The first Flight III ship, DDG 125 (pictured) completed acceptance trials. Credit: United States Navy/Huntington Ingalls Industries/commons.wikimedia.org (Creative Commons).

The US Navy has announced the names of its planned Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, the future USS Intrepid (DDG 145) and USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146). 

The name of DDG 145 was unveiled aboard the former aircraft carrier which shares its namesake as the Intrepid Museum in New York. 

DDG 145 honours the skilled, fearless crews of the four previous Navy ships to bear the name. This will be the fifth ship named Intrepid. 

Secretary Del Toro said: “It is my pleasure to announce that the fifth vessel named Intrepid will be an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, DDG 145, USS Intrepid, in honour of her past namesakes and the courageous service of all our Sailors globally from the South China Sea to the Red Sea.”  

DDG 146 is being named in tribute to the service of Joseph Robert Kerrey, a former US Senator, Governor of Nebraska, and Navy SEAL who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his acts of bravery during the Vietnam War.  

This ship will be the first in the service to bear Kerrey’s name.  

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US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro revealed the designation at a press conference held at the Intrepid Museum in New York City, prior to a meeting with Kerrey himself. 

Del Toro said: “One of the great privileges I have as Secretary of the Navy is to name ships, and it is my honour to name the future USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146). 

“This will be the first Navy vessel named in his honour, and it is most appropriate we do so, for his actions in Vietnam and his continued service to this country well beyond his Naval service.” 

Shipbuilders Huntington Ingalls Industries, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works are under contract to build DDG 51 class ships. 

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are designed to provide protection with the Aegis Combat System and capable of executing a broad spectrum of operations.  

These ships are equipped with stealth features for diverse missions, ranging from maintaining peace to safeguarding national security, and are adept at handling threats in the air, on the surface, and beneath the sea.  

The class incorporates new hull designs and machinery from previous destroyer classes, alongside the Aegis Weapons System, which includes a multifunctional phased array radar, anti-air and anti-submarine systems, vertical launching systems (VLS), and the Tomahawk Weapon System.  

With an all-steel construction, the Arleigh Burke-class includes four distinct variants or “Flights.” 

In November 2024, the Navy commissioned an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the USS John Basilone (DDG 122), in New York City.