US Navy: new Arleigh Burke missile destroyer picked up

The US Navy picked up a new USS Thomas Hudner-type Arleigh Burke, equipped with guided Tomahawk missiles. The ship was built by the American shipyard General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.

The ceremony of handing over the new ship to the American Navy was held on 15 June this year. The missile destroyer was named USS Thomas Hudner. In this way, Captain Thomas Hudner, a naval pilot, was honored, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for merit during the Korean War. The official reception of the ship for service in the U.S. Navy is scheduled for December 1, in Boston.

According to US Navy, the ship is equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9 combat system, which includes an integrated anti-aircraft and missile defence (IAMD) and uses the ballistic missile defence (ABMD) system version 5.0 and an integrated fire control system.

The U.S. Navy stressed in its Communication that missile destroyers equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9 IAMD combat system have increased computing power and improved radars that improve ship's detection and response capabilities for anti-aircraft and missile defense systems.

The ship measures 155.2 m long and 18 m wide. Its buoyancy is 9.2 tons. The crew of the unit consists of 23 officers and 300 sailors. Destroyers of this type reach a speed of 31 knots, and at a marching speed of 20 knots their range is 4.4 thousand nautical miles.

There's a landing and hangar on board the new ship. for two Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawk helicopters. The destroyer's armament is: a 96-chamber Mk 41 VLS launcher, allowing to launch the Standard and ESSM plot rockets, Tomahawk maneuvering rockets, and VL-ASROC rockettorped rockets, two Harpoon quadruple antiship missile launchers, a Mk 45 cal. 127 mm naval cannon, two Phalanx CIWS direct defense artillery sets, and two triple Mk 32 torpedo launchers.

Arleigh Burke destroyers are designed to combat enemy aircraft, maneuver missiles and submarines.

Currently, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works is building four further Arleigh Burke destroyers and two Zumwalt destroyers.

Signature: MB