Last weekend, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Harvey Barnum Jr. was added to the U.S. Navy at the Norfolk Naval Base. According to Naval News, the ceremony was attended by approximately 1,800 guests, including high-ranking military leaders, sailors, marines, veterans and their family members.
The first persons of the ceremony were Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Admiral James W. Kilby and Marine Corps Commander General Eric M. Smith. Phelan wished the crew of the new ship a fair wind and a calm sea.
Commissioning of the destroyer Harvey Barnum, USA
US Navy
"This is the first ship named after Marine Corps Officer Barnum, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his participation in the Vietnam War, who distinguished himself in the Que Son Valley during Operation Harvest Moon and showed what leadership means when everything is at stake," said Minister Phelan.
Admiral Kilby emphasized the role of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in providing combat power and maintaining the Navy's global superiority in warfare.
"The need to build such warships is more obvious today than ever. Sailors on ships such as the Harvey Barnum Jr. keep watch, defending their homeland and deterring aggressors," he said.
General Smith emphasized the importance of the ship's name: "Colonel Barnum embodies the best qualities of our naval service: courage under fire, dedication and unwavering commitment to military duty and caring for others."
"Our strength is based not only on technology, but also on trust. Based on the belief that we will support each other and that no one will ever be left out," said retired Colonel Harvey Barnum himself at the ceremony.
On December 18, 1965, as a lieutenant, he assumed command of the company after the commander was mortally wounded. With two armed helicopters under his command, he advanced fearlessly under deadly fire, leading air attacks on enemy positions and leading a counteroffensive that helped capture key positions. Later, he coordinated the evacuation of the wounded and continued the offensive to achieve the battalion's objective.
The Harvey Barnum Jr. is the 74th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built for the United States Navy. It was laid down at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in April 2021 and launched in September 2023.
The ship is made in the configuration of Flight IIA: Technology Insertion. In this version, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are equipped with the older AN/SPY-1D(v) air search radars, while the next version of Flight III receives AN/SPY-6 radars.
The displacement of the destroyer reaches 9,500 tons, the length of the hull is 155.29 meters, the width is 20 meters. The maximum speed exceeds 30 knots. The cruising range is 4,400 nautical miles. The crew consists of 300 people.
The main attack weapon is two universal Mk.41 launchers, which can use both SM anti–aircraft missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles and ASROC anti-submarine missiles. The ship's arsenal is complemented by a 127 mm Mk.45 gun mount, a six-barrel 20 mm Phalanx anti-aircraft gun mount and two 25 mm M242 Bushmaster cannons, four 12.7mm machine guns, as well as two three-tube 324 mm torpedo tubes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters are based on board.
