The Navy commissioned the newest guided-missile destroyer, the USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), on Dec. 8 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
DDG-118 is the 69th overall Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and a Flight IIA model. It was built by General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works [GD] at its Bath, Maine, shipyard. The Daniel Inouye was the 37th destroyer delivered by the company.
The ship is named after the former U.S. Senator from Hawaii who served in Congress from 1962 until he died in 2012. During World War II he served in one of the most decorated military units in U.S. history and was awarded the Medal of Honor for service that cost him his right arm.
Guest speakers included governor of Hawaii David Ige, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, and commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet Adm. Samuel Paparo.
“This ship, the USS Daniel Inouye, will join the U.S. Pacific Fleet and the INDO-PACOM joint team. This ship and its crew are ready to assume its critical mission: The defense and safeguarding of the well-being and interests of our nation,” Paparo said in a statement.
“As a former destroyer captain, I know first hand about the ability, versatility and distributive power this ship will add to our deterrent capabilities. There is absolutely no more of a fitting name for this ship than Sen. Inouye,” Del Toro added.
The commissioning ceremony coincided with the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Remembrance commemoration events.
DDG-118 completed acceptance trials last February while still in Maine, with inspections by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) (Defense Daily, Feb. 5).
The Navy and GD earlier completed builder’s trials last year (Defense Daily, Dec. 22, 2020).