Eighth Litton-built Aegis destroyer to be christened on Saturday, April 8

Business Wire, April 5, 1995

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 1995--The eighth ship in a series of Aegis guided missile destroyers being built by Litton's Ingalls Shipbuilding division for the U.S. Navy will be christened this Saturday, April 8, in ceremonies at the company's 800-acre shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss.

The new destroyer is one of 14 vessels of the Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class contracted to date for production at Ingalls. Three Ingalls-built Aegis destroyers are in service and the fourth has been delivered and will be commissioned next month.

Ingalls, lead builder for five of the Navy's latest classes of surface combatants, has delivered 67 major warships to the Navy since mid-1975, including destroyers, cruisers and amphibious assault ships.

Aegis destroyers are the major ongoing shipbuilding program in the Navy's five-year construction program, and will provide primary protection for the Navy's battle forces well into the 21st century. The 505-foot, 8,600-ton ships are powered by four gas turbine jet engines that can drive the vessels to speeds in excess of 30 knots.

The new ship will be named Cole (DDG-67) to honor Marine Sergeant Darrell Samuel Cole (1920-1945), who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during combat against the Japanese on Iwo Jima in February 1945. Following commission into active service next year, USS Cole will join the Pacific Fleet and make home port in San Diego.

Cole and her sister ships are equipped with a computer-controlled Aegis combat system utilizing an advanced electronically scanned radar that can search in all directions simultaneously. The system is able to detect, track and engage hundreds of aircraft and missiles while continuously watching for new targets from wavetop to the stratosphere.

Aegis destroyers mount a below-deck vertical missile launching system capable of firing a combination of up to 90 Standard surface- to-air, Tomahawk surface-to-surface and antisubmarine missiles. Additionally, the ships mount eight Harpoon antiship missile launchers, torpedo tubes, two Phalanx close-in weapon systems and a five-inch deck gun. The ships also are equipped with an antisubmarine warfare system, a bow-mounted sonar, a towed sonar array and an antisubmarine helicopter.

Litton is a leader in worldwide technology markets for advanced electronic and defense systems, and a major designer and builder of surface combatant ships for the U.S. Navy and allied nations.

CONTACT: Litton Industries Inc., Woodland Hills

Robert Knapp, 818/598-5907 (office)

805/496-2453 (home)