The Navy's newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will arrive at Naval Station Mayport Wednesday after being commissioned over the weekend.
The USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) will be homeported at Naval Station Mayport.
Saturday a ceremony was held at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
The ship's namesake, Paul Ignatius, served as Secretary of the Navy under President Lyndon Johnson from 1967 to 1969 and as a commissioned lieutenant during World War II aboard the Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Manila Bay (CVE 61), according to a news release from the Navy.
"What could be greater than serving aboard a Unites States destroyer," said Ignatius himself, speaking from a podium aboard the ship's quarterdeck. "Destroyers have an honorable role in Navy history because of their many capabilities."
Video Of The Commissioning Ceremony
Video credit: Defense Media Activity-Navy Production
About 310 officers and enlisted personnel make up the crew of Paul Ignatius, according to the U.S. Navy.
The destroyer sails up to 30 knots at sea, carrying advanced RADAR and SONAR systems that allow the ship to target potential threats in the air, on the sea and underwater.
The decks host two MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems, one 5-inch gun turret, a close-in weapons system and two MK 32 triple-barrel torpedo mounts.
"Thank you all for your mental toughness and unwavering dedication to get our ship through every milestone of performing at sea with excellence," said Cmdr. Robby D. Trotter, commanding officer of Paul Ignatius, to his crew.
