US Navy christens guided-missile destroyer USS Patrick Gallagher in Maine.

According to information published by the US DoD on July 27, 2024, the Navy christened the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) during a ceremony held at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.
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Flight IIA Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Patrick Gallagher. (Picture source: General Dynamics)

The destroyer honors Marine Corps Corporal Patrick Gallagher, who emigrated from Ireland to the United States and joined the Marine Corps. Gallagher was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism during the Vietnam War, where he heroically threw an enemy grenade into a river to protect his fellow Marines, ultimately sacrificing his life a year later.

About the Arleigh Burke class Flight IIA

Flight IIA destroyers feature a hull lengthened by six feet compared to the earlier Flight I and II ships, allowing for the addition of two helicopter hangars to accommodate SH-60B/F LAMPS helicopters.

The Flight IIA destroyers are equipped with the Aegis Combat System. This system includes the AN/SPY-1D radar, providing 360-degree coverage and high detection capabilities for air and missile threats. From DDG-85 onward, these ships typically feature a single Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) for short-range air defense.

In terms of missile armament, Flight IIA ships are equipped with a Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) that can hold a mix of 96 cells, including missiles for surface-to-air, anti-ship, and land-attack operations such as the RIM-66M, RIM-156, RIM-174A, RIM-161, RIM-162 ESSM, and BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles​.