Ingalls Shipbuilding hands over second Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyer to US Navy

The Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) delivered the second Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, Ted Stevens (DDG 128), to the US Navy on 29 December 2025.

Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers represent the next generation of surface combatants for the US Navy, featuring the AN/SPY-6 (V)1 radar system and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, which is designed to counter threats well into the 21st century.

Ted Stevens concluded its final round of contractor’s sea trials in November 2025.

At Ingalls Shipbuilding there are four more Flight III destroyers under fabrication and another seven moving through early pre-planning stages of construction. To increase the throughput and meet the increased demand for ships by the US Navy, Ingalls recently embarked on a distributed shipbuilding initiative to improve schedule adherence for all ships built at Ingalls by partnering with shipyards and fabricators beyond the company’s traditional labour market.

To date, Ingalls Shipbuilding has delivered 36 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the US Navy, including the first Flight III, USS Jack H Lucas (DDG 125) and Ted Stevens. The four Flight III destroyers under construction are Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M Neal (DDG 131), Sam Nunn (DDG 133) and Thad Cochran (DDG 135).

Additionally, Ingalls is in early pre-planning and material procurement phases for John F Lehman (DDG 137), Telesforo Trinidad (DDG 139), Ernest E Evans (DDG 141), Charles French (DDG 142), Richard J Danzig (DDG 143), Intrepid (DDG 145) and Robert Kerrey (DDG 146).

Meanwhile, the US Navy announced on 19 December 2025 that it had selected Ingalls Shipbuilding to build its FF(X) small surface combatant: a new frigate class based on HII’s Legend-class National Security Cutter design.

Ingalls is also building the America class of amphibious assault ships (LHAs) and the second variant of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship (LPD Flight II), while also modernising the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers with technology upgrades.