The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers are built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The first ship was commissioned on 4 July 1991.

The Arleigh Burke class are among the largest destroyers ever built (larger is the Ticonderoga class cruiser, which is a redesignated AAW destroyer), and certainly among the most powerful. According to Bath Iron Works promotional material, Arleigh Burke is ton for ton the most powerful warship ever built.

The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31_Knot" Burke, the most famous destroyer officer of World War II. Admiral Burke was alive when the class leader was commissioned, and his words to the plank crew echo in the class's distinguished service to date: "This ship is built to fight; you'd better know how."

One Arleigh Burke class ship has been damaged by enemy action: Cole was damaged by a powerful improvised explosive device delivered by a suicide boat in October of 2000.

The greatly improved "Flight IIA Arleigh Burke" class ship, a major alteration of the class which significantly changed the ship's layout including the addition of two helicopter hangars for improved ASW fighting capability, began with Oscar Austin. The Flight IIA Burke also received improved surface fighting and shore bombardment capability with the introduction of the longer 5"/62 caliber gun on Winston S. Churchill. Some sources have argued that the Flight IIA ships are different enough from the Flight I/II ship that it should be renamed the Oscar Austin class destroyer.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force operates four modified Flight I vessels as the Kongo class. Three more will be commissioned by 2010.

General Characteristics

• Builders: General Dynamics, Bath Iron Works Division and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems
• Power Plant: 4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines; two shafts, 100,000 total shaft horsepower (75 MW).
• SPY-1 Radar and Combat System Integrator: Lockheed Martin
• Length
  • Flights I and II (51-78): 505 ft (154 m)
  • Flight IIA (79-99): 509* ft (155 m)
  • Beam: 59 ft (18 m)
• Displacement
  • Hulls 51 through 71: 8315 tons full load
  • Hulls 72 through 78: 8400 tons full load
  • Hulls 79 and on: 9200 tons full load
• Speed: in excess of 30 knots (56 km/h)
• Aircraft: None. LAMPS III electronics installed on landing deck for coordinated DDG-51/helo ASW operations (hulls 51-78); two SH-60 Seahawk LAMPS III helos (hulls 79 on)
• Complement: 23 officers, 300 enlisted
• Armament: Standard missile; AGM-84 Harpoon; Vertical Launch ASROC (VLA) missiles; Tomahawk missiles; six Mk-46 torpedoes (from two triple tube mounts); one 5 inch (127 mm)/54-caliber Mk-45 (lightweight gun) (DDG-51 through 80); one 5 inch (127 mm)/62-caliber Mk-45 mod 4 (lightweight gun) (DDG-81 on); two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS (DDG-51 through 83); two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (DDG-84 onward)
• Date Deployed: 4 July 1991 (Arleigh Burke)

Ships

Additionally, DDG_106 through DDG_112 have been announced and awarded. The ships have not been named yet. DDG_112 will be the last of the class and is expected to be delivered in 2010.