Arleigh Burke class destroyer

USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51)
USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51)
Class overview
Name: Arleigh Burke class destroyer
Operators:  United States Navy
Preceded by: Kidd-class guided missile destroyer
Succeeded by: Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer
Building: 5
Planned: 70
Completed: 57
Active: 56
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement: Fully loaded:
• Flight I - 8,315 t (8,184 LT; 9,166 ST)
• Flight II - 8,400 t (8,300 LT; 9,300 ST)
• Flight IIA - 9,200 t (9,100 LT; 10,100 ST)
• Flight III - 10,000 t (9,800 LT; 11,000 ST)[1]
Length: 505 ft (154 m) (Flights I and II)
509 feet (155 m) (Flight IIA)
Beam: 59 ft (18 m)
Draft: 30.5 ft (9.3 m)
Propulsion: 4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines each generating 27,000 shp (20,000 kW);
coupled to two shafts, each driving a five-bladed reversible controllable pitch propeller;
Total output: 108,000 shp (81,000 kW)
Speed: In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range: 4,400 nmi (8,100 km) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Boats and landing
craft carried:		 2 Rigid hull inflatable boats
Complement: 23 officers, 250 enlisted
Armament: • 90 cell Mk 41 vertical launch system
• BGM-109 Tomahawk
• RGM-84 Harpoon SSM (not in Flight IIa units)
• SM-2 Standard SAM (has an ASuW mode)
• SM-3 Standard Ballistic missile defense missile for Aegis BMD (15 ships as of March 2009[2] )
• RIM-162 ESSM SAM (DDG-79 onward)
• RUM-139 Vertical Launch ASROC
• one 5 inch (127 mm/54) Mk-45 (lightweight gun) (DDG-51 through -80)
• one 5 inch (127 mm/62) Mk-45 mod 4 (lightweight gun) (DDG-81 on)
• two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS (DDG-51 through -84, one on several later units)
• two Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes (six Mk-46 or Mk-50 torpedoes, Mk-54 in the near future)
Aircraft carried: • None, but LAMPS III electronics installed on landing deck for coordinated DDG-51/helo ASW operations (Flights I and II)
• Two SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helos (Flight IIA onwards)
Aviation facilities: Flights I and II: Flight deck only
Flight IIA onwards: Flight deck and enclosed hangar for up to two medium-lift helicopters

The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs) is the first destroyer of the United States Navy built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The first ship was commissioned on 4 July 1991. After the decommissioning of the last Spruance-class destroyer, USS Cushing, on September 21, 2005, the Arleigh Burke class ships became the U.S. Navy's only active destroyers and the class has the longest production run for any US Navy surface combatant.[3]

The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, the most famous American destroyer officer of World War II. Admiral Burke was alive when the class leader was commissioned.

Contents

Characteristics

Three Arleigh Burke-class vessels docked in Norfolk, Virginia

The Arleigh Burke class are among the most powerful destroyers ever built in the United States. Only the Spruance class destroyers were larger (563 feet). The Burke class destroyers are more heavily armed than previous guided-missile destroyers. However it is important to remember that the mission of the Burke class is significantly different than the Spruance class. The larger Ticonderoga class ships were constructed on Spruance class hullforms, but are designated as cruisers due to their radically different mission and weapons systems.

The Arleigh Burke's designers incorporated lessons learned from the Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruisers. The Ticonderoga class cruisers were supposedly becoming too expensive to continue building, and too difficult to upgrade. Visually, the angled rather than traditional vertical surfaces and the tripod mainmast of the Arleigh Burke design are part of "stealth" technologies,[4][5] which improve the ship's ability to evade and/or destroy anti-ship cruise missiles.

With the Arleigh Burke class, the US Navy returned to traditional all-steel construction. Combining a steel hull with an aluminum superstructure had been an innovation to reduce topweight, but the lighter metal proved vulnerable to cracking. Aluminum is also less fire-resistant than steel.[6] A 1975 fire aboard USS Belknap gutted her aluminum superstructure.[7] Later battle damage to Royal Navy ships during the Falklands War supported the decision to employ a steel superstructure.

