The US Navy announced on Wednesday that it has commissioned the USS Daniel Inouye guided missile destroyer at Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam.
Weighing more than 9,000 tons, the ship is equipped with powerful computers and a phased-array radar to track more than 100 targets at a time. It can also travel up to 30 knots (55 kilometers/38 miles per hour).
In a press release, the navy explained that guided-missile destroyers like the USS Daniel Inouye are “highly capable ships” that can support a variety of missions, including peacetime presence, crisis management, sea control, and power projection.
US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro assured that the ship will provide added versatility and power to the service. It will join the US Pacific Fleet and the Indo-Pacom joint team.
The USS Daniel Inouye is named after the long-serving US senator and decorated World War II veteran who lost his right arm to a German hand grenade and received a Medal of Honor for heroism.
“There is absolutely no more of a fitting name for this ship than Senator Daniel Inouye, who fought the Nazis on the front lines and strengthened our national defense in Congress,” Del Toro said during the commissioning ceremony.
Today we commissioned the USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) named after the late #MedalOfHonor Senator from Hawaii. I am certain the crew will do her namesake proud! #GoForBroke pic.twitter.com/yCeCFQGAbM
— Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro (@SECNAV) December 9, 2021
