By Christopher P. Cavas
The US Navy has or is building 75 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, considered among the most powerful surface ships ever fielded. The service is banking that the 76th ship – probably – is even more effective, incorporating a powerful new radar designed to deal with the threat from enemy ballistic missiles. The Navy is likely to spend more than $50 billion over the next decade to build 22 of the new ships, according to a government report. But negotiations to build the version of the Arleigh Burke, dubbed Flight III, are proving tough.
