The USS Patrick Gallagher is taking clear shape with an anticipated launch date roughly a year from now in the summer of 2024.
The Gallagher, named after U.S. Marine and County Mayo-born Vietnam war hero Patrick, is being built at Bath Iron Works in Maine.
As of two weeks ago, the ship, officially designated DDG 127, is 63% complete, this according to a spokeswoman for Naval Sea Systems Command.
According to the NSSC, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer started fabrication on April 26, 2019 and "achieved Lay Keel" on June 16, 2022.
"The Lay Keel milestone is the formal recognition of the joining together of the ship’s first major modular components.
"The next milestone is Launch/Float Off, when the ship enters the water for the first time. This is anticipated to happen in Summer 2024. The following major milestone will be the Christening, which is held a few months after Launch.
"Delivery from the manufacturer to the U.S. Navy is expected in Fall 2025. A Pre-commissioning Commanding Officer for the future USS Patrick Gallagher has not yet been named."
In addition to the hull and superstructure, the construction of the ship also involves enormous quantities of technological equipment, so the overall construction is not a rushed process.
During his recent visit to Ireland, and specifