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U.S. Navy’s Final Flight IIA Destroyer Patrick Gallagher Begins Sea Trials

The trials signal Bath Iron Works’ pivot to Flight III ships with the SPY-6 radar.

Overview

  • DDG-127, which left the Kennebec River on Monday, is undergoing builder-run sea trials to prove propulsion, maneuvering and integrated systems before Navy delivery.
  • The destroyer made a planned stop in Portland to rotate specialists, reflecting BIW’s phased approach that brings aboard teams for specific tests.
  • The ship fields the Aegis combat system and 96 vertical launch cells that support air defense, anti-submarine and strike weapons.
  • Four GE LM2500 gas turbines generate about 100,000 shaft horsepower, with trials checking speed performance near 30 to 31 knots under real operating loads.
  • As the last Flight IIA from Bath Iron Works, Patrick Gallagher’s progress closes that variant as the yard focuses on Flight III construction featuring the new SPY-6 radar.