PASCAGOULA, Miss., April 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division officially started fabrication of the Arleigh Burke­-class (DDG 51) destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128) on Monday. The start of fabrication signifies the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.

“As we begin this important milestone in the construction of another great warship, we look forward to continuing production and carrying on the extraordinary legacy of the Navy destroyer fleet,” Ingalls DDG 51 Program Manager George Nungesser said.

The ship’s name honors former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, who served as a pilot in World War II and later as a senator representing Alaska. At the time he left office in 2009, he was the longest-serving Republican U.S. Senator in history.

Ingalls has delivered 31 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy. Other destroyers currently under construction include Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), Frank E. Peterson Jr. (DDG 121), Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) and Jack H. Lucas (DDG125).

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States’ military strategy. The guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21^st century.

About Huntington Ingalls Industries

Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division supports national security missions around the globe with unmanned systems, defense and federal solutions, nuclear and environmental services, and fleet sustainment. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 42,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit: