U.S. Navy Takes Delivery of USS Ted Stevens
The U.S. Navy has taken delivery of USS Ted Stevens DDG 128, the second Flight III Arleigh Burke class destroyer, marking another step in fleet modernization. The handover was confirmed by Huntington Ingalls Industries and reported by Army Recognition.
USS Ted Stevens was built by HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi. The ship follows USS Jack H. Lucas, the first Flight III destroyer delivered to the Navy. Flight III vessels are designed to address growing air and missile threats, with a focus on improved sensor power and combat system capacity.
Flight III upgrades focus on radar and power
The defining feature of the Flight III Arleigh Burke class is the AN SPY 6 Air and Missile Defense Radar. Compared with earlier SPY 1 systems, SPY 6 offers greater detection range, higher sensitivity, and improved tracking of complex threats, including ballistic missiles and advanced aircraft.
To support the new radar, the Flight III design includes a more powerful electrical system and upgraded cooling capacity. These changes allow the ship to operate advanced sensors without reducing performance in other mission areas.
Role in fleet and missile defense
USS Ted Stevens will be equipped with the Aegis Combat System and Vertical Launch System cells capable of firing Standard Missile interceptors, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and other naval weapons. The destroyer is expected to play a central role in carrier strike group defense and regional ballistic missile defense missions.
The U.S. Navy plans to make Flight III destroyers a core element of surface combatant forces as older cruisers retire.
Program outlook
More Flight III Arleigh Burke class destroyers are under construction or on order, ensuring continuity in surface fleet production well into the 2030s.