A Collective Protection System makes the Arleigh Burke class the first U.S. warships designed with an air-filtration system against nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.[8]

So vital has the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMD) role of the class become that all ships of the class are being updated with BMD capability.[9][10] Production of Burkes is being restarted in place of the Zumwalt class destroyers.[11]

Development

In 1980 the US Navy initiated design studies with seven contractors. By 1983 the number of competitors had been reduced to three; Bath Iron Works, Todd Shipyards and Ingalls Shipbuilding.[8] On 3 April 1985 Bath Iron Works received a US$321.9 million contract to build the first of class, USS Arleigh Burke.[12] Gibbs & Cox was awarded the contract to be the lead ship design agent.[13] The total cost of the first ship was put at US$1.1 billion, the other US$778 million being for the ship's weapons systems.[12] She was laid down by the Bath Iron Works at Bath, Maine, on 6 December 1988, and launched on 16 September 1989 by Mrs. Arleigh Burke. The Admiral himself was present at her commissioning ceremony on 4 July 1991, held on the waterfront in downtown Norfolk, Virginia.

Profile of Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

The "Flight IIA Arleigh Burke" ships have several new features, beginning with the Oscar Austin (DDG-79). Among the changes are the addition of two hangars for ASW helicopters, and a new, longer Mark 45 Mod 4 5-inch/62-caliber naval gun (fitted on Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) and later ships). Later Flight IIA ships starting with USS Mustin have a modified funnel design that buries the funnels within the superstructure as a signature-reduction measure. TACTAS towed array sonar was omitted from flight IIA ships and they also lack Harpoon missile launchers. Ships from DDG-68 to DDG-84 have AN/SLQ-32 antennas that resemble V3 configuration similar to those deployed on Ticonderoga class cruisers, while the remainder have V2 variants externally resembling ones deployed on some Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates. V3 has an active electronic countermeasures component while V2 is passive only. A number of Flight IIA ships were constructed without a Phalanx CIWS because of the planned Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, but later the Navy decided to retrofit all IIA ships to carry at least one Phalanx CIWS by 2013.[14]

USS Pinckney, USS Momsen, USS Chung-Hoon, USS Nitze, USS James E. Williams and USS Bainbridge[15] have superstructure differences to accommodate the Remote Mine-hunting System (RMS). Mk 32 torpedo tubes were moved to the missile deck from amidships as well.

Modernization

The US Navy has begun a modernization program for the Arleigh Burke class aimed at improving the gun systems on the ships in an effort to address congressional concerns over the retirement of the Iowa-class battleships. This modernization was to include an extension of the range of the 5-inch (127 mm) guns on the Flight I Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (USS Arleigh Burke to USS Ross) with extended range guided munitions (ERGMs) that would enable the ships to fire projectiles about 40 nautical miles (74 km) inland.[16][17][18] However the ERGM was cancelled.[19]

The modernization program is designed to provide a comprehensive mid-life upgrade to ensure that the class remains effective. Reduced manning, increased mission effectiveness, and a reduced total cost of ownership are the goals of the modernization program. Modernization technologies will be integrated during new construction of DDG-111 and 112, then retrofitted into DDG Flight I and II ships during in-service overhaul periods.[20] The first phase will update the hull, mechanical and electrical systems while the second phase will introduce an open architecture computing environment. The result will be improved capability in both ballistic missile defense (BMD) and littoral combat.[21]

The class was scheduled to be replaced by the Zumwalt class destroyer beginning in 2020,[22] but increasing threat of both long and short range missiles caused the Navy to restart production of the Arleigh Burke-class and consider placing littoral combat mission modules on the new ships.[23][24]

In April 2009, the Navy announced a plan that limited the Zumwalt class to three units while ordering another three Arleigh Burke class ships from both Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding.[11] On 2 December 2009, Northrop Grumman received a $170.7 million letter contract for DDG-113 long lead time materials. Formal awarding of the main construction contract is expected in 2010.[25][26]

Flight III ships will be built starting in FY2016 in place of the canceled CG(X) program. The Flight III destroyers will have 14 foot diameter radars (up from 12 feet currently) and various other design improvements, such as larger size and much larger missile tubes.[27] These Air and Missile Defense Radars (AMDR) will use digital beamforming.[28]

In July 2010, BAE Systems announced that they had been awarded a contract to modernise 11 ships.[29]

Operational history

One Arleigh Burke class ship, the USS Cole, was damaged while docked by an attack in which an improvised explosive device was delivered by suicide bombers on a boat on October 12, 2000 in Aden, Yemen. The ship was repaired and returned to duty in 2001.

