USS Ralph Johnson

USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer of the United States Navy. Ralph Johnson is the 64th ship of the class and was commissioned on 24 March 2018. In 2020, the vessel was among those of the United States Navy to incur infections of COVID-19.

USS Ralph Johnson during her builder's sea trials in 2017
History
United States
Name: Ralph Johnson
Namesake: Ralph H. Johnson
Ordered: 26 September 2011
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down: 12 September 2014[1]
Launched: 12 December 2015[2]
Sponsored by: Georgeann Brady McRaven
Christened: 2 April 2016[3]
Acquired: 15 November 2017[4]
Commissioned: 24 March 2018[5]
Identification: DDG-114
Status: in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement: 9,217 tons (full load)[6]
Length: 513 feet (156 m)[6]
Beam: 66 feet (20 m)[6]
Propulsion: 4 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbines (100,000 shp)[6]
Speed: 31 knots (36 mph; 57 km/h)[6]
USS Ralph Johnson and USS Princeton in the Philippine Sea, June 2020

Construction and career

The contract to build the destroyer was awarded on 26 September 2011 to Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi.[7][8] On 15 February 2012, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the ship was to be named Ralph Johnson in honor of Marine Ralph H. Johnson, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for shielding two fellow Marines from a grenade in March 1968 during the Vietnam War.[9][10][11] The contract was worth $697.6 million fixed price, and was also the 30th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer contract issued to Ingalls Shipbuilding.[12]

Ralph Johnson is the 64th ship of the Arleigh Burke class of destroyers, the first of which, USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), was commissioned in July 1991.[13] With 75 ships planned to be built in total, the class has the longest production run for any U.S. Navy surface combatant.[14] As an Arleigh Burke-class ship, Ralph Johnson's roles included anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare, as well as strike operations.[6] During the long production run, the class was built in three flights—Flight I (DDG-51–DDG-71), Flight II (DDG-72–DDG-78), and Flight IIA (DDG-79– ).[15] Ralph Johnson is a Flight IIA ship, and as such, features several improvements in terms of ballistic missile defence, an embarked air wing, and the inclusion of mine-detecting ability.[6]

In 2008, the U.S. Navy decided to restart production of the Arleigh Burke class as orders for the Zumwalt-class destroyer was reduced from ten to three.[16][17] The first three ships (DDG-113—DDG-115) ordered following the product decision are known as the "restart" ships, while "technology insertion" ships (DDG-116—DDG-123) are expected to incorporate certain elements of Arleigh Burke class Flight III, which in turn will run from DDG-124 onwards.[18] As a "restart" ship, Ralph Johnson primarily features upgraded electronics; she was originally scheduled to be delivered in August 2016,[18] but construction was delayed and delivery was rescheduled for late 2017 after sea trials were completed in the middle of the year.[19]

The warship arrived at the Port of Charleston's Columbus Street Terminal on 19 March 2018[20] and was commissioned on 24 March.[5]

2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Main article: COVID-19 pandemic on naval ships

On 17 March 2020, United States Pacific Fleet reported that a crew member of the American destroyer USS Ralph Johnson had tested positive the previous day.[21] Ralph Johnson was at its home port in Everett, Washington at the time, and the sailor self-isolated at home.[21][22]

References
  1. "Ingalls Shipbuilding Authenticates the Keel on Aegis Destroyer Ralph Johnson (DDG 114)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  2. "Ingalls Shipbuilding Launches Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer Ralph Johnson (DDG 114)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  3. "Ingalls Christens Destroyer Ralph Johnson (DDG 114); Aegis Ship Honors Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 2 April 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  4. "Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Ralph Johnson" (Press release). United States Navy. 15 November 2017. NNS171115-24. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  5. "Navy to Commission New Guided-Missile Destroyer Ralph Johnson" (Press release). United States Navy. 23 March 2018. NNS180323-02. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  6. "DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class". Federation of American Scientists. FAS.org. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  7. "Ralph Johnson (DDG 114)". Naval Vessel Register. Navy.mil. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  8. "DDG 51 Class Ship Construction Contract Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Naval Sea Systems Command. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  9. "Navy To Name Ships After Servicemen With Local Ties". San Diego News. 10News.com. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  10. "Navy Names Five New Ships" (Press release). U.S. Navy. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  11. Kropf, Schuyler (15 February 2012). "Navy attack ship to be named for Ralph Johnson". The Post and Courier. Evening Post Publishing Company. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  12. "U.S. Navy Awards HII USD 697.6 Million Contract for New DDG 114 Destroyer". Shipbuilding Tribune. Shipbuildingtribune.com. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  13. "USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51)". Naval Vessel Register. Navy.mil. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  14. Sharp, David (31 December 2009). "After 2-plus decades, Navy destroyer breaks record". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Associated Press. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  15. "Arleigh Burke Class (Aegis), United States of America". Naval-technology.com. Net Resources International. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  16. Ewing, Philip (31 July 2008). "Navy: No need to add DDG 1000s after all". Navy Times. Gannett Government Media. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  17. Drew, Christopher (8 April 2009). "Contractors Agree on Deal to Build Stealth Destroyer". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  18. Lyle, Peter C. (2010). "DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Burke-Class Destroyer – New Construction Program" (PDF). Naval Sea Systems Command. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  19. "Ingalls starts fabrication of DDG 123". Marine Log. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  20. Blakeney, Barney (21 March 2018). "Navy Destroyer Ralph H. Johnson To Be Commissioned". The Charleston Chronicle. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  21. Affairs, From U. S. Pacific Fleet Public. "USS Ralph Johnson Sailor tests positive for COVID-19". cpf.navy.mil.
  22. "USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) history". uscarriers.net.
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