Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has cut the first 100 tonnes of steel to be used for the construction of the US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Jeremiah Denton.
The ship honours the late former US Senator Jeremiah Denton, a Vietnam War veteran who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism while a prisoner of war. He served in the US Navy for 34 years as a test pilot, flight instructor, and squadron leader, and he was elected to the US Senate in 1980 where he represented the state of Alabama for six years.
The future Jeremiah Denton will be the 79th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be built for the US Navy.
