U.S. Navy Commissions Guided-Missile Destroyer Paul Ignatius

The U.S. Navy commission its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) on Saturday at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The ship is named in honor of Paul Robert Ignatius, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and later during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration as Assistant Secretary of Defense (Installations and Logistics) 1964-1967, and Secretary of the Navy 1967-1969. 

Ignatius’ wife, Nancy, who passed away earlier this year, is the ship’s sponsor. Dr. Elisa Ignatius, granddaughter to the late Nancy Ignatius, served as the ship sponsor representative. 

The USS Paul Ignatius is the 67th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and is one of 21 ships currently under contract for the DDG 51 program. DDG 51 class destroyers conduct a variety of missions from peacetime presence and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief to sea control and power projection. Built in the Flight IIA configuration, the ship delivers rapid reaction time, high firepower, and improved electronic warfare capabilities.

DDG-117 

Displacement: 9,515 
Length: 510 feet 
Beam: 66 feet 
Draft: 32 feet 
Speed: 30+ knots 
Complement: 312 
Armament: 1 5-inch, Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) for 96 BGM-109 Tomahawks, RGM-84 Harpoons, SM-2MR Standards, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSMs), and RUM-139 VL-ASROC Antisubmarine Rockets, one Close In Weapon System (CIWS), two 25 millimeter, four machine guns, and six Mk 32 torpedo tubes, 
Aircraft: two Sikorsky MH-60B/R Seahawks 
Class: Arleigh Burke