World’s Most Advanced and Powerful Warship, USS Ted Stevens

The U.S. Navy christened the world’s most advanced and powerful warship, USS Ted Stevens, on Saturday, the 19th of August, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, at 9 a.m.

This destroyer will be the most advanced and powerful ship of its kind in the U.S. naval fleet and the world once it sets sail, per its commanding officer, Capt. Mary Katey Hays.

With a hull number DDG 128, the ship is named after the former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican U.S. senator, who represented Alaska from 1968-2009. This ship will be the second Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer constructed at Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Navy’s Most Advanced Warship

Hays stated that the destroyer has the best of everything: the most advanced weapons, the fastest computers, the best radar, and the most advanced anti-submarine warfare gear. He added that the destroyer fleet from DDG 51 to DDG 129, currently being constructed, will be the backbone of the U.S. naval fleet.

A Tribute to Stevens 

Naming such an essential ship after Stevens is justified since he did a lot for the welfare of Alaskans regarding healthcare, transportation, education, aviation, fisheries, mining, oil and gas development, and communications. Capt. Hays stated that having the mighty DDG 128 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer named after Stevens is a fitting honor for such a legendary personality.

Hays also mentioned Stevens’s dedication to the Navy, the country, and the people of Alaska. Stevens was a Second World War veteran known as Mr. Alaska by the Department of the Interior in 1956 due to his relentless efforts on Alaska Statehood. He was named the ‘Alaskan of the Century’ for his support for various issues. He died in a plane crash in 2010 close to Dillingham.

Honor & Induction

On Friday, representatives of the U.S. Navy, Stevens’s family, friends, and colleagues came together for a mast-stepping ceremony. It involved placing items like pins, flags, and coins belonging to Stevens, the ship’s crew, and Alaska on the ship before the christening on Saturday. Now, the ship is ready to set sail and begin work.

Don’t miss out on any Navy scoop in the future! For more Navy League news and updates, click here.