HII segment Ingalls Shipbuilding has laid the keel of the US Navy’s 81st Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the USS George Neal (DDG 131), in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
DDG 131 is a Flight III vessel incorporating a modernized electronically scanned array radar to enhance air and missile defense capabilities.
Alongside digitized command and control systems, the Flight III Arleigh Burke platforms employ electronic countermeasures, separate tracking and targeting technologies, as well as simultaneous scanning functions.
The Flight III configuration also integrates enhanced cooling capacity and electrical power to further support the fleet’s aerial, surface, and sub-surface operability at sea.
The USS George Neal
The USS George Neal was named after a US Navy aviation machinist who received a Navy Cross for contributions during the Korean War.
During his time as a volunteer crewman on a helicopter, Neal rescued a US Marine Corps aviator from the North Korean mountains.
The mission was disrupted by a fault in the rescue helicopter, requiring Neal, the pilot, and the recovered marine officer to evade adversaries for nine days before being captured and held as prisoners of war.
Neal and approximately 320 fellow prisoners were eventually released and returned to the US in 1952.
“Laying the keel of another Flight III DDG is a great way to celebrate the namesake of the ship and our world-class shipbuilders,” Ingalls Shipbuilding Arleigh Burke-Class Program Manager Ben Barnett stated.
“Our ship namesake displayed the kind of courage and leadership that inspires us at Ingalls to have the same dedication to our mission. We are so grateful to our ship sponsor for being a part of the life of this ship and for sharing her family’s legacy with us.”
DDG 131 is the fourth Flight III destroyer constructed by HII.
Currently, the company is producing additional Arleigh Burke vessels for the US Navy, including the USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128), USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), USS Sam Nunn (DDG 133), and USS Thad Cochran (DDG 135).
