Category Archives: History

National Museum Update

The Arleigh Burke Foundation is coordinating with the National Museum of the Surface Navy on development of “The Admiral Arleigh Burke Hall of Naval Heroes” to include a permanent exhibit on Admiral Arleigh Burke in the museum housed on ex-USS IOWA in Los Angeles.  The museum is set to fully open in 2025, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy. 

Explore the National Museum campus vision:

Click to open campus vision

31st Successful Year!

Forward Deployed
  Operationally Relevant
      Capable

Providing current Ballistic Missile Defense (SM-3) and Air Defense (SM-6) capabilities to Sixth Fleet!

During 2022 USS Arleigh Burke:
– spent 157 days at sea in 2022 with an OPTEMPO of 49.9%
– advanced 69 Sailors to the next paygrade, the highest of any at-sea command in FDNF-E
– hosted visits from SECNAV and CNO
– conducted successful live-firing with SM-6
– completed a complex Selected Restricted Availability
– completed a successful INSURV at 31 years old young!

Relive the year here

Toni Checchio

Congratulations to Toni Checchio on receipt of the Aegis Excellence Award.

Toni has been contributing to the success of the Admiral’s ships for over 30 years. As the Gas Turbine Generator subject matter expert, she was deeply involved with the precomm crew training and preparations for fleet introduction of the generator at the Land Based Engineering Site. The original industry design proved somewhat challenging, and she could be found many times aboard ship sitting in a generator module with the Sailors troubleshooting, correcting planned maintenance documentation, and improving parts provisioning, and eventually contributing to an updated generator design. She has continued as a technical expert on the class electrical plant as the design evolved from 440 to 4160 volts to support the higher power requirements in the Flight IIIs.

Her continued dedication to success of the class makes her a true Destroyer Leader.

The Arleigh Burke Class (DDG 51) Destroyer Shipbuilding Program Manager Capt. Seth Miller and NAVSEA Program Manager Mr. Michael Dugan present the AEGIS Excellence Award to Toni Checchio, a Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division electrical engineer, for her support during the DDG 51 Flight III (Flt III) development process on Aug. 9, 2022 at Philadelphia. Checchio began working on the Flt III electric plan design concepts in 2011. Her efforts led to the ship’s design being approved in 2015. (U.S. Navy Photo by Jamie Gates/Released)

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

When this was drafted, we did not realize one hull was delayed, so the 71st hull number was actually the 70th delivered.

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

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.