PASCAGOULA, Miss. (Nov. 15, 2017)—Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the guided missile destroyer Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) to the U.S. Navy today with shipbuilders, ship’s force and representatives of Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast in attendance.
“Today’s delivery is a culmination of the hard work and dedication of thousands of shipbuilders, industry partners, the Navy and our Gulf Coast shipmates,” said George Nungesser, Ingalls’ DDG program manager. “It is a pleasure for our Ingalls team to observe a well-trained crew take ownership of the ship. The shipbuilders of Ingalls will always be watching where you go and celebrating your successes.”
The signing of the DD 250 document officially transfers custody of the ship from HII to the Navy. Ralph Johnson is scheduled to sail away from the shipyard in February and will be commissioned on March 24, 2018, in Charleston, South Carolina.
“This marks an important milestone in this ship’s life with the formal completion of construction,” said Cmdr. Jason P. Patterson, the ship’s prospective commanding officer. “I want to thank the shipbuilders for constructing this great ship named after a great man. The crew can sail with confidence that this ship will bring the fight to the enemy and take care of her team just like Ralph did.”
DDG 114 is named to honor Pfc. Ralph Henry Johnson, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions that saved lives during the Vietnam War. Johnson shouted a warning to his fellow Marines and hurled himself on an explosive device, saving the life of one Marine and preventing the enemy from penetrating his sector of the patrol’s perimeter. Johnson died instantly. The Charleston native had only been in Vietnam for a little more than two months when he was killed at the age of 19.
Ingalls has now delivered 30 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy. Other destroyers currently under construction at Ingalls include Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123).
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 21st 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 provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Integrated Mission Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs nearly 37,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: HII.com
- HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: x.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII
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