US Navy christened destroyer William Charette

On 1 August, the eyes of the American shipbuilding industry were turned to the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine. That's where the baptism of the rocket destroyer took place. William Charette (DDG 130), fifth Arleigh Burke in Flight III.

Fifth Arleigh Burke Flight III

William Charette is the fifth missile destroyer Arleigh Burke type in the latest version of Flight III, which reached its launch readiness. At the same time, it is the second ship of this series built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ceremony was attended by the patron family of the ship, representatives of the management of the US Navy, local authorities and members of both chambers of Congress representing the state of Maine.

Ship construction was ordered in September 2018. The first sheet of sheet metal was cut on November 30, 2020, while the keel ceremony was held on August 29, 2024.

The unit's patron saint is William R. Charette, a U.S. Navy orderly and a Korean War veteran. For his heroics shown on March 27, 1953, he was decorated Medal of Honor – the highest military honour of the United States.

Flight III – the biggest modernisation of the program

The first ship representing the Flight III series is the USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), who entered service in 2023. Next will be Ted Stevens (DDG 128), whose transfer of the US Navy is scheduled this year.

Although Flight III ships retained a distinctive figure of their predecessors, they received a deeply upgraded combat system. The most important change is the use of multi-functional AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar, which replaced the previously used AN/SPY-1D(V).

Each of the four stationary AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar antennas consists of 37 RMA modules (Radar Modular Assembly). The modular design increases the system's resistance to damage and facilitates its operation and replacement of components without the need to disable the entire radar.

The system is supplemented by AN/SPQ-9B radar, responsible for observation in the higher frequency band. In future, it is to be replaced by a new radio-location station with wall antennas. Ships Flight III they also received a combat management system Aegis Baseline 10, integrated with AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar.

Arleigh Burke destroyers have been at the base of the U.S. Navy for over three decades. The ships of this family carry out tasks on all major waters of the world – from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific, responsible for anti-aircraft defense and missile teams, combating submarines and making strikes with maneuvering missiles. The Flight III version is intended to ensure that these capabilities are maintained for decades to come.