Contractors

Ships

 Name   Number   Builder   Launched   Commissioned   Home port   Status 
Flight I
Arleigh Burke DDG-51 Bath Iron Works 16 September 1989 4 July 1991 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Barry DDG-52 Ingalls Shipbuilding 8 June 1991 12 December 1992 Norfolk, Virginia Active
John Paul Jones DDG-53 Bath Iron Works 26 October 1991 18 December 1993 San Diego, California Active
Curtis Wilbur DDG-54 Bath Iron Works 16 May 1992 19 March 1994 Yokosuka, Japan Active
Stout DDG-55 Ingalls Shipbuilding 16 October 1992 13 August 1994 Norfolk, Virginia Active
John S. McCain DDG-56 Bath Iron Works 26 September 1992 2 July 1994 Yokosuka, Japan Active
Mitscher DDG-57 Ingalls Shipbuilding 7 May 1993 10 December 1994 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Laboon DDG-58 Bath Iron Works 20 February 1993 18 March 1995 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Russell DDG-59 Ingalls Shipbuilding 20 October 1993 20 May 1995 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Active
Paul Hamilton DDG-60 Bath Iron Works 24 July 1993 27 May 1995 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Active
Ramage DDG-61 Ingalls Shipbuilding 11 February 1994 22 July 1995 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Fitzgerald DDG-62 Bath Iron Works 29 January 1994 14 October 1995 Yokosuka, Japan Active
Stethem DDG-63 Ingalls Shipbuilding 17 July 1994 21 October 1995 Yokosuka, Japan Active
Carney DDG-64 Bath Iron Works 23 July 1994 13 April 1996 Mayport, Florida Active
Benfold DDG-65 Ingalls Shipbuilding 9 November 1994 30 March 1996 San Diego, California Active
Gonzalez DDG-66 Bath Iron Works 18 February 1995 12 October 1996 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Cole DDG-67 Ingalls Shipbuilding 10 February 1995 8 June 1996 Norfolk, Virginia Active
The Sullivans DDG-68 Bath Iron Works 12 August 1995 19 April 1997 Mayport, Florida Active
Milius DDG-69 Ingalls Shipbuilding 1 August 1995 23 November 1996 San Diego, California Active
Hopper DDG-70 Bath Iron Works 6 January 1996 6 September 1997 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Active
Ross DDG-71 Ingalls Shipbuilding 22 March 1996 28 June 1997 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Flight II
Mahan DDG-72 Bath Iron Works 29 June 1996 2 February 1998 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Decatur DDG-73 Bath Iron Works 10 November 1996 29 August 1998 San Diego, California Active
McFaul DDG-74 Ingalls Shipbuilding 18 January 1997 25 April 1998 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Donald Cook DDG-75 Bath Iron Works 3 May 1997 4 December 1998 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Higgins DDG-76 Bath Iron Works 4 October 1997 24 April 1999 San Diego, California Active
O'Kane DDG-77 Bath Iron Works 28 March 1998 23 October 1999 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Active
Porter DDG-78 Ingalls Shipbuilding 12 November 1997 20 March 1999 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Flight IIA ships: 5"/54 variant
Oscar Austin DDG-79 Bath Iron Works 7 November 1998 19 August 2000 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Roosevelt DDG-80 Ingalls Shipbuilding 10 January 1999 14 October 2000 Mayport, Florida Active
Flight IIA ships: 5"/62 variant
