The USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) guided-missile destroyer is scheduled to be commissioned into naval service on July 27 at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Huntington Ingalls Industries-manufactured vessel is named after the 59th U.S. Navy secretary and will be the 67th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer owned by the military service, the Defense Department said Wednesday.
DoD added that the ship features the Flight IIA design and works to deliver increased firepower, faster reaction time and enhanced electronic warfare capabilities. Richard Spencer, secretary of the Navy and 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said the guided-missile destroyer is capable of enhancing the U.S. military’s capabilities for land, air, undersea, strike and ballistic missile defense.
HII officially transferred the responsibility of the ship to the Navy with the signing of the DD 250 delivery document in February.