General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has laid the keel of the US Navy’s 84th Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the USS John E. Kilmer (DDG 134), at the company’s shipyard in Bath, Maine.
The event saw the land-based integration of the vessel’s initial modular components and the ceremonial welding of the sponsor’s initials onto its keel plate.
DDG 134 is named after John Edward Kilmer, a hospital corpsman who became a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the Korean War.
Kilmer sustained provision of critical medical care to US Marine Corps personnel under heavy fire during the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he was mortally wounded while shielding a patient with his own body.
Driving ‘Undeniable’ Advantage
DDG 134 is the ninth hull in the Arleigh Burke series to receive a Flight III configuration, which covers advanced battle management, electronic warfare, and targeting capabilities.
Additional features of the upgrade are improved cooling capacity and electrical power, and a modern electronically scanned array radar to support maritime interdiction, air defense, and anti-submarine warfare.
“The future USS John E. Kilmer will carry on Corpsman John Kilmer’s legacy of courage, service and dedication to our country,” US Navy Arleigh Burke Shipbuilding Program Manager Capt. Jay Young stated.
“DDG 134 will be a welcome addition to the fleet, providing our Navy warfighters with an undeniable strategic advantage.”
The Arleigh Burke Warship
The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke destroyer is built with a structure measuring 505 to 510 feet (154 to 155 meters) in length, depending on its flight variant, and a beam spanning 66 feet (20 meters).
The platform can be armed with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack missiles, lightweight torpedoes, decoy launch systems, underwater countermeasures, autocannons, heavy machine guns, and high-energy lasers.
The ship features accommodation for up to 300 sailors, a naval helicopter similar to the MH-60R Sea Hawk, and small rigid-hull inflatable boats.
The Arleigh Burke uses three Allison T56 generators that generate output between 3,400 and 5,400 horsepower to move up to 30 knots (35 miles/56 kilometers per hour) and cover a range of 4,400 nautical miles (5,063 miles/8,149 kilometers).
