The Navy plans to christen the future Arleigh Burke–class guided-missile destroyer Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), with Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith set to deliver the principal address. The program will also feature remarks by Maine Governor Janet Mills, U.S. Sen. Angus King, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Jason Potter, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources Vice Adm. Brad Skillman, Medal of Honor recipient Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr., and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works President Chuck Krugh.
In keeping with Navy tradition, ship sponsors Janet Wilson Taylor, the namesake’s daughter, and Susan J. Rabern, a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller, will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.
The destroyer honors Gen. Louis Hugh Wilson Jr., a World War II and Vietnam War veteran awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Battle of Guam. After Vietnam, he served as the 26th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1975 to 1979.
Navy officials describe the christening as a milestone aligned with the service’s 250-year emphasis on innovation and maritime dominance, reflecting an enduring commitment to shaping the future of sea power.
As a Flight III variant, DDG 126 incorporates the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar along with upgraded electrical power, cooling capacity, and associated systems to deliver enhanced warfighting capability. The destroyer is being built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, which also has additional ships in various stages of production: Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124), Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), William Charette (DDG 130), Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), John E. Kilmer (DDG 134), Richard G. Lugar (DDG 136), and J. William Middendorf (DDG 138).
More information on the DDG 51–class destroyer program is available in the Navy’s fact file: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169871/destroyers-ddg-51/
