USS ''Arleigh Burke'' (DDG-51), named for

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

USN The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

(1901–1996), is the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may ...

of the

guided-missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers who have a prim ...

s. She was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

by the

Bath Iron Works Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics. It is the fifth-largest de ...

company at

Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its ...

, on 6 December 1988; launched on 16 September 1989; and commissioned on 4 July 1991. ''Arleigh Burke''s designers incorporated many lessons learned by the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

during the Falklands campaign and from the guided-missile cruisers. The ''Ticonderoga''-class cruisers were becoming too expensive to continue building and too difficult to upgrade. ''Arleigh Burke'' was the first modern destroyer designed with features meant to lower its radar cross-section, which improves a ship's ability to evade radar detection. She also used a slightly downgraded version of the

Aegis combat system The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin. Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by ...

, which allows for launching, tracking, and evading missiles simultaneously. Her all-steel construction provides good protection for her superstructure, while her Collective Protection System allows her to operate in environments contaminated by chemical, biological, or radiological materials.

History

Cheney delivering speech before an AEGIS ship is commissioned

Before ''Arleigh Burke'' was commissioned, the Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force was involved in the initial phases of testing. New systems, operated by fleet sailors ashore, were examined at land-based test facilities. The combat systems testing took place at the Combat System Engineering Development Site in

Moorestown, New Jersey Moorestown is a township in Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia and geographically part of the South Jersey region of the state. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was ...

. The propulsion plant testing occurred at the Gas Turbine Ship Land-Based Engineering Site in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. These test results supported the acquisition decision to begin limited production of the ship class. The ship was launched on 16 September 1989 by Mrs. Roberta (Gorsuch) Burke. Admiral Burke was present in person at her commissioning ceremony on 4 July, which was held on the waterfront in downtown

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

. After being commissioned and throughout 1992, ''Arleigh Burke'' conducted extensive testing at sea. As is often the case with new ship classes, U.S. Navy officers and

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...

engineers encountered a number of problems with some shipboard systems that required the attention of this warship's design and production agencies. An additional phase of testing was added to verify the effectiveness of the modifications made to these systems—modifications incorporated into later

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

s of the ''Arleigh Burke'' class. Following her initial operational testing, ''Arleigh Burke'' was deployed to the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

and the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

in 1993, serving as the "Green Crown" during

Operation Provide Promise Operation Provide Promise was a humanitarian relief operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars, from 2 July 1992, to 9 January 1996, which made it the longest running humanitarian airlift in history. By the end of the operation, ...

. During her second deployment in 1995, ''Arleigh Burke'' steamed in the Mediterranean Sea as the "Red Crown" in support of the No-Fly Zone over

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. During her third cruise, in 1998, she steamed in the Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea,

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...

, and

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

, as a participant in numerous American and Allied exercises. During her fourth cruise in 2000–2001, ''Arleigh Burke'' saw service in the Mediterranean and Red Seas and in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

, enforcing United Nations sanctions against

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

and conducting exercises with allied naval partners. On her fifth deployment in 2003, ''Arleigh Burke'' and the other units of the -led

carrier battle group A carrier battle group (CVBG) is a naval fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier capital ship and its large number of escorts, together defining the group. The ''CV'' in ''CVBG'' is the United States Navy hull classification code for an ai ...

participated in

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

and Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this wartime cruise, ''Arleigh Burke'' fired

Tomahawk missile The Tomahawk () Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations. Under contract fr ...

strikes against targets in Iraq, escorted merchant ships and naval auxiliaries through geographic choke points, and carried out "leadership interdiction" operations in the northern

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

. She also undertook counter-piracy missions in the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...

. This cruise, which lasted from January through June 2003, saw ''Arleigh Burke'' at sea over 92 percent of the time. In March 2003, she was assigned to

Destroyer Squadron 2 Destroyer Squadron 2 is a destroyer squadron of the United States Navy. It is administratively part of Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic. , the following destroyers are assigned to this squadron: , , , , , , . Destroyer Squadron ...

. ''Arleigh Burke'' has earned one Navy Unit Commendation, three Meritorious Unit Commendations, three Battle Efficiency E Awards, the

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...

, the

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, after ...

