US Navy to Commission Newest Guided Missile Destroyer

The US Navy will commission its newest Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer, Gravely (DDG 107), on 20 November 2010, in Wilmington, North Carolina, US.

The 509ft-long Gravely is the 57th Arleigh Burke Class destroyer with a displacement capacity of 9,200t, a waterline beam of 59ft and a navigational draft of 31ft. It can cruise at speeds in excess of 30kt.

Gravely will be powered by four gas turbine engines and carry a crew of 276 officers. It contains numerous offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare.

The destroyer will be capable of conducting a variety of operations, including fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously, peacetime presence and crisis management, sea control and power projection.

The ship was built by Northrop, and Commander Douglas Kunzman will become the first commanding officer of the ship.