Ingalls authenticates keel of Thad Cochran (DDG 135)
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HII\u2019s Ingalls Shipbuilding yesterday authenticated the keel of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Thad Cochran <\/em>(DDG 135). The ship honors Thad Cochran, a Navy veteran and former U.S. senator who represented Mississippi from 1978 to 2018. Ceremony attendees included Cochran\u2019s wife and ship sponsor Kay Bowen Webber Cochran and Ingalls shipbuilders.<\/p>\n Thad Cochran was an unwavering supporter of the U.S. military, notes HII. Throughout Cochran\u2019s career, he championed critical national security priorities, secured essential defense funding for shipbuilding nationwide and in Mississippi, and held a pivotal role in delivering billions in recovery aid to Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.<\/p>\n \u201cSenator Cochran\u2019s leadership and steadfast support for Mississippi, including ensuring that Ingalls shipbuilders remained at the heart of America\u2019s naval strength, laid the foundation for the strong program of work that continues at Ingalls today,\u201d said Brian Blanchette, Ingalls Shipbuilding president. \u201cOur shipbuilders remain committed to delivering the most powerful destroyers to the U.S. Navy and I look forward to the day DDG 135 sails from Pascagoula, carrying the name, strength and legacy of Senator Thad Cochran.\u201d<\/p>\n Ingalls structural welder Thomas Ward welded the initials of two authenticators \u2014 the ship sponsor and wife of the namesake. Kay Bowen Webber Cochran, and George Nungesser, a 37-year and second generation shipbuilder and soon to be retired vice president of program management at Ingalls \u2014 onto a steel plate, signifying the keel of DDG 135 to be \u201ctruly and fairly laid.\u201d The plate will be affixed to the ship and remain there throughout its lifetime.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s ceremony is a momentous occasion that Thad would have cherished deeply, especially knowing a ship named in his honor was being built at the very shipyard he advocated for in the Senate,\u201d Kay Cochran said. \u201cTo all the outstanding shipbuilders working on this destroyer, your work is essential. I am proud to witness your craftsmanship, knowing that Thad\u2019s legacy of service and commitment to our nation will be embodied in this vessel for decades to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Thad Cochran<\/em> (DDG 135) is one of five Flight III destroyers currently under construction at Ingalls and represents the next generation of surface combatants for the U.S. Navy incorporating a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. To date, Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers including the first Flight III, USS Jack H. Lucas <\/em>(DDG 125), and is currently constructing Ted Stevens<\/em> (DDG 128), which recently completed its first builder\u2019s sea trials and is currently underway for its second trials, Jeremiah Dento<\/em>n (DDG 129), George M. Neal<\/em> (DDG 131), Sam Nunn<\/em> (DDG 133) and Thad Cochran<\/em> (DDG 135).<\/p>\n As the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi, Ingalls Shipbuilding has designed, built and maintained amphibious ships and destroyers for the U.S. Navy for over 86 years.<\/p>\n The post Ingalls authenticates keel of Thad Cochran (DDG 135)<\/a> appeared first on Marine Log<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n