USS ''Harvey C. Barnum Jr.'' (DDG-124) will be a '' Arleigh Burke-class'' ( Flight IIA Technology Insertion)

Aegis The aegis ( ; ''aigís''), as stated in the ''Iliad'', is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon. There may be a connection with a deity named Aex, a ...

guided missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers which have a pr ...

. She was named in honor of Harvey C. Barnum Jr., a retired

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

officer who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for valor during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. Colonel Barnum served as

Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Reserve Affairs) The assistant secretary of the navy (manpower and reserve affairs) (abbreviated as ASN M&RA) is a civilian office in the United States Department of the Navy. The assistant secretary of the navy (manpower and reserve affairs) reports to the unde ...

and as Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs). In a press release from

General Dynamics General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales and fifth largest in the Unit ...

, the parent company of Bath Iron Works, it was announced that the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

has awarded funding for the planning and construction of DDG-124, for the Fiscal Year 2016. The $644.3 million contract modification fully funds this ship, and was awarded as part of a multi-year competition for ''Arleigh Burke''-class destroyers awarded in 2013. ''Harvey C. Barnum Jr.'' is expected to be commissioned in 2025.

References

Proposed ships of the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers {{US-mil-ship-stub