USS Michael G. Mullen

History
United States
Name	Michael G. Mullen
Namesake	Michael Mullen
Builder	Bath Iron Works
Identification	Hull number: DDG-144
Status	Authorized for construction[1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement	9,217 tons (full load)[2]
Length	510 ft (160 m)[2]
Beam	66 ft (20 m)[2]
Propulsion	4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)[2]
Speed	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)[2]
Complement	380 officers and enlisted
Armament	Guns: 1 × 5-inch (127 mm)/62 Mk 45 Mod 4 (lightweight gun) 1 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Phalanx CIWS 2 × 25 mm (0.98 in) Mk 38 machine gun system 4 × 0.50 inches (12.7 mm) caliber guns Missiles: 1 × 32-cell, 1 × 64-cell (96 total cells) Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS): RIM-66M surface-to-air missile RIM-156 surface-to-air missile RIM-174A standard ERAM RIM-161 anti-ballistic missile RIM-162 ESSM (quad-packed) BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile RUM-139 vertical launch ASROC Torpedoes: 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes: Mark 46 lightweight torpedo Mark 50 lightweight torpedo Mark 54 lightweight torpedo
Armor	Kevlar-type armor with steel hull. Numerous passive survivability measures.
Aircraft carried	2 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopters
Aviation facilities	Double hangar and helipad

USS Michael G. Mullen (DDG-144) is a planned Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, the 94th overall of the class. She is named for former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen.

Design and Construction

Main article: Arleigh Burke-class destroyer § Flight III

As a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, she would be mounted with the more powerful AN/SPY-6 radar compared to her sister ships. This radar, and other modifications, would allow Flight III destroyers to serve as a replacement for the air-defense roles of Ticonderoga-class cruisers.^[3]

She was ordered in 2023 as part of a larger 5-year plan to build 9 Flight III ships and is expected to start fabrication in 2027.^[3]

In 2024, she was named after the former chairman, as he was a, "visionary leader in the mold of the greatest naval leaders that came before [them]".^[4]

References

1. "DDG-142". nvr.navy.mil. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
2. "DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class". Federation of American Scientists. FAS.org. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
3. LaGrone, Sam (2023-08-01). "Navy Awards Ingalls 6 Flight III Arleigh Burke Destroyers, Bath Iron Works 3 as Part of 5-Year Deal". USNI News. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
4. Mongilio, Heather (2024-05-22). "SECNAV Del Toro Names New Destroyers for Former SECNAV Danzig, CJCS Mullen". USNI News. Retrieved 2024-05-22.