, the

Kuwait Liberation Medal Kuwait Liberation Medal may refer to: *Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) *Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) * Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain), see Gulf War military awards#Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain) * Kuwait Libe ...

, and five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. As a member of

Destroyer Squadron 22 Destroyer Squadron 22, often abbreviated as DESRON 22, is a squadron of warships of the United States Navy. It is an operational component of Carrier Strike Group Two. The squadron was formed in March 1943, and later was one of the first two squa ...

, ''Arleigh Burke'' operated with the

Carrier Strike Group A carrier strike group (CSG) is a type of carrier battle group of the United States Navy. It is an operational formation composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, usually an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer squadron of at least t ...

under the direction of the Commander, Carrier Group 2. In May 2007, ''Arleigh Burke'' ran what the Navy called a "soft aground" off

Cape Henry Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia located in the northeast corner of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to the long estuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Cha ...

Light at the entrance to the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

. Her captain, Commander Esther J. McClure, was relieved of her command shortly thereafter as a result of a "loss of confidence in her ability to command". In October 2007, ''Arleigh Burke'' was involved in anti-pirate operations in

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

. In 2009, ''Arleigh Burke'' was deployed to the eastern coast of Africa in support of AFRICOM's Africa Partnership Station. The ship represented the United States during a port visit to the island nation of

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...

where they played a role in securing a status of forces agreement between the two countries. In August 2010, ''Arleigh Burke'' entered the

BAE Systems Ship Repair BAE Systems Platforms & Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems Inc. and is a large provider of tracked and wheeled armored combat vehicles, naval guns, naval ship repair and modernization, artillery and missile launching systems, ad ...

shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia for DDG Modernization, a program to upgrade the ship's systems and to extend the service life to 40 years. On 23 September 2014, ''Arleigh Burke'' took part in the

2014 military intervention against ISIS In response to rapid territorial gains made by the so-called Islamic State during the first half of 2014, and its universally condemned executions, reported human rights abuses and the fear of further spillovers of the Syrian Civil War, many s ...

, firing Tomahawk missiles on targets in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

while the ship was in the

. In 2018, the ship made two three-month overseas deployments, returning to Norfolk, Virginia, between cruises. In 2019, she entered General Dynamics NASSCO's shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia, for continued work towards modernization for ballistic missile defense. In March 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, ''Arleigh Burke'' transited the Atlantic Ocean and conducted a home port shift to Rota, Spain, joining the Forward Deployed Naval Forces in Europe as part of Destroyer Squadron 60. Prior to the port shift, she received extensive upgrades, including Aegis Baseline 9 for BMD capability, as well as replacing her aft

Phalanx CIWS The Phalanx CIWS (often spoken as "sea-wiz") is a gun-based close-in weapon system to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, missiles, and small boats. It was designed and manufactured by the Gen ...

with a SeaRAM CIWS. The ship crossed the Arctic Circle in May 2021. The crew began their first forward-deployed patrol in August 2021, returning in December 2021. During 2021, ''Arleigh Burke'' sailed more than 44,000 miles, circumnavigated Europe, and executed operations in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Barents Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. Port calls included Tallinn, Estonia; Helsinki, Finland; Gdynia, Poland; Varna, Bulgaria; Constanta, Romania; and Golcuk, Turkey. In March 2022, USS ''Arleigh Burke'' was selected as the 2021 Battle E Winner for Destroyer Squadron 60. The Battle "E" recognizes the top ship in each squadron and is awarded for demonstrating sustained superior performance, operational effectiveness, and continuous readiness. In April 2022, ''Arleigh Burke'' completed the largest maintenance availability ever conducted in Rota, Spain, and then commenced her second forward-deployed patrol in May 2022. On 9 July 2022, ''Arleigh Burke'' arrived in

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

for a scheduled port visit.

Ship's crest

The Shield outlined in blue and gold stands for the achievements in battle of Admiral Burke against the naval power of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The fist and mace symbolize the offensive and defensive power of the new destroyer. The mace, also a symbol of authority, represents Admiral Burke's service as

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

. It also refers to Admiral

Marc Mitscher Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher (January 26, 1887 – February 3, 1947) was a pioneer in naval aviation who became an admiral in the United States Navy, and served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific during the latter half of ...

, an influential figure and mentor for whom Admiral Burke served as Chief of Staff. Admiral Burke's

Destroyer Squadron 23 Destroyer Squadron 23 (DESRON 23) is a squadron of United States Navy destroyers based out of San Diego, California. The squadron is best known for its actions during World War II, most notably the Battle of Cape St. George, under the command of ...

, represented by the border of 23 ovals, was the only United States Destroyer Squadron awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, signified by the canton of blue, yellow, and red. The ovals also refer to the year 1923, in which Midshipman Burke graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

at Annapolis. Twenty-three also reflects Admiral Burke's distinguished service on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as (OP-23).U.S. Navy
CUSS Arleigh Burke Ship's Crest
. Retrieved 18 October 2008. The mounted figure of

Saint George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

recalls Admiral Burke's celebrated victory in the

Battle of Cape St. George The Battle of Cape St. George was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II fought on 25 November 1943, between Cape St. George, New Ireland, and Buka Island (now part of the North Solomons Province in Papua New Guinea). It was ...

over Japanese naval forces. His mantle bears a gold cross for the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

awarded to the Admiral. The birch branch on the helmet represents Admiral Burke himself, a reference to his name derived from his

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

n heritage. The red sea dragon symbolizes Japanese naval power assaulted by forces under Captain Burke's command. It is gorged with the two gold stars he was awarded for outstanding service. The lance impaling the dragon signifies ordnance on target. The capabilities of the new destroyer, the most powerful and survivable ever built, are signified by the full armor and equipment of the warrior Saint George. The Admiral's nickname "31-Knot Burke" is recalled by the number "31" on the horse. The motto of the ship is "Fast and Feared". The ship's crest was designed by Mr. John Sproston of the Institute of Heraldry following a personal interview with Admiral Burke. The crest can also be found on a USPS postage stamp honoring Admiral Burke that was issued in 2010.

Awards

Arleigh Burke has earned the following awards during her service life. * Three Navy Unit Commendations (2003, 2007, 2014) * Three Meritorious Unit Commendations (1998, 2001, 2018) * Eight Battle Efficiency E Awards (1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2014, 2021) * National Defense Service Medal * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal * Kuwait Liberation Medal * 13 Sea Service Deployment Ribbons * Overseas Service Ribbon

In popular culture

*USS ''Arleigh Burke'' was featured in the opening credits of the television series '' JAG''. It also appeared as in the 1997 ''JAG'' episode " Cowboys and Cossacks". *USS ''Arleigh Burke'' was used to film the at-sea scenes in the 2003 '' NCIS'' episode " The Immortals". *Filming for Season 3 of the Amazon TV show ''Jack Ryan'' took place onboard ''Arleigh Burke'' in October 2021. Scenes were filmed in the ship's pilot house and the Commanding Officer's Cabin with actor John Krasinski.

Gallery

File:Arleigh Burke DDG-51.jpg, USS ''Arleigh Burke'' on 31 March 1993 File:USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) departs Clyde Naval Base.jpg, USS ''Arleigh Burke'' leaving

HMNB Clyde His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde; also HMS ''Neptune''), primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). It ...

on 6 June 2005 File:USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) in Crete.jpg, USS ''Arleigh Burke'' in

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

on 27 July 2007 File:US Navy 111002-N-FI736-010 The Royal Netherlands navy frigate HNLMS De Ruyter (F804) is moored alongside the guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh B.jpg, USS ''Arleigh Burke'' and

HNLMS De Ruyter HNLMS ''De Ruyter'' ( nl, Hr.Ms. or Zr.Ms. De Ruyter) may refer to one of nine ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy named after Admiral Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter (1607–1676): * , was a 68-gun frigate that the British Royal Navy captured in ...

on 2 October 2011 File:USS Arleigh Burke visits Souda Bay 120217-N-MO201-024.jpg, USS ''Arleigh Burke'' entering

Souda Bay Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour near the town of Souda on the northwest coast of the Greece, Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akr ...

on 17 February 2012

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arleigh Burke (Ddg-51) Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Destroyers of the United States Ships built in Bath, Maine 1989 ships Carrier Strike Group Two