The US Navy took delivery of its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer on Monday, July 8. The future USS John Basilone was built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and will be homeported in Mayport, Florida.
The ship's namesake, US Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, received the Medal of Honor for heroism displayed in the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II, where he led his heavy machine gun sections in defence of a critical position and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. Tragically, Gunnery Sergeant Basilone was later killed in the Iwo Jima campaign in 1945.
The second US Navy ship to honour Gunnery Sergeant Basilone belongs to the Flight IIA variants of the Arleigh Burke-class. Each Flight IIA destroyer is equipped with improved integrated air and missile defence capabilities, increased computing power, and radar upgrades that improve detection range and reaction time against modern air warfare and ballistic missile threats.
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has six additional future Arleigh Burke-class destroyers under construction. These include Harvey C. Barnum Jr., Louis H. Wilson Jr., Patrick Gallagher, William Charette, Quentin Walsh, and John E. Kilmer.