Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc (HII) has delivered the final Flight IIA Arleigh Burke
destroyer Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) to the US Navy.
This represents the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy
A small ceremony was held at the Pascagoula, Miss., yard, during which the shipyard signed
over ownership of the ship.
Higbee was procured as part of a 2013 multi-ship award between Ingalls and General Dynamics
Bath Iron Works, Maine.
The keel was laid in 2017, and the ship launched in 2020.
Kari Wilkinson, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, in a statement, said,
“Delivering an incredibly capable finished ship to the Navy is always an important event
for our Ingalls team”
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee would be an important
addition to US Navy ? Let’s get into the details.
The ship is named for Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, who was the second superintendent of the Navy
Nurse Corps during World War I and the influenza pandemic, according to a 2017 piece in Naval
History Magazine.
Higbee was awarded the US Navy Cross in 1920 for, “distinguished service in the line
of her profession and unusual and conspicuous devotion to duty as superintendent of the
Navy Nurse Corps,” according to her citation.
The ship is scheduled to be commissioned in Key West next year.
Higbee will be the last Flight IIA for Ingalls before the transition to the Flight III line.
Programme Executive Office Ships DDG 51 class program manager captain Seth Miller said:
“The program is proud to lead construction and delivery of Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee.
He added,
“Our industry partners have delivered another highly capable ship that will provide our
sailors and nation with warfighting lethality for decades to come.The delivery of this ship
comes at a critical time to the nation and will further strengthen navy’s surface fleet.”
DDG-123 being an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is among the largest destroyers built in the
United States.
It has an overall length of 155 m and a displacement of about 9,600 tons.
The Arleigh Burke design incorporates several stealth configurations like angled rather
than traditional vertical surfaces.
It makes these warships hard to target by Anti Ship Missile
For propulsion, it has 4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 75 MW of
power, driving 2 shafts.
It has a speed of 30+ knots (55+ km/h) and a range of 4,400 nmi (8,100 km)
The destroyer is built around the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1D air search radar and the
Aegis Combat Systems Baseline 9C2, according to Naval Sea Systems Command.
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System is designed by the United States Department
of Defense, Missile Defense Agency to protect against short and intermediate-range ballistic
missiles.
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense is devised to intercept ballistic missiles post-boost
phase and prior to reentry.
The 4 fixed arrays of "SPY" direct electromagnetic beams in all directions concurrently and continuously.
So, the targets are tracked without interruption.
The radar can be made to focus on a single target when needed, without blinding the warship
against other threats.
The new radar is designed to help ships track missile and aircraft threats at farther ranges
while maintaining resilience to noise and other forms of interference.
Higbee has AN/SQS-53C sonar array.
This is the latest variant of AN/SQS-53 series sonar.
It is a computer-controlled surface-ship sonar that can work both in both active and passive
mode.
It can provide precise information for Anti Submarine Warfare control and guidance.
Higbee would be equipped with AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS)
The AN/SQR-19 provides very long-range passive detection against the enemy submarine.
Higbee has in total 96 cells Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS).
These can be configured with the combination of the following weapons, based on the mission
requirements such as SM-2MR Block IIIB for Air Defense & Anti Ship role, SM-3 for Ballistic
missile defense, ESSM for anti-missile role, ERAM or SM 6 for anti-air warfare with a range
of 150 miles or 240 km and speed Mach 3.5, BGM-109 Tomahawk for land attack as well as
RUM-139A VL-ASROC for anti-submarine role.
2 × Mk 141 Harpoon Missile Launcher for Anti Ship role can also be accommodated
It is also expected to have 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes for Mk-46 or Mk-50 torpedoes
Higbee would be able to accommodate two helicopters like MH-60R Seahawk LAMPS III that are capable
of Anti Submarine Warfare.
The warship is also equipped with a long-range naval gun and multiple Close-In Weapon Systems.
The delivery follows the completion of US Navy acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico
in October.
“The ship’s onboard systems, including navigation, damage control, mechanical and
electrical systems, combat systems, communications, and propulsion applications, met or exceeded
Navy specifications,” NAVSEA said at the time.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships that can conduct
a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power
projection, all in support of the US defense strategy.
The important aspect is the Arleigh Burke-class is versatile and since they are present in
a decent number, they provide a lot of flexibility to the U.S. Navy.
This has great strategic importance as the U.S. is now facing a significant challenge
from China.
Higbee will certainly add to the American military's endeavor to maintain an edge against
its rival, especially since Ticonderoga-class cruisers are slowly being decommissioned .