Keel laying ceremony for the Arleigh-Burke class destroyer Patrick Gallagher.

According to information published by the U.S. Navy on March 31, 2022, the keel for the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), was ceremonially laid at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW).
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Keel-laying ceremony for USS Patrick Gallagher (Picture source: BIW)

A contemporary keel-laying ceremony recognizes the moment of a ship’s construction when two significant pieces of the hull structure are welded together and joined, constituting a major portion of the ship’s shape.

The authentication or etching of the ship sponsors’ initials into a ceremonial keel plate will take place during the ceremony. The sponsors of DDG 127 are Gallagher’s three sisters: Teresa Keegan, Rosemarie Gallagher, and Pauline Gallagher.

The final Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built in the Flight IIA configuration, DDG 127 is equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9C2 Combat System, which brings crucial Ballistic Missile Defense capabilities to the Fleet in addition to the ship’s primary missions of anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine, and strike warfare.

BIW is also currently in production on the future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), USS John Basilone (DDG 122), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124), USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), USS William Charette (DDG 130), and USS Quentin Walsh (DDG 132).

The USS Patrick Gallagher will be powered by four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines developing 100,000 shp. She can reach a top speed of 31 knots (57 km/h).

The ship will be armed with one 5 inches (127 mm)/54 caliber Mk 45 naval gun, 25 mm Mk 38 automatic cannons, four .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns, two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, two Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes for Mk 46 torpedo, 96-cell Mk 41 VLS able to launch RIM-66M medium-range surface-to-air missiles, BGM-109 Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles, and RUM-139 Vertical Launch ASROC anti-submarine missiles.