USS Jack H. Lucas

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, first of the Flight III variants^[11] and 75th overall in the class. She is named after then-Marine Corps Private First Class, later United States Army captain Jacklyn H. Lucas,^[12] recipient of the Medal of Honor. On 17 September 2016, she was named by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.^[13]

USS Jack H. Lucas

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) during acceptance trials.
History
United States
Name	Jack H. Lucas
Namesake	Jacklyn H. Lucas
Builder	Huntington-Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down	8 November 2019[1]
Launched	4 June 2021[2]
Sponsored by	Ruby Lucas Catherine B. Reynolds
Christened	26 March 2022[3]
Acquired	27 June 2023[4]
Commissioned	7 October 2023[5]
Homeport	San Diego, California[6]
Identification	Hull number: DDG-125
Motto	Indestructible[7]
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement	9,496 long tons (full load)[8][9]
Length	509.5 ft (155.3 m)[10]
Beam	66 ft (20 m)[9]
Propulsion	4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)[9]
Speed	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)[9]
Complement	380 officers and enlisted
Armament	Guns: 1 × 5-inch (127 mm)/62 Mk 45 Mod 4 (lightweight gun) 1 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Phalanx CIWS 2 × 25 mm (0.98 in) Mk 38 machine gun system 4 × 0.50 inches (12.7 mm) caliber guns Missiles: 1 × 32-cell, 1 × 64-cell (96 total cells) Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS): RIM-66M surface-to-air missile RIM-156 surface-to-air missile RIM-174A standard ERAM RIM-161 anti-ballistic missile RIM-162 ESSM (quad-packed) BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile RUM-139 vertical launch ASROC Torpedoes: 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes: Mark 46 lightweight torpedo Mark 50 lightweight torpedo Mark 54 lightweight torpedo
Armor	Kevlar-type armor with steel hull. Numerous passive survivability measures.
Aircraft carried	2 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopters
Aviation facilities	Double hangar and helipad

Construction

Jack H. Lucas was launched on 4 June 2021,^[2] and christened 26 March 2022.^[3] The ship was commissioned on 7 October 2023 with the ceremony taking place in Tampa, Florida.^[5]

Operational history

Jack H. Lucas left Ingalls on 12 December 2022 for three days of sea trials before returning to port on 15 December 2022.^[14]

On 27 June 2023, the US Navy formally took delivery of Jack H. Lucas from Ingalls. She remained in Pascagoula for another 120 days after delivery to allow the crew to move onto the ship.^[4][15]

On 26 September 2023, Jack H. Lucas left Ingalls for her home port in San Diego, California, with a stopover in Florida. She was commissioned in Tampa Bay on 7 October 2023.^[5]

Namesake

Jacklyn H. Lucas

Jacklyn Harold "Jack" Lucas (1928–2008) was a U.S. Marine, and later U.S. Army airborne officer, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Iwo Jima, at the age of 17. He is the youngest Marine and youngest serviceman in World War II to be awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor. When the keel of USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) was laid in 1997, Lucas placed his Medal of Honor citation in the ship's hull, where it remains sealed.^[16]

Gallery

• 
  Jack H. Lucas sits in drydock at Huntington-Ingalls Shipbuilding prior to launch
• 
  A bottle is smashed against the hull of Jack H. Lucas at the ship's christening ceremony
• 
  Jack H. Lucas just after being launched

References

1. "Huntington Ingalls Industries Authenticates Keel of Guided Missile Destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125)". ADSNews. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
2. White, Ryan (7 June 2021). "U.S. Navy Launches First Flight III Guided Missile Destroyer, the future Jack H. Lucas". Naval Post. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
3. "HII Christens Destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125)". Huntington Ingalls Industries. 26 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
4. "Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Jack H. Lucas". U.S. Navy. 29 June 2023. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
5. Shelbourne, Mallory (10 October 2023). "First Flight III Destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas Joins Fleet". U.S. Naval Institute. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
6. "Navy to Christen Guided-Missile Destroyer Jack H. Lucas". United States Department of Defense. 25 March 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
7. "About USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125)". Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. U.S. Navy. 26 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
8. "US Navy Christens Arleigh Burke-class Destroyer Jack H Lucas". Navy Recognition. 28 March 2022. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023.
9. Pike, John (2 November 2016). "DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
10. "Destroyers (DDG 51)". U.S. Navy. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
11. LaGrone, Sam (28 June 2017). "Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded First Flight III Arleigh Burke Destroyer". United States Naval Institute. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
12. Rumpf-Whitten, Sarah (7 October 2023). "U.S.S. Jack H. Lucas officially commissioned into service in Port Tampa Bay". Fox News. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
13. "Secretary Mabus Names Two Destroyers for Medal of Honor Recipients". U.S. Navy. 17 September 2016. 96649. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
14. LaGrone, Sam (19 December 2022). "Flight III Arleigh Burke Destroyer Jack H. Lucas Underway for the First Time". U.S. Naval Institute. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
15. Shelbourne, Mallory (27 June 2023). "Navy Takes Delivery of First Flight III Destroyer Jack H. Lucas". U.S. Naval Institute. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
16. "Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded Contract to Build Destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125)". Huntington Ingalls Industries. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2017.

External links

• "Ray Mabus: DDG 125 & DDG 126 Destroyers Named After Two WWII Marines". ExecutiveGov.com. 19 September 2016.
• "USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125)". NavSource.org.
• "Two destroyers to be named for Medal Of Honor recipients". The American Survival Guide.
• Launch of Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) (video). Huntington Ingalls Industries – via YouTube.