Mullen lauds latest Aegis ship

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- The USS Wayne E. Meyer guided-missile destroyer provides an added level of defense to the evolving needs of the U.S. military, Adm. Mike Mullen said.

Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined Adm. Gary Roughhead, the chief of U.S. naval operations, in commissioning the 58th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in Philadelphia, the U.S. Defense Department reported.

The destroyer was commissioned in honor of the late Adm. Wayne E. Meyer, described as the father of the Aegis weapons system.

"Admiral Wayne Meyer's brainchild has become an enduring staple of our fleet because the system has been able to evolve, to flex to our defense needs as they change over time," Mullen said.

The U.S. Navy has deployed the destroyer class to patrol the waters of North Korea as a deterrent in the face of a nuclear threat, while its humanitarian missions included aid for the citizens of the republic of Georgia following conflict with Russia in 2008.

The USS Wayne E. Meyer carries the 110th Aegis weapons system. She will be based in San Diego with Navy Cmdr. Nick Sharp commanding her 370-member crew.

The U.S. military shares its Aegis weapons system with the navies of Japan, Spain, Norway, South Korea and Australia.