template:USS and Template:USS launched thirteen and eight TLAMs, respectively, as part of Operation Desert Strike.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 1998, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers again performed TLAM strikes as part of Operation Desert Fox.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Eleven Arleigh Burkes supported carrier strike groups engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom, which included TLAM launches against ground targets during the operation's opening stages in 2003.<ref name="Tucker p376" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2011, the Navy announced that four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers would be forward-deployed in Europe to support the NATO missile defense system. The ships, to be based at Naval Station Rota, Spain, were named in February 2012 as Ross, Donald Cook, Porter, and Carney.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By reducing travel times to station, this forward deployment allows for six other destroyers to be shifted from the Atlantic in support of the Pivot to East Asia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Russia threatened to quit the New START treaty over this deployment, calling it a threat to their nuclear deterrent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018, CNO Admiral John Richardson criticized the policy of keeping six highly mobile BMD platforms "in a little tiny box, defending land", a role that he believed could be performed equally well at less cost by shore-based systems.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2016, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Mason and Nitze were deployed to the coast of Yemen after a UAE auxiliary ship was struck in an attack for which Houthi rebels claimed responsibility.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 9 October, while in the Red Sea, Mason detected two anti-ship missiles headed toward herself and nearby USS Ponce fired from Houthi-controlled territory. Mason launched two SM-2s, one ESSM, and a Nulka decoy. One AShM was confirmed to have struck the water on its own, and it is unknown if the second missile was intercepted or hit the water on its own.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 12 October, in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Mason again detected an inbound anti-ship missile, which was intercepted at a range of Template:Convert by an SM-2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="navytimes">Template:Cite web</ref> On 13 October, Nitze conducted TLAM strikes destroying three Houthi radar sites used in the previous attacks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Back in the Red Sea, Mason experienced a third attack on 15 October with five AShMs. She fired SM-2s and decoys, destroying or neutralizing four missiles. Nitze neutralized the fifth missile with a radar decoy.<ref name="navytimes" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 7 April 2017, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Ross and Porter conducted a TLAM strike against Shayrat Airfield, Syria, in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical attack on his people three days prior.<ref name="wapo-1">Template:Cite news</ref> The ships fired a total of 59 Tomahawk missiles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 14 April 2018, Laboon and Higgins conducted another TLAM strike against Syria. They fired seven and twenty-three TLAMs, respectively. The strike targeted chemical weapon sites as part of a continued effort against Assad's use of chemical warfare.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Donald Cook and Winston S. Churchill took positions in the Mediterranean prior to the 2018 strike to mislead defending forces.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October and November 2023, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Carney and USS Thomas Hudner, while deployed in the Red Sea, shot down numerous drones and missiles. On 19 October, Carney shot down at least three cruise missiles and eight drones that were potentially targeting Israel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 15 and 22 November, Thomas Hudner shot down numerous drones launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 27 November, Carney detected two ballistic missile launches from Houthi-controlled territory headed towards herself and nearby M/V Central Park; they splashed ten nautical miles away.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 29 November, Carney intercepted another Houthi missile.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 30 December, USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled territory at herself and nearby container ship Maersk Hangzhou.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 30 January 2024, a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile fired toward the Red Sea came within one mile of Gravely; she used her Phalanx CIWS to shoot down the missile.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

During the Iranian strikes on Israel on 13 April 2024, USS Arleigh Burke and USS Carney fired four to seven SM-3s, shooting down at least three Iranian ballistic missiles. This was the first time the SM-3 was employed in combat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 1 October 2024, USS Bulkeley and USS Cole fired 12 SM-3 and SM-6 missiles against Iranian ballistic missiles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Accidents and major incidents

USS Cole bombing

USS Cole being towed from the port city of Aden after the bombing. Blast damage to the hull is visible mid-ship.

Template:USS was damaged on 12 October 2000 while docked in Aden, Yemen, by an attack in which a shaped charge of 200–300 kg in a boat was placed against the hull and detonated by suicide bombers, killing 17 crew members. The ship was repaired and returned to duty in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

USS Porter and MV Otowasan collision

Template:Anchor Template:See also On 12 August 2012, USS Porter collided with the oil tanker MV Otowasan near the Strait of Hormuz; there were no injuries. The U.S. Navy removed PorterTemplate:'s commanding officer from duty. Repairs took two months at a cost of $700,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

USS Fitzgerald and MV ACX Crystal collision

On 17 June 2017, Template:USS collided with the MV ACX Crystal cargo ship near Yokosuka, Japan. Seven sailors drowned. Following an investigation, the ship's commanding officer, executive officer, and Command Master Chief Petty Officer were relieved of their duties. In addition, close to a dozen sailors were given non-judicial punishment for losing situational awareness. Repairs were originally to be completed by the summer of 2019. Initial repairs however, were made by February 2020. After the subsequent sea trials, she was brought in for additional repairs. The ship departed for her home port in June 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

USS John S. McCain and Alnic MC collision

On 21 August 2017, USS John S. McCain collided with the container ship Alnic MC. The collision injured 48 sailors and killed 10, whose bodies were all recovered by 27 August. The cause of the collision was determined to be poor communication between the two ships and the bridge crew lacking situational awareness. In the aftermath, the ship's top leadership, including the commanding officer, executive officer, and Command Master Chief Petty Officer, were removed from command. In addition, top leadership of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, including the commander, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, were relieved of their duties due to a loss of confidence in their ability to command. Other commanders who were relieved included Rear Admiral Charles Williams, commander of Task Force 70, and Captain Jeffrey Bennett, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 15. This was the third incident involving a U.S. Navy ship in 2017, with a repair cost of over $100 million.<ref name="ntsb">Template:Cite web</ref>

Contractors

• Builders: 39 units constructed by General Dynamics, Bath Iron Works Division, and 35 by Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Northrop Grumman Ship Systems), Ingalls Shipbuilding<ref name="CRS_2022">Template:Cite web</ref>
• AN/SPY-1 radar and Aegis Combat System integrator: Lockheed Martin<ref name="CRS_2022" />
• AN/SPY-6 radar: Raytheon<ref name="CRS_2022" />

Derivatives

Destroyer classes based on the Arleigh Burke have been adopted by the following naval forces:<ref name="USNI Maya" /><ref name="LaGrone STG">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Template:Flagicon The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force:
  • Template:Sclass<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
  • Template:Sclass<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
  • Template:Sclass<ref name="USNI Maya">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Flagicon The Republic of Korea Navy:
  • Template:Sclass<ref name="LaGrone STG" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

The 2012 film Battleship features Template:USS, Template:USS, and Template:USS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The 2014 television series The Last Ship, loosely based on the 1988 novel of the same name, is set on the fictional Template:USS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its hull designation in the book is DDG-80, but it was changed to DDG-151 for the television series to avoid confusion with the real-life USS Roosevelt, which did not exist when the book was written. Template:USS, a Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, stood in for Nathan James during filming.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• List of naval ship classes in service
• List of current ships of the United States Navy

References

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite magazine
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
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Further reading

• Template:Cite book Describes the construction of Template:USS at Bath Iron Works.

External links

• Arleigh Burke-class destroyers at Destroyer History Foundation
• Arleigh Burke class (Aegis) page on naval-technology.com
• Arleigh Burke Flight I & Flight II Class destroyer- United States Navy on navyrecognition.com Template:Webarchive