New destroyer to be named in honor of ex-U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn

May 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has named one of its future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to honor former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, the Navy announced on Monday.

DDG 133 is among the new class of the DDG-51 Flight III baseline that is centered around the AMDR/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar system, according to the U.S. Navy.

Nunn, 80, served in the U.S. Coast Guard 1959 to 1960 and remained in the Coast Guard Reserve until 1968. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 from Georgia and served until 1997.

Nunn served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

"Senator Nunn's impact on the Navy and Marine Corps team cannot be overstated," Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer said in a news release. "His leadership in the Senate, specifically as the long-serving chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped streamline the military chain of command and strengthen our Navy and Marine Corps team. I am pleased that Senator Nunn's legacy of service to our nation will continue in the future USS Sam Nunn."

The ship will be constructed at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. The ship was authorized for construction in September 2018.

Sixty-six class ships have been delivered to the Naval fleet and 10 ships are currently under construction, with an additional 12 under contract with shipbuilders HII and Bath Iron Works.

The first Flight III ship, the USS Jack H. Lucas, designated as DDG 125, started fabrication in May 2018. Also under construction is the USS Louis H. Wilson, named for a Medal of Honor recipient. Other named Flight III ships under contract also honor two former U.S. senators, Ted Stevens and Jeremiah Denton.

Like other Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the USS Sam Nunn will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously. The vessel will be 509 feet long, have a beam length of 59 feet and be capable of operating at speeds in excess of 30 knots.

The latest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, commissioned was the USS Thomas Hudner, was commissioned in December 2018.