General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has laid the keel of the US Navy’s 82nd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132), in Maine.
The event authenticated the first steel plate to be used for the ship’s assembly, officially starting its development.
The Walsh is a Flight III ship incorporating upgrades to sensors, electrical power, and cooling capacity to optimize warfighting capabilities in the evolving theater.
It is named after a captain who received the Navy Cross for his extraordinary leadership during the 1944 Battle of Cherbourg, where his 53-man reconnaissance unit captured 750 German soldiers and freed 52 American prisoners of war.
Following World War II, the officer served in the Korean War and held several critical positions at Coast Guard headquarters. After retiring from the military, he became a teacher and parole officer in Maryland, which also earned him recognition for his dedication to public service.
“We are honored to mark the beginning of the construction for the future USS Quentin Walsh and celebrate his legacy with his family,” Arleigh Burke Destroyer Program Manager Capt. Jay Young stated at the ceremony.
“DDG 132 will provide our Navy with critical strategic capabilities to support Fleet readiness.”
The Arleigh Burke Warship
The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke system comes in at up to 510 feet (155 meters) in length, depending on its flight configuration.
Alongside its advanced sensing technologies, the vessel is armed with electronic warfare solutions, torpedoes, decoy countermeasures, naval guns, support machine guns, and multi-domain missiles.
The ship has the space for up to 300 passengers, maritime helicopters, and small rigid-hull inflatable boats.
It is equipped with Rolls-Royce generators at 5,400 horsepower each and four General Electric gas turbines, with approximately 26,200 horsepower each.
It has a speed of 30 knots (35 miles/56 kilometers per hour) and a range of 4,400 nautical miles (5,063 miles/8,149 kilometers).
