USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) guided-missile destroyer

The DDG-51, better known as the USS Arleigh Burke, is the lead ship of the Arleigh Burke-class of guided-missile destroyers. It was designed to be a multi-mission platform capable of anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare. The ship was originally ordered in 1985 and was constructed at Bath Iron Works, a major shipyard located in Maine.

The Arleigh Burke class represents one of the most successful and longest-running ship construction programs in the history of the United States Navy. These vessels are built primarily by two major American defense contractors: Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries. The ownership of the ship itself resides with the United States Government, as it is a commissioned vessel of the U.S. Navy.

The brand and technical design of the Arleigh Burke class are fundamental components of American naval power. Ownership of the companies that build these ships has consolidated over the decades into major aerospace and defense conglomerates. General Dynamics, the ultimate parent company of Bath Iron Works, and Huntington Ingalls Industries (which was spun off from Northrop Grumman) are the primary entities responsible for the continued production and lifecycle of these strategic military assets.