Amid the patriotic flourish of the U.S. Navy’s time-honored traditions, the christening of the USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129) at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding yard on June 28, 2025, marked a significant milestone in the continued evolution of American naval power. The ceremony, punctuated by reverence, innovation, and historical continuity, celebrated not only the ship’s technical prowess but also the enduring legacy of its namesake—Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton Jr., a man whose courage under captivity during the Vietnam War remains etched in the annals of U.S. military history.
Held at the Pascagoula shipyard on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, the christening event followed the vessel’s launch on March 25, 2025, when the ship was moved from land to dry dock via translation railcars, then floated and guided to its current pier-side berth. The christening was attended by senior defense officials, shipbuilders, sailors, and descendants of Admiral Denton, underlining the symbolic and strategic significance of the occasion.
The ceremony featured the ceremonial breaking of a bottle of sparkling wine across the ship’s bow—an age-old maritime tradition intended to bless the vessel and ensure safe passage. This act was performed by the ship’s sponsors, Madeleine Denton Doak and Mary Denton Lewis, daughters of the late Admiral Denton, whose unwavering courage and public service form the emotional backbone of the ship’s identity.
“Today, we honor a man who showed extraordinary bravery in the face of unimaginable adversity,” said Dr. Brett A. Seidle, who performed the duties of the Under Secretary of the Navy during the event. “Rear Admiral Denton’s legacy of resistance, leadership, and national service will now sail forward into the future aboard this ship that bears his name.”
Vice Admiral James P. Downey, Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, added: “DDG 129 will not only defend our nation’s interests across the globe but carry forth the story of an American hero.”
Brian Blanchette, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding and Executive Vice President of HII, praised the collaborative engineering efforts behind the ship’s construction, calling it “a testament to what we can achieve when we blend world-class shipbuilding with a profound sense of purpose.”
The namesake of DDG 129, Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton Jr., was a U.S. Navy aviator whose resilience under torture made him a national icon during the Vietnam War. Captured in 1965 after his A-6 Intruder was shot down, Denton endured nearly eight years of captivity. His defiance—most famously captured when he blinked the word “TORTURE” in Morse code during a coerced televised interview—became one of the most symbolic acts of resistance in American military history.
Denton was awarded the Navy Cross and other honors for his leadership among fellow prisoners. Upon returning home, he continued to serve his country, becoming a U.S. Senator for Alabama in 1980. His dual legacy of military valor and political service positions him as a rare figure in American history, making the christening of DDG 129 an especially poignant affair.
The Jeremiah Denton is the third Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer built by Ingalls Shipbuilding and the 36th in the Arleigh Burke line to emerge from this shipyard. Flight III destroyers represent a major technological leap from earlier iterations in this storied class.
Equipped with the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR), the ship enhances detection and targeting capabilities against next-generation air and ballistic missile threats. This advanced sensor suite integrates seamlessly with the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, offering a more robust and adaptive response framework in high-intensity environments.
The vessel’s engineering backbone includes structural enhancements to accommodate the increased electrical load and cooling demands of these upgraded systems. These modifications mark a fundamental shift in how future threats will be addressed, ensuring longevity and relevance of the destroyer class well into the latter half of the 21st century.
With a displacement of 9,217 tons, a length of 513 feet, and a beam of 66 feet, DDG 129 maintains the Arleigh Burke lineage of high endurance and versatility. Propelled by four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines generating 100,000 shaft horsepower (75,000 kW), the ship can reach speeds exceeding 31 knots, making it a formidable asset in both offensive and defensive operations.
Its armament is as comprehensive as it is lethal. Central to the destroyer’s firepower is the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), comprising 96 cells arranged in 32-cell and 64-cell modules. These can launch a wide range of munitions:
- RIM-66M Standard Missile-2
- RIM-174A Standard Missile-6
- BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles
- RUM-139 VL-ASROC for anti-submarine warfare
- RIM-162 ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles)
For close-in defense and surface warfare, the ship is armed with a 127 mm/62 Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun, one 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, two 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns, and four 12.7 mm crew-served weapons. These weapons ensure a layered defense strategy that is central to modern naval doctrine.
For underwater threats, DDG 129 is outfitted with two triple Mark 32 torpedo tubes capable of launching Mk 46, Mk 50, or Mk 54 lightweight torpedoes, giving it significant anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability.
A key feature of Flight IIA and III Arleigh Burke-class ships is the integration of rotary wing assets, which significantly expand mission versatility. DDG 129 includes a double helicopter hangar and a flight deck capable of supporting two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. These aircraft enhance ASW, surface surveillance, and logistic support capabilities.
The ship is manned by a complement of 380 officers and enlisted personnel. Advanced accommodations, damage control systems, and crew survivability enhancements—including Kevlar armor and shock-hardened compartments—support extended deployments in high-threat environments.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer program has long been considered the workhorse of the U.S. Navy. With the transition to Flight III, these ships now serve as floating command centers capable of integrating with carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and independent operations across the globe.
The technological advancements in DDG 129 serve as a bridge between legacy systems and future naval warfare doctrines focused on distributed lethality, missile defense, cyber resilience, and unmanned systems integration. With emerging threats from peer competitors such as China and Russia, these new destroyers are expected to operate in contested environments where situational awareness, speed, and precision strike capabilities are crucial.
Ingalls Shipbuilding, part of Huntington Ingalls Industries, has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy to date. The construction of DDG 129 forms part of a broader multi-year procurement agreement involving both Ingalls and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.
Other Flight III destroyers currently under construction at the Pascagoula yard:
- Ted Stevens (DDG 128)
- George M. Neal (DDG 131)
- Sam Nunn (DDG 133)
- Thad Cochran (DDG 135)
Each vessel under this program represents a multibillion-dollar investment in U.S. shipbuilding and defense readiness, reinforcing the importance of the Gulf Coast industrial base.
Brian Blanchette, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding, emphasized the critical role played by the skilled workforce: “This ship embodies the craftsmanship, discipline, and innovation that define American shipbuilding. Every welder, engineer, and technician here today has helped build more than a warship—they’ve helped write a new chapter in naval history.”
Beyond its impressive engineering, the Jeremiah Denton stands as a floating tribute to an American patriot. The emotional impact of the christening was evident as Admiral Denton’s daughters broke the bottle over the ship’s bow, their expressions mixing solemn pride with tears.
“Daddy would be humbled and proud,” said Madeleine Denton Doak. “He believed deeply in duty, honor, and sacrifice. This ship will now carry those ideals into every ocean it sails.”
As the crowd dispersed beneath fluttering banners and echoing naval anthems, the christening of DDG 129 served as a stark reminder of what it means to defend a nation: not only through superior technology but through unbreakable courage.
