PASCAGOULA, Miss., May 27, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) commemorated delivery of the U.S. Navy Aegis guided missile destroyer, Chung-Hoon (DDG 93), on May 24 during a ceremony aboard ship at the company's Pascagoula facility.
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In naming DDG 93 Chung-Hoon, the Navy honors Rear Adm. Gordon P. Chung-Hoon (1910-1979), a 1934 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism as commanding officer of USS Sigsbee (DD 502) during World War II. Despite crippling damage inflicted on his ship by a kamikaze pilot off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, then-Commander Chung-Hoon oversaw incredible damage control efforts while continuing to keep his ship's anti-aircraft guns firing.
"This ship is strong. It is a symbol of authoritative maritime superiority," said Bob Merchent, vice president, DDG 51 Program. "It is built to control the fight and survive the fight. To step aboard this ship is to step with confidence that you will defend freedom for all Americans." DDG 93 will be commissioned USS Chung-Hoon on Sept. 18, 2004, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and will be homeported there as a member of the Pacific Fleet's Destroyer Squadron 31. DDG 91 is the 20th of 28 Aegis destroyers under contract to Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems sector.
Navy Cmdr. Kenneth L. Williams, of Darmstadt, Ind., is the new ship's prospective commanding officer.
"To the many talented men and women of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and the supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast, we thank you for the many contributions you make to our country and our Naval service," said Williams. "Your teamwork has delivered a very capable ship to the Navy, and it is our time to learn how to use it effectively and meet all missions assigned and assumed."
Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems sector includes primary operations in Pascagoula, MS, Gulfport, MS; New Orleans and Tallulah, LA; as well as a network of fleet support offices in the U.S. and Japan. The sector, which currently employs more than 19,000 shipbuilding professionals primarily in Mississippi and Louisiana, is one of the nation's leading full-service systems companies for the design, engineering, construction, and life cycle support of major surface ships for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and international navies, and for commercial vessels of all types.
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