The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51). Credit: U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class RJ Stratchko.

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (GD BIW) has started construction on the US Navy’s Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

The future USS Louis H Wilson Jr (DDG 126) is the first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer being built at GD BIW’s structural fabrication facility in Brunswick, Maine.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships DDG 51 class programme manager, Captain Seth Miller said: “This is a tremendous occasion as we mark the start of construction on BIW’s first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

“General Wilson embodied the spirit of our nation in his will to protect his fellow Marines and countrymen. What better way to honour him than to build a highly capable warship that advances our navy’s ability to protect and defend our nation.”

DDG 126 is set to be named in honour of General Louis H Wilson Jr, the 26th commandant of the US Marine Corps and a World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are being designed to conduct anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defence missions. These multi-mission surface combatants will be equipped with enhanced capability and capacity to support Integrated Air and Missile Defense missions.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The ships will also engage in global maritime security, air, undersea, surface, and strike operations, as well as anti-submarine warfare, command and control, and anti-surface warfare.

The company is also building other Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, including Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), Carl M Levin (DDG 120) and John Basilone (DDG 122), Harvey C Barnum Jr (DDG 124), Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) and Zumwalt class destroyer Lyndon B Johnson (DDG 1002).