Construction of the USS J. William Middendorf has begun with ceremonial first-steel cut.
The new warship “will strengthen the U.S. Navy’s missile-defense and escort capacity during sustained operations in the Red Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and Indo-Pacific,” reports ArmyRecognition.com.
The so-called Flight III destroyer is equipped with the SPY-6 radar and Aegis Baseline 10 combat system.
The technology is designed to replace the air-defense and command role of the retiring Ticonderoga-class cruisers.
The new destroyer will carry 96 Mk 41 vertical launch cells and the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar, giving it the ability to track and engage ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, UAVs, and aircraft simultaneously during high-intensity naval operations.
“Its construction also highlights the Navy’s continued dependence on the Arleigh Burke design as both a frontline combat platform and the industrial backbone of the U.S. surface fleet, ArmyRecognition reports.
Frances Middendorf, daughter of former Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf II, activated the cutting machine for the ceremonial first steel cut.
The Middendorf is the 88th Arleigh Burke destroyer, the sixth Flight III ship entering construction at Bath Iron Works, and the 47th unit assigned to the Maine yard since Arleigh Burke-class production began in 1988.
The destroyer is named after J. William Middendorf II, who served as secretary of the Navy from 1974 until 1977.
Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding remain the only U.S. shipyards capable of repetitive production of the large $2.2 billion guided-missile surface combatants.
The Maine yard became heavily dependent on Arleigh Burke-class procurement after cancellation of projected cruiser follow-on programs, making continued Flight III production critical for sustaining the workforce, according to ArmyRecognition.
“The Middendorf enters production amid continuing workforce shortages, construction delays, and maintenance backlogs affecting U.S. naval shipbuilding and fleet readiness,” reports the website’s Jérôme Brahy, a defense analyst.
