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Welcome #71, and some thoughts on the endurance of the DDG51 Class

USS Frank E Petersen, DDG 121 was commissioned on Friday, joining the fleet as the 71st in the class.

It wasn’t clear that the class would be this enduring.  In 1985, the plan was for 29 ships, to (mostly) replace the Charles F Adams and Coontz class.

Construction continued past 29, ending with #112 as the Navy’s interest was shifting towards DDG1000 and LCS.

After several years gap, it became apparent that the DDG1000 and LCS capability was not panning out, and the DDG51 production line restarted.

Current discussion is for production contracts to extend through 2027, some 42 years after the initial contract was signed for DDG51.

So why has the design proved enduring?

Continue reading….

DDG51 Earns 2021 Battle “E”

Arleigh Burke was recently announced as a winner of Battle E Award for 2021. The Battle “E” recognizes the top ship in each squadron and is awarded for demonstrating sustained superior performance, operational effectiveness, and continuous readiness. This is the same award that was presented to then LCDR Arleigh Burke’s ship, USS Mugford (DD-389), in 1939-1940.

Commanding Officer, USS Mugford (DD-389). On board his ship, circa 1939-1940. LCdr. Burke is standing by the E award Mugford won for gunnery excellence while he was in command. The E is painted on the shield of one of the ship’s forward 5/38 gun mounts. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation; Collection of Admiral Arleigh A. Burke. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

30th/31st Anniversary

of Commissioning Celebration and Crew Reunion

…will be held on July 1-5 2022, in Norfolk.

We are honoring the legacy of Admiral Burke and the success of his ship and class.  At 31 years DDG51 remains capable, operationally relevant, and on-duty forward deployed, while the class remains in production.

We are expecting a cross section of Navy and Industry Leaders, supporters who contributed to the ship and class success, and former crew members.

The schedule and sign up forms are available here.

If you submitted a form for the prior dates, please provide an updated form, as there are a few minor adjustments.

Former CO selected for Flag

Flag Officer Announcements

FEB. 1, 2022

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nominations:

….

Capt. Thomas P. Moninger for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half).  Moninger is currently serving as executive officer to commander, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Florida.

Captain Moninger was the 15th Commanding Officer of USS Arleigh Burke

20th Anniversary of FM-2

First sea-based BMD Intercept

On January 25, 2002, USS Lake Erie engaged and successfully intercepted a unitary ballistic missile target with a STANDARD Missile -3.  This was the first successful sea-based BMD intercept and established the momentum for AEGIS BMD that continues until today.

Ballistic Missile Defense is a key mission for USS Arleigh Burke as a FDNF ship. During 2020, USS Arleigh Burke was upgraded with some of the latest ship technologies, including upgraded AEGIS BMD programs, in preparation for joining the forward deployed forces in Rota in 2021.

Read more here: A short history of AEGIS BMD

2021

Dec 30th at the pier in Rota. (DDG 51 is third from right)

USS Arleigh Burke had a productive year. The ship sailed more than 44,000 miles, circumnavigated Europe, and executed operations in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Barents Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. At 30+ years, the ship (and class) remains relevant, capable, ready, and on duty. See the year in review here.

Association Stickers

Chuck Killian has created stickers of both the Association and Foundation logos. You can get a set by contacting him – chuckkillian at gmail.

30th/31st Volunteers

We need a few volunteers from the Norfolk area to assist with selected events, such as coordinating the Golf events, the Tides game trip, and the picnic. If you can help, please contact the board.