U.S. Starts Construction of DDG 134 Arleigh Burke Flight III Destroyer to Boost U.S. Navy Air Defense

Bath Iron Works joined the first major modules of DDG 134 and laid the keel for the future USS John E. Kilmer in Maine on September 10, 2026. The ship is a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer equipped with the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar and Aegis combat system for simultaneous air and ballistic-missile defence. Its Mk 41 vertical launch system will also support Tomahawk strike, while the vessel retains anti-surface and anti-submarine missions. DDG 134 is one of seven Flight III destroyers assigned to the General Dynamics yard and is named for Medal of Honor recipient John E. Kilmer.