Latest news with #QuentinWalsh
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Keel laid for guided-missile destroyer USS Quentin Walsh
Construction has officially begun on the new Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), named after a World War II hero and Navy Cross recipient. The vessel's keel was laid May 20 during a ceremony at General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works in Maine, during which Walsh's great-granddaughter, Madison Ann Zolper, welded her initials into the keel plate as is customary for a ship's sponsor. Walsh, a captain in the U.S. Coast Guard, helped plan the capture of Cherbourg in the days leading up to the invasion of Normandy on D-Day on June 6, 1944. He earned his place in history when, in a series of daring enterprises, he captured about 750 German soldiers with a force of 53 men and liberated 52 U.S. paratroopers in the wake of the D-Day landings. He continued to lead a life of military and community service after the war. 'We are honored to mark the beginning of the construction for the future USS Quentin Walsh and celebrate his legacy with his family. DDG 132 will provide our Navy with critical strategic capabilities to support Fleet readiness,' said Capt. Jay Young, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer program manager of Program Executive Office Ships, in a release. The vessel will be equipped with AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar, a four-sided phased array radar that can defend against a wide variety of missiles, including hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Ships equipped with SPY-6 radar technology can also counter threats from surface vessels and the air, as well as electronic attacks.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Keel laid for future guided-missile destroyer USS Quentin Walsh
May 20 (UPI) -- The keel for the future guided-missile destroyer USS Quentin Walsh was officially laid Tuesday in a ceremony at Bath Iron Works in Maine. It is the first time an Arleigh Burke-class ship will be built in honor of a Coast Guard member. The keel, the structure at the bottom of the ship's hull, represents the start of construction or birth of the ship. Madison Ann Zolper, the great-granddaughter of the ship's namesake Coast Guard Capt. Quentin Walsh, attended Tuesday's ceremony and welded the family's initials into the keel plate. "We are honored to mark the beginning of the construction for the future USS Quentin Walsh and celebrate his legacy with his family," said Capt. Jay Young, Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer program manager for PEO Ships. "DDG 132 will provide our Navy with critical strategic capabilities to support fleet readiness." The Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer, designated as DDG 132, will feature upgraded air and missile defense radar to provide "enhanced war fighting capability to the fleet," according to the U.S. Navy. The destroyers are designed to fight air, surface and subsurface battles at the same time. Walsh, who died in 2000 and held various roles in the U.S. Coast Guard, was awarded the Navy Cross for heroic actions in the 1944 Battle of Cherbourg during World War II. Walsh's 53-man reconnaissance unit captured 750 German soldiers and freed 52 American prisoners of war. Walsh, who also served during the Korean War, was among those honored in France on the 75th anniversary of D-Day. "Capt. Walsh was a hero whose efforts during World War II continue to inspire, and his leadership in securing the French port of Cherbourg had a profound effect on the success of the amphibious operations associated with Operation Overlord," former Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer said at a 2019 ceremony in Cherbourg. That same year, Adm. Karl Schultz -- former commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard -- announced the USS Quentin Walsh. "Naming a future Navy destroyer after Capt. Walsh, the first Arleigh Burke-class ship to be named after a Coast Guard legend, highlights not only his courageous actions but the bravery of all U.S. service members involved in the D-Day invasion of Normandy," Schultz said in 2019, as the Navy on Tuesday celebrated the start of construction. "The keel laying of future USS Quentin Walsh (DDG 132) symbolizes the Navy's 250-year commitment to innovation and maritime dominance," the U.S. Navy said in a statement. "This milestone marks the Navy's enduring legacy and commitment to shaping the future of maritime power."
