The US Navy took delivery of its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer on Monday, November 17.
The future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. was built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship honours Colonel Harvey C. Barnum, Jr., a US Marine Corps officer who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War.
The destroyer has been built as an Arleigh Burke-class flight IIA ship equipped with improved integrated air and missile defence capabilities, increased computing power, and radar upgrades that improve detection range and reaction time against modern air warfare and ballistic missile threats.
The 513-foot (156-metre) destroyer is powered by four GE LM2500 gas turbines that deliver a speed of 31 knots.
Armament includes a 127mm naval gun, 25mm autocannons, a 20mm close-in weapon system, torpedoes, surface-to-air missiles, and Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.
The navy said the delivery of the future Harvey C. Barnum Jr. followed a rigorous series of at-sea and pierside trials designed to demonstrate the ship’s readiness and performance across propulsion, combat systems, communications, and navigation functions.
