Ingalls lays keel of future USS Sam Nunn (DDG 133)

Ship’s sponsor Michelle Nunn joins her father, Senator Samm Nunn, in signing a steel plate that will remain affixed to the ship for its lifetime. [Photo: HII]

The keel for the future USS Sam Nunn (DDG 133), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was laid during a ceremony on Nov. 22 at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division The ship’s name honors Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr., a former U.S. senator from Georgia and co-founder of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Nunn was in attendance for the ceremony and was joined by his daughter and ship sponsor, Michelle Nunn.

Today a keel laying ceremony represents the joining together of the ship’s first major modular components at land level. During the ceremony, the keel is authenticated when a welder etches the initials of the ship’s sponsor into the keel plate. In addition to Ms. Nunn’s initials, Senator Nunn’s initials were also etched into the plate.

“The future USS Sam Nunn and all who sail aboard her will honor the legacy of Sen. Nunn and his dedication to the men and women serving our country,” said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager at the Navy’s Program Executive Office, Ships (PEO Ships). “DDG 133 will be yet another player on the field providing the most advanced capability to our Navy and the nation.”

“It is truly an honor to commemorate this moment in the life of the future USS Sam Nunn,” Ingalls Shipbuilding president Kari Wilkinson said. “It continues an important journey for Ingalls shipbuilders in delivering what they do best: hard work, craftsmanship, and quality in support of the Navy and the nation. It is a fitting tribute to the public service of Senator Nunn and his commitment to making a difference in the world.”

A native of Georgia, Nunn served in the Georgia House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972. During his tenure as senator, Nunn served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the permanent subcommittee on investigations. His legislative achievements include the landmark Department of Defense Reorganization Act and the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program which deactivated more than 7,600 nuclear warheads.

Michelle Nunn joined her father and Ingalls structural welder Adam Lee in welding their initials onto a steel plate, signifying the keel of DDG 133 as being “truly and fairly laid.”

“What a joy for our extended Nunn family and community to celebrate the laying of the keel of USS Sam Nunn,” Michelle Nunn said. “I am so honored to assume the role as this ship’s sponsor and I hope that my father’s values of determination, integrity, and service will inspire the sailors of DDG 133.”

Sam Nunn (DDG 133) is the fifth Flight III destroyer to be constructed at Ingalls. Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability including the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System that are designed to keep pace with the threats well into the 21st century.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Guided missile destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. surface fleet and are capable of fighting multiple air, surface and subsurface threats simultaneously.