Winston S. Churchill DDG-81 Bath Iron Works 17 April 1999 10 March 2001 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Lassen DDG-82 Ingalls Shipbuilding 16 October 1999 21 April 2001 Yokosuka, Japan Active
Howard DDG-83 Bath Iron Works 20 November 1999 20 October 2001 San Diego, California Active
Bulkeley DDG-84 Ingalls Shipbuilding 21 June 2000 8 December 2001 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Flight IIA ships: with 5"/62 no 20 mm CIWS variant[30]
McCampbell DDG-85 Bath Iron Works 2 July 2000 17 August 2002 Yokosuka, Japan Active
Shoup DDG-86 Ingalls Shipbuilding 22 November 2000 22 June 2002 Everett, Washington Active
Mason DDG-87 Bath Iron Works 23 June 2001 12 April 2003 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Preble DDG-88 Ingalls Shipbuilding 1 June 2001 9 November 2002 San Diego, California Active
Mustin DDG-89 Ingalls Shipbuilding 12 December 2001 26 July 2003 Yokosuka, Japan Active
Chafee DDG-90 Bath Iron Works 2 November 2002 18 October 2003 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Active
Pinckney DDG-91 Ingalls Shipbuilding 26 June 2002 29 May 2004 San Diego, California Active
Momsen DDG-92 Bath Iron Works 19 July 2003 18 September 2004 Everett, Washington Active
Chung-Hoon DDG-93 Ingalls Shipbuilding 15 December 2002 18 September 2004 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Active
Nitze DDG-94 Bath Iron Works 3 April 2004 5 March 2005 Norfolk, Virginia Active
James E. Williams DDG-95 Ingalls Shipbuilding 25 June 2003 11 December 2004 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Bainbridge DDG-96 Bath Iron Works 13 November 2004 12 November 2005 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Halsey DDG-97 Ingalls Shipbuilding 9 January 2004 30 July 2005 San Diego, California Active
Forrest Sherman DDG-98 Ingalls Shipbuilding 2 October 2004 28 January 2006 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Farragut DDG-99 Bath Iron Works 23 July 2005 10 June 2006 Mayport, Florida Active
Kidd DDG-100 Ingalls Shipbuilding 22 January 2005 9 June 2007 San Diego, California Active
Gridley DDG-101 Bath Iron Works 28 December 2005 10 February 2007 San Diego, California Active
Sampson DDG-102 Bath Iron Works 16 September 2006 3 November 2007 San Diego, California Active
Truxtun DDG-103 Ingalls Shipbuilding 2 June 2007 25 April 2009 Norfolk, Virginia Active
Sterett DDG-104 Bath Iron Works 19 May 2007 9 August 2008 San Diego, California Active
Dewey DDG-105 Ingalls Shipbuilding 26 January 2008 6 March 2010 San Diego, California Active
Stockdale DDG-106 Bath Iron Works 10 May 2008 18 April 2009 San Diego, California Active
Gravely DDG-107 Ingalls Shipbuilding 30 March 2009 Under Construction, launched
Wayne E. Meyer DDG-108 Bath Iron Works 18 October 2008 10 October 2009 San Diego, California Active
Jason Dunham DDG-109 Bath Iron Works 1 August 2009 Under Construction, launched
William P. Lawrence DDG-110 Ingalls Shipbuilding 15 December 2009 Under Construction, launched
Spruance DDG-111 Bath Iron Works 6 June 2010 Under Construction, launched
Michael Murphy DDG-112 Bath Iron Works Under Construction, keel laid
DDG-113 Ingalls Shipbuilding Long-lead materials contracted
DDG-114 Ingalls Shipbuilding Long-lead materials contracted
DDG-115 Bath Iron Works Long-lead materials contracted

USS Michael Murphy was originally intended to be the last of the Arleigh Burke class, however with reduction of the Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class production, the Navy requested new DDG-51 class ships.[31] Long-lead materials contracts were awarded to Northrop Grumman in December 2009 for DDG-113 and in April 2010 for DDG-114.[32] General Dynamics received a long-lead materials contract for DDG-115 in February 2010.[33][34] It is anticipated that in FY2012 or FY2013, the Navy will commence detailed work for a Flight III design and request 24 ships to be built from 2016 to 2031.[35]

Gallery

In this image of USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), a Flight I ship, note TACTAS in center of fantail, lack of helicopter hangars, and design of stacks.

In this image of USS Mustin (DDG-89), a Flight IIA ship, note lack of TACTAS in center of fantail, aft helicopter hangars, Phalanx CIWS mount and different design of exhaust stacks.

Starboard side of USS Momsen (DDG-92), note torpedo tubes mounted on missile deck vs earlier mounted amidships. Also note superstructure changes to accommodate a Remote Minehunting System (RMS) holding bay.

See also

References

Notes
  1. ↑ "Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress". Congressional Research Service Reports For The People (Open CRS). 26 February 2010. http://opencrs.com/document/RL32109/2010-02-26/?24684. Retrieved 15 April 2010. 
  2. ↑ pamphlet 09-MDA-4298 (4 MAR 09)
  3. ↑ After 2-plus decades, Navy destroyer breaks record
  4. ↑ Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p.592.
  5. ↑ Baker 1998, p.1020.
  6. ↑ "Navy Reverting To Steel In Shipbuilding After Cracks In Aluminum". The New York Times, August 11, 1987.
  7. ↑ Section F.7: Aluminum in warship construction. hazegray.org, 30 March 2000.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Biddle, Wayne (1984-02-28). "The dust has settled on the Air Force's Great Engine". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). 
  9. ↑ Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense - Background and Issues for Congress
  10. ↑ Fact Check - Technicals of AEGIS BMD
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Contractors Agree on Deal to Build Stealth Destroyer. Navy Times, 8 April 2009.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Maine shipbuilder gets Navy contract for a new destroyer". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). 1985-04-03. 
  13. ↑ http://www.gibbscox.com/historyofgibbscox.htm
  14. ↑ Analyst: DDGs without CIWS vulnerable. Navy Times. September 16, 2008.
  15. ↑ DN-SD-07-24674 (up to DDG-96)
  16. ↑ Taken from the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007, pages 67-68
  17. ↑ Taken from the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007, page 193
  18. ↑ Federation of American Scientists report on the MK 45 5-inch gun and ammunition payload for the US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
  19. ↑ Navy ends ERGM funding - Navy Times
  20. ↑ The US Navy - Fact File
  21. ↑ DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-Class Aegis Guided-Missile Destroyer Modernization
  22. ↑ Resource Implications of the Navy’s 2008 Shipbuilding Plan. Congressional Budget Office. 2007-03-23. http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=6985. 
  23. ↑ Missile Threat Helped Drive DDG Cut
  24. ↑ Navy's future linked to flexible weapons: chief
  25. ↑ "Adding Arleigh Burkes: Northrop Grumman Underway", Defense Industry Daily, 2 December 2009.
  26. ↑ "Northrop gets $171 million materials contract for new destroyers". Press-Register, 3 December 2009.
  27. ↑ RL32109 Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress February 26, 2010
  28. ↑ GAO-10-388SP, Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs, March 30, 2010
  29. ↑ "BAE to Modernize Up to 11 Norfolk-based Destroyers". http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/BAE-to-Modernize-Up-to-11-Norfolk-based-Destroyers-06498/. Retrieved 2010-08-03. 
  30. ↑ Some units had a CIWS added aft, as noted above (DDG-88 and DDG-89 are two examples with an aft Phalanx CIWS added after commissioning)
  31. ↑ RL32109, Navy DDG-1000 and DDG-51 Destroyer Programs: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress. Congressional Research Service, 23 December 2009.
  32. ↑ "Northrop Grumman awarded $114M contract; Navy orders 30th DDG 51 ship", www.gulflive.com, April 24, 2010.
  33. ↑ "General Dynamics wins over $900 mln in Navy deals", Reuters, February 26, 2010.
  34. ↑ "BIW to purchase DDG 115 material", UPI.com, March 2, 2010.
  35. ↑ CRS RL32109 Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress June 14, 2010
Bibliography
  • Baker, A.D. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1998. ISBN 1-55750-111-4.
  • Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA:Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.

Further reading

External links

Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Flight I ships

Arleigh Burke · Barry · John Paul Jones · Curtis Wilbur · Stout · John S. McCain · Mitscher · Laboon · Russell · Paul Hamilton · Ramage · Fitzgerald · Stethem · Carney · Benfold · Gonzalez · Cole · The Sullivans · Milius · Hopper · Ross
Flight II ships

Mahan · Decatur · McFaul · Donald Cook · Higgins · O'Kane · Porter
Flight IIA ships

5"/54 variant: Oscar Austin · Roosevelt
5"/62 variant: Winston S. Churchill · Lassen · Howard · Bulkeley · McCampbell · Shoup · Mason · Preble · Mustin · Chafee · Pinckney · Momsen · Chung-Hoon · Nitze · James E. Williams · Bainbridge · Halsey · Forrest Sherman · Farragut · Kidd · Gridley · Sampson · Truxtun · Sterett · Dewey · Stockdale · Gravely · Wayne E. Meyer · Jason Dunham · William P. Lawrence · Spruance · Michael Murphy
List of destroyers of the United States Navy · List of destroyer classes of the United States Navy