USS Paul Ignatius

USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She is named for Paul Ignatius who served as United States Secretary of the Navy under President Lyndon Johnson from 1967 to 1969. Ignatius had previously served as a lieutenant in the Navy during World War II. Paul Ignatius is the second of eight planned Flight IIA "technology insertion" ships, which contains elements of the Flight III ships.

USS Paul Ignatius on 31 July 2019
History
United States
NamePaul Ignatius
NamesakePaul Ignatius[1]
BuilderIngalls Shipbuilding
Laid down20 October 2015[2]
Launched12 November 2016[3]
Sponsored byNancy W. Ignatius
Christened8 April 2017[4]
Acquired22 February 2019[5]
Commissioned27 July 2019[6]
HomeportRota
Identification
MottoAlways ready, fight on
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeArleigh Burke-class destroyer, Flight IIA
Displacement9,200 long tons (9,300 t)
Length510 ft (160 m)
Draft33 ft (10 m)
Propulsion4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)[7]
Speed30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement380 officers and enlisted
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopters
Aviation facilitiesDouble hangar and helipad

Paul Ignatius was launched on 12 November 2016,[3][8] and was christened on 8 April 2017.[4] She was commissioned on 27 July 2019 Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship was sponsored by Ignatius' wife Nancy before her passing and that role has since been taken over by their granddaughter, Dr. Elisa Ignatuis.[6][9] Paul Ignatius is homeported in Rota, Spain.

Operational history

On 28 April 2022, Paul Ignatius departed Mayport, Florida, for a patrol in the US Sixth Fleet area of operations and a homeport shift to Naval Station Rota.[10]

On 17 June 2022, Paul Ignatius arrived at her new homeport of in Rota, Spain.[11] Her Phalanx CIWS was moved to the forward mount and she received the SeaRAM close-in weapon system on her aft mount.[12]

In October 2022, Paul Ignatius conducted a routine patrol in the Baltic Sea, where she was accompanied by the support ship William McLean.[13] After the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage the ship remained deployed there to safeguard regional energy interests and to guard the areas of the pipeline sabotage.[14][15]

References
  1. "Navy Names Next Two Destroyers" (Press release). United States Navy. 23 May 2013. NNS130523-13. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  2. "Ingalls Shipbuilding Authenticates the Keel of Paul Ignatius (DDG 117)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  3. "Huntington Ingalls Industries Launches Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer Paul Ignatius (DDG 117)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  4. "Huntington Ingalls Industries Christens Destroyer Paul Ignatius (DDG 117)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  5. "Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Paul Ignatius" (Press release). United States Navy. 25 February 2019. NNS190225-07. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  6. "Warship USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) Brought to Life" (Press release). United States Navy. 29 July 2019. NNS190729-10. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  7. "DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class". Federation of American Scientists. Federation of American Scientists. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  8. "HII launches future Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Paul Ignatius". Naval Today. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  9. "Navy to Commission Guided Missile Destroyer Paul Ignatius". defense.gov. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  10. "USS Paul Ignatius Departs Mayport for Inaugural Patrol, Homeport Shift". navy.mil. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  11. "USS Paul Ignatius, Newest FDNF-E Ship, Arrives in Homeport Rota, Spain". navy.mil. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  12. "220927-N-GF955-1004". www.navy.mil. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  13. "Højspændt situation i Østersøen: Dansk specialskib er ankommet til Bornholm". DR (in Danish). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  14. "Amerikansk flåde bevogter gerningssted ved gaslæk" [US Navy guards gas leak crime scene]. DR (in Danish). 10 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  15. "International warships ready to guard North Sea energy". energywatch.com. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.(subscription required)
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