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Vessel · Sea

Arleigh Burke-class destroyer

Multi-mission guided-missile destroyer class for the U.S. Navy.

by General Dynamics · First fielded 1991

FieldedVesselSeaMilestoneJun 11, 2025
navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169871/destroyers-ddg-51/destroyers-ddg-51
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) underway in the Pacific Ocean

Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeffrey Yale · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Navy)

Milestones19912025
  1. FieldedUSS Arleigh Burke commissioned, confirmed
  2. MilestoneGAO assessment: Flight III destroyer construction delays, confirmed

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer class. Built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and HII Ingalls Shipbuilding.

Timeline2

  1. FieldedConfirmed

    USS Arleigh Burke commissioned

    SourcesU.S. Navy

  2. MilestoneConfirmed

    GAO assessment: Flight III destroyer construction delays

    GAO’s June 2025 assessment reports delivery delays of 8–41 months against contract dates for the first 13 follow-on Flight III ships. Its cost graphic covers 29 Flight III ships bought or planned in fiscal years 2017–2029, not the entire Arleigh Burke class. GAO describes the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar and Aegis upgrades and identifies shipyard workforce constraints. Testing completion in 2027 was a plan at the time of the assessment.

    SourcesU.S. Government Accountability Office

Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.

Built with3

Cost to the government

  • Total acquisition costConfirmed
    $167.14B
    Then-year $ · 107 units

    SCN shipbuilding only, P-40 DDG-51 'Total' column: 107 ships through to-complete, $167,138.579M gross weapon system cost (then-year); excludes RDT&E and outfitting/post-delivery ($5,556.560M).

    U.S. Navy, Office of Budget (FMB)
  • Unit cost (per unit)Reported
    $2.70B
    Estimate / observation: 2025-01 · 23 units

    CBO analysis of the Navy's FY2025 30-year shipbuilding plan (Jan 2025): the 23 Flight III DDG-51s in the plan average $2.7B each (CBO estimate); Navy's own estimate rose from $2.1B to $2.5B per ship. Reported by TWZ.

    The War Zone
Earlier cost observations (4)
  • Arleigh Burke-class destroyer · Unit cost (per unit) · $962M
    Estimate / observation: 2000 · Then-year $ · 58 units

    DOT&E FY2000 Annual Report program data: DDG-51 with AN/SPY-1D, 58 systems, average unit cost (TY$) $962.2M; total program cost $55,807.6M. Mirrored by GlobalSecurity.org.

    Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (via GlobalSecurity.org)
  • Arleigh Burke-class destroyer · Total acquisition cost · $56.52B
    Estimate / observation: 1997 · Then-year $ · 57 units

    DOT&E FY1997 Annual Report: DDG-51 total program cost (TY$) $56,515.8M for 57 ships.

    Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (via GlobalSecurity.org)
  • Arleigh Burke-class destroyer · Unit cost (per unit) · $947M
    Estimate / observation: 1997 · Then-year $ · 57 units

    DOT&E FY1997 Annual Report program data: DDG-51 with AN/SPY-1D, 57 systems, average unit cost (TY$) $946.5M; total program cost $56,515.8M. Mirrored by GlobalSecurity.org.

    Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (via GlobalSecurity.org)
  • Arleigh Burke-class destroyer · Unit cost (per unit) · $4.26B
    Then-year $ · 1 unit

    Gross/weapon-system (end) cost per ship, FY 2027 request, SCN P-40 DDG-51 (line 2122): $4,256.914M for 1 Flight III ship. CRS RL32109 (Dec 2025) says DDG-51s cost about $2.7 billion each at two ships per year.

    U.S. Navy, Office of Budget (FMB)
Budget by fiscal year
Fiscal yearAppropriationRequestEnactedQtyBudget lineSource
FY2027RDT&E$7.7M———Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed
FY2027Procurement$3.58B—1—Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed
FY2027Total$3.59B—1—Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed
FY2026RDT&E$185M$25.2M——Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed
FY2026Procurement$5.75B$7.51B2—Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed
FY2026Total$5.94B$7.53B2—Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed
FY2025RDT&E—$227M——Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed
FY2025Procurement—$8.41B3—Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed
FY2025Total—$8.63B3—Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller)Confirmed

Unit costs and contract unit prices for this product, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.

In service

First fielded
1991

Sources9

  1. 1.
    Government recordWeapon Systems Annual Assessment: DOD Leaders Should Ensure That Newer Programs Are Structured for Speed and Innovation — p. 123

    U.S. Government Accountability Office · Jun 11, 2025 · Supports: System milestone

    “The delivery delays for these ships now range from 8 to 41 months”
  2. 2.
    NewsCost Of Navy's Newest Arleigh Burke Destroyers Is Ballooning

    The War Zone · Jan 8, 2025 · Supports: Cost · amount

    “the 23 Flight IIIs laid out in the 30-year shipbuilding plan will end up costing $2.7 billion on average”
  3. 3.
    OtherInside The US Navy’s Most Powerful Destroyer

    Sam Eckholm · Aug 24, 2024 · Supports: System · name

    “Arleigh Burke”
  4. 4.
    Government recordProgram Acquisition Cost by Weapon System: Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request

    Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller) · Supports: Cost · amount

    “DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer ... RDT&E - - $M 227.3 - $M 185.2”
  5. 5.
    Government recordProgram Acquisition Cost by Weapon System: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request

    Office of the Under Secretary of War (Comptroller) · Supports: Cost · amount

    “DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer ... - - 25.2 - 7.7 - - -”
  6. 6.
    Government recordARLEIGH BURKE (DDG-51) Guided Missile Destroyer with the AN/SPY-1D Radar - FY97 DOT&E Annual Report

    Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (via GlobalSecurity.org) · Supports: Cost · amount

    “Total program cost (TY$) $56,515.8M”
  7. 7.
    Government recordARLEIGH BURKE (DDG 51) Class Guided Missile Destroyer with the AN/SPY-1D Radar - FY2000 DOT&E Annual Report

    Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (via GlobalSecurity.org) · Supports: Cost · amount

    “Average Unit Cost (TY$): $962.2M”
  8. 8.
    Government recordDestroyers (DDG 51)

    U.S. Navy · Supports: System, System · system component:aegis-combat-system, System · system component:an-spy-6, System · system component:lm2500, System milestone

    “DDG 51 was commissioned on July 4, 1991, and the class is still in production.”
  9. 9.
    Government recordDepartment of the Navy FY 2027 Budget Estimates: Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy (Justification Book)

    U.S. Navy, Office of Budget (FMB) · Supports: Cost · amount

    “Procurement Quantity (Units in Each) 94 3 - 1 - 1 1 1 2 2 3 107 Gross/Weapon System Cost ($ in Millions) 117,822.879 7,858.814 306.125 4,256.914 0.000 4,256.914 4,026.201 4,209.440 6,613.151 6,964.218 15,080.837 167,138.579”

Each fact on this page is attached to the sources that support it. Archived copies are linked when we keep one.