General Dynamics (GD) Bath Iron Works (BIW) has christened the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the future Carl M Levin (DDG 120), at its shipyard in Maine.
DDG 120 is a Flight IIA destroyer. It has been named in honour of the ship’s namesake, late Senator Carl Levin. He served in the US Senate for 36 years and is the longest serving senator in the history of Michigan state.
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GD BIW said in a Facebook post: “Sen Levin’s daughters, ship sponsors Kate Levin Markel, Laura Levin and Erica Levin, performed the bottle break with the Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, looking on.
“The event was a great tribute to the late Senator Carl Levin, whose legacy will live on in DDG 120. The ship’s motto, ‘Tenacious in the Fight’, aptly describes Sen Levin and the DDG 120 crew, as well as the BIW shipbuilders who crafted this beautiful ship.”
GD BIW laid the keel of DDG 120 in February 2019 and launched the ship in May this year.
The vessel is being equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9 Combat System, which includes integrated air and missile defence capability.
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By GlobalDataThis combat system will ensure improved reaction time, high firepower, and increased electronic countermeasures capability for Anti-Air Warfare (AAW). The US Navy is expected to receive the vessel in fiscal year (FY) 2021.
BIW is also building five more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, DDG 122, DDG 124, DDG 127, DDG 126, and DDG 130.
It has also been contracted to construct another four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with the Flight III configuration.
