The US Navy accepted delivery of the guided missile destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) on April 24.
Accepting delivery of DDG 119 represents the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the navy. Prior to delivery, the ship successfully conducted a series of at-sea and pier-side trials to demonstrate its material and operational readiness.
Future USS Delbert D. Black is a Flight IIA: Technology Insertion ship, meaning it incorporates some technologies from the Flight III ships that will feature all-new air and missile defense radar systems for the ballistic missile defense role.
The 68th ship in its class honors Delbert D. Black, the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, and will be the first naval ship to bear his name. Black is known for guiding the navy through the Vietnam conflict and ensuring enlisted leadership was properly represented Navy-wide by initiating the Master Chief program.
“The DDG 51 shipbuilding program and Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast are proud to accept delivery of Delbert D. Black on behalf of the Navy, an look forward to her commissioning later this year,” said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships.
In addition to Delbert D. Black, HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the future destroyers Frank E. Peterson Jr. (DDG 121), and Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), as well as the Flight III ships, Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), and Ted Stevens (DDG 128).
