The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) drew attention again after taking part in a live-fire exercise in the Mediterranean Sea.
Images released by the United States Navy show the ship firing its five-inch MK 45 gun during operations conducted by the U.S. 6th Fleet, which is responsible for supporting U.S. security interests in Europe.
The training is part of the routine operations of American warships and aims to keep crews and weapons systems at a high level of readiness. The MK 45 gun is widely used by the U.S. surface fleet and can be employed against vessels, as well as in missions supporting troops on land and defending against short-range aerial threats.
Considered the backbone of the United States Navy’s destroyer force, the USS Arleigh Burke is the first ship of a class that has become the most numerous among the world’s large surface combatants. Measuring about 154 meters in length, with a displacement of approximately 9,000 tons and a speed of more than 56 km/h, the vessel combines mobility with considerable combat power.
In addition to their main gun, Arleigh Burke-class ships are equipped with Mk 41 vertical launch systems capable of deploying several types of missiles, including anti-aircraft, anti-ballistic and land-attack weapons. Fitted with the Aegis combat system and advanced radars, these destroyers play a central role in 6th Fleet operations in the Mediterranean and have already demonstrated their capabilities in real situations, such as the interception of Iranian missiles during the attacks against Israel in 2024.
#MondayMotivation: A Mark 45 5-inch gun is fires during a live-fire exercise aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer #USSPorter #DDG #US6thFleet #ReadyNavy pic.twitter.com/ngaejAWHVt
— U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet (@USNavyEurope) January 14, 2019
Source: UK Defence Journal | Photos: X @USNavyEurope | DVIDS / Public Domain | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
