America's armory now has a few more arrows in the quiver. It's official: on Friday, the United States Navy commissioned its newest combat vessel, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128). The commissioning, as befitting, took place in the tiny Alaska harbor town of Whittier.
The commissioning of USS Ted Stevens delivers an immediate, decisive expansion in surface fleet lethality and global deterrence. Engineered to prevail in contested environments, the warship integrates the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, establishing unparalleled Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capabilities across simultaneous anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense operational profiles.
The name is an old one in Alaska politics.
The ship and its commissioning location honor the legacy of the late Senator Ted Stevens, who was a decorated Army Air Corps pilot in World War II, flying hazardous transport missions over "The Hump" in the China-Burma-India theater. Returning to Alaska following World War II, he became a champion of Alaska statehood. Stevens later served in the U.S. Senate from December 1968 until January 2009, where he served as the president pro tempore in the 108th and 109th Congresses and was the third U.S. Senator to hold the title of president pro tempore emeritus.
It's a tad interesting that the new destroyer was named after an Army pilot rather than the more usual Navy veteran, but it's a name that's familiar to Alaskans, and it's appropriate that the ship was commissioned in Alaska. Whittier was an interesting location; it's a busy place in summer, but it has a year-round permanent population of under 300 people, almost all of whom live in the same building, the Begich Towers Condominiums.
The new ship's captain made some comments:
The ship’s motto, “Lead with Courage,” serves as an operational mandate that reflects Senator Stevens’ wartime bravery and channels it into the aggressive combat posture required of today’s surface warriors.
“To my crew, my shipmates, the men and women who are the heart and soul of this great ship, you have exceeded all expectations,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Mary Katey Hayes, commanding officer of USS Ted Stevens. “We are ready to answer our nation’s call. We are ready to defend freedom, whether the winds of war blow near the rugged coast of Alaska, or in the far reaches of the globe.”
The new destroyer is well-armed, with one 5-inch gun, one 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS), two 25mm machine guns, and four .50 caliber machine guns. The guns go along with a considerable complement of up to 96 missile cells, which can carry a variety of surface-to-air, anti-ballistic and cruise missiles. The new ship also mounts two Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes. She can also carry two Seahawk helicopters.
With a top speed of 31 knots (36 miles per hour) she's a fast ship, ready to go in harm's way.
The USS Ted Stevens is now on its way to its permanent Atlantic Fleet home in Norfolk, Virginia. As of this writing there have been no possible deployments elsewhere mentioned by the Navy, although the press release mentions that the new ship will be aiding to protect "global security." Could that hint at an immediate deployment somewhere spicy? Stay tuned.