What is a Destroyer?

Destroyers - DDG

Description
These fast warships provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities, and can operate independently or as part of carrier battle groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups.

Features
Guided missile destroyers are multi-mission [Anti-Air Warfare (AAW), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW)] surface combatants. The destroyer's armament has greatly expanded the role of the ship in strike warfare utilizing the MK-41 Vertical Launch System (VLS).

Background
Technological advances have improved the capability of modern destroyers culminating in the Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class replacing the older Charles F. Adams and Farragut-class guided missile destroyers. Named for the Navy's most famous destroyer squadron combat commander and three-time Chief of Naval Operations, the USS ARLEIGH BURKE was commissioned July 4, 1991, and was the most powerful surface combatant ever put to sea. Like the larger Ticonderoga-class cruisers, DDG 51's combat capability centers around the Aegis Weapon System (AWS). AWS is composed of the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar, advanced AAW and ASW systems, VLS, and the Tomahawk Weapon System. These advances allow the Arleigh Burke-class to continue the revolution at sea.

The Arleigh Burke-class employs all-steel construction and is comprised of three separate variants or “Flights”; DDG 51-71 represent the original design and are designated Flight I ships, DDG 72-78 are Flight II ships, DDG 79 and Follow ships are built to the Flight IIA design.

Like most modern U.S. surface combatants, DDG 51 utilizes gas turbine propulsion. Employing four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines to produce 100,000 total shaft horsepower via a dual shaft design, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are capable of achieving 30 plus knot speeds in open seas.

The Flight IIA design includes the addition of the Kingfisher mine-avoidance capability, a pair of helicopter hangars which provide the ability to deploy with two organic LAMPS MK III MH-60 helicopters, blast-hardened bulkheads, distributed electrical system and advanced networked systems. Additionally, DDGs 91-96 provide accommodations for the A/N WLD-1 Remote Mine-hunting System. The first Flight IIA, USS OSCAR AUSTIN, was commissioned in August 2000.

A DDG Modernization Program is underway to provide a comprehensive mid-life upgrade that will ensure the DDG 51 class will maintain mission relevance and remain an integral part of the Navy’s Sea Power 21 Plan. The goal of the DDG Modernization effort is to reduce manning requirements and increase war fighting capabilities while reducing total ownership cost to the Navy. The DDG Modernization technologies will be integrated during new construction of DDG 111 and 112, then retrofitted into DDG Flight I II and IIA ships during in service overhaul periods.

A list of current destroyers is on the Destroyer Moms (DDG) group page