Ninth Litton-built Aegis destroyer to be christened on Saturday, Aug. 5

Business Wire, August 1, 1995

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 1995--The ninth 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, Aug. 5, 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. Five Ingalls-built Aegis destroyers are already in service. Lead builder for five of the Navy's latest classes of surface combatants, Ingalls has delivered 69 major warships to the Navy over the past 20 years, 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 Milius (DDG-69) to honor Navy pilot Capt. Paul L. Milius (1928-1968), who was presumed killed in action during the Vietnam War. Then-Cdr. Milius was on an armed reconnaissance mission over Laos when his plane was hit by antiaircraft artillery fire. He elected to remain at the controls of his badly damaged aircraft, maintaining stable flight, while he ordered his seven crewmembers to bail out. All but Milius were rescued, and he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

Following commission into active service next year, USS Milius will join the Pacific Fleet and make home port in San Diego.

Milius 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 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, rapid-fire 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

Michael Pollock, 818/598-2005