The United States Navy has received the future USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128), an Arleigh Burke–class Flight III destroyer delivered by HII Ingalls Shipbuilding. This is the third ship of this new variant to join the program and the second built at the Pascagoula shipyard.
Construction of Ted Stevens began in December 2023 and the ship was launched in March 2025. It subsequently completed sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico during October and November 2025, validating propulsion, navigation, and combat systems, and was officially delivered on December 29. Its commissioning into active service is scheduled for 2026, when it will be assigned to an operational fleet and deployed on maritime presence missions and multinational exercises.
With Ted Stevens, Ingalls Shipbuilding has delivered 36 Arleigh Burke–class destroyers, including the first Flight III, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). The shipyard is currently building four additional units—Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131), Sam Nunn (DDG 133), and Thad Cochran (DDG 135)—and has seven more in planning, including John F. Lehman (DDG 137) and Telesforo Trinidad (DDG 139). To meet production timelines, Ingalls has implemented a distributed construction model involving other shipyards and external suppliers.
The third Flight III destroyer incorporates the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, technologies that represent a qualitative leap in detection and response capabilities against aerial threats such as ballistic missiles and surface targets. According to Brian Blanchette, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, “the delivery of Ted Stevens reflects the strong momentum of our destroyer program as we accelerate Flight III production and deliver enhanced capabilities to the fleet.”
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