HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES COMPLETES OVERHAUL AND MODERNIZATION OF USS RAMAGE (DDG 61)

PASCAGOULA, Miss., Aug. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division redelivered the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) to the U.S. Navy on Monday, four days ahead of schedule. The ship, originally built by Ingalls and delivered to the Navy in 1995, arrived in Pascagoula last November for overhaul and modernization work.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) sails away from Ingalls Shipbuilding following a nine-month overhaul and modernization. Photo by Andrew Young/HII

“It was a privilege to modernize and overhaul USS Ramage,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. “The success of this project proves our shipbuilders have the skills and expertise to handle any project. Most of all, they understood the importance of getting this ship back into active duty for our U.S. Navy sailors.”

Overhaul and modification work included procurement of materials, ship alterations and repairs. After final work and testing, USS Ramage was able to rejoin the fleet ahead of schedule.

Ingalls has delivered 29 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy, most recently delivering John Finn (DDG 113), which was commissioned on July 15 in Pearl Harbor. Other destroyers currently under construction at Ingalls include Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123). In June, Ingalls received a contract modification to incorporate the Flight III upgrades to Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), which will start fabrication in 2018.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships that 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. They are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ships contain myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.