Portal partners
Baptism of the future USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129) at the HII shipyard
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
On June 28, the Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard belonging to Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula (Missisipi State) held a baptism ceremony of another missile destroyer built for the US Navy. Unit that received the name USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129) is the third ship of the Flight III version and at the same time the 76th Arleigh Burke destroyer.
In the article
Almost three years have passed since the keel was placed, and it is time for the baptism ceremony. The pace of ship construction is evidence of the high efficiency of Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard and the efficiency of the entire supply chain for the construction of Arleigh Burke destroyers.
The ceremony gathered representatives of the U.S. Navy, federal and state administration, as well as the management of shipyards and subcontractors. The godmothers of the ship were daughters of the patron saint of the unit – Madeleine Denton Doak and Mary Denton Lewis. By traditionThey broke a bottle of champagne into the hull of the unit.
Heritage Name – Jeremiah Denton
The new ship was named after Rear Admiral Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., a U.S. Navy pilot who became famous for his unbreakable attitude as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict. In 1965, while carrying out a combat task, his aircraft was damaged by premature detonation of the cargo. Denton was forced to land in a territory controlled by his opponent, where he spent eight years in captivity. In 1969, using a propaganda television performance organised by the communist authorities in Hanoi, he communicated the tortures he had used to him, using Morse code and blinking his eyes to the camera.
After his release in 1973, he continued to serve in the Navy, and after his retirement he was elected to the U.S. Senate, representing the state of Alabama from 1981 to 1987. For his attitude during his captivity, he received the Navy Cross – one of the highest U.S. military awards. The name of the individual reminds not only of his personal heroism, but also of the values on which service in the navy is based.
Flight III – Arleigh Burke development
Future USS Jeremiah Denton belongs to the Flight III version, developed as a modernization of the long-term Arleigh Burke program. The units of this generation were designed for increased performance in multi-domain combat conditions. The equipment includes, among others, the new AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar and the upgraded Aegis fire control system version 10.
The destroyer is 160 m long, 20 m wide and full displacement exceeding 9200 tonnes. The crew is 380 officers, enlisted officers and sailors. It is driven by four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, which allows to reach a speed of 31 knots.
Armed future USS Jeremiah Denton
The ship's armament includes a marine cannon Mk 45 Mod 4 cal. 127 mm, direct defense system CIWS Phalanx cal. 20 mm, two sets of automatic cannons Mk 38 cal. 25 mm, and four large caliber machine guns. 12.7 mm. The main means of destruction are two sets of vertical launcher Mk 41 – 32- and 64-chamber – designed to fire RIM-66M and RIM-156, long-range RIM-174A missiles, RIM-161 antimissiles, and RIM-162 ESSM rockets. Weapons system complements BGM-109 Tomahawk manoeuvring missiles, RUM-139 rocket torpedoes and Mark 32 torpedo launchers, adapted to handle light torpedoes Mark 46, Mark 50 and Mark 54. The ship also has a hangar and landing pad for two MH-60R Seahawk deck helicopters.
Construction and schedule of Arleigh Burke destroyers
Jeremiah Denton is another Arleigh Burke-type destroyer built at Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard – so far the US Navy 35th units of this type have been transferred. Currently under construction currently, among others, Ted Stevens (DDG 128), George M. Neal (DDG 131), Sam Nunn (DDG 133) and Thad Cochran (DDG 135). The inclusion of Flight III units in the service will allow the U.S. military fleet to maintain dominance in multitasking maritime operations in the 21st century.
Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz
