USS Frank E. Petersen Jr.

History

USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) is a United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA Technology Insertion Aegis guided-missile destroyer. Built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, it was commissioned in 2022 and is homeported at Pearl Harbor.

The ship is named for U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Frank E. Petersen Jr., the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general. Its service has included carrier strike group operations and a later combat deployment involving defense against Iranian missiles and drones.

Fabrication began in April 2016 with the first 100 tons of steel cut at the shipyard. The keel was laid on 21 February 2017, the ship was launched on 13 July 2018, and it was christened on 6 October 2018.

The Navy acquired the destroyer on 30 November 2021. It was commissioned on 14 May 2022 at Charleston, South Carolina.

Deployments

Frank E. Petersen Jr. completed its maiden deployment with the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in 2024 and returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on 12 December after five months at sea. During that deployment the crew logged more than 475 hours of flight quarters, conducted 17 replenishments at sea, and carried out 15 sea-and-anchor details.

An April 2026 transit claim through the Strait of Hormuz with USS Michael Murphy is not independently confirmed. During a later 10-month deployment, Frank E. Petersen Jr. spent 40 days in combat and defended against scores of Iranian missiles and drones before returning home.

Design

Frank E. Petersen Jr. is an Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA Technology Insertion destroyer equipped with the Aegis combat system. The ship has a double helicopter hangar and a flight deck for two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.

Propulsion is provided by four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines with a combined output of 75,000 kW (100,000 shp). The ship has a reported maximum speed of 57 km/h (31 knots).

Operational history

The destroyer entered active service in 2022. Its 2024 maiden deployment was conducted as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. By 2026, the ship had also completed a 10-month deployment that included 40 days of combat operations against Iranian missile and drone threats.

Operators

• United States Navy: In active service and homeported at Pearl Harbor.

Specifications (Flight IIA Technology Insertion)

General characteristics

• Class and type: Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA Technology Insertion Aegis guided-missile destroyer
• Hull number: DDG-121
• Full-load displacement: 9,217 tons
• Length: 156 m (513 ft)
• Beam: 20 m (66 ft)
• Complement: 380 officers and enlisted personnel

Performance

• Propulsion: Four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 75,000 kW (100,000 shp) combined
• Maximum speed: 57 km/h (31 knots; 36 mph)

Aviation facilities

• Aircraft carried: Two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters
• Facilities: Double hangar and helipad