General Dynamics Bath Iron Works began construction of a new US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer with a steel-cutting ceremony held on Tuesday, May 19.
The ship will honour former US Navy officer, Secretary of the Navy and US Ambassador J. William Middendorf II.
The future USS J. William Middendorf will belong to the Arleigh Burke flight III ships, which will boast improved air and missile defence capability compared to their earlier Arleigh Burke-class sisters.
Arleigh Burke flight III destroyers will each feature the AN/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defence radar and incorporate upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity plus additional associated changes.
The future J. William Middendorf will measure 513 feet (156 metres) long and will be powered by four GE LM2500 gas turbines that will deliver a top speed of 31 knots.
Her armament will include a 127mm naval gun, 25mm autocannons, a 20mm close-in weapon system, torpedoes, surface-to-air missiles, and Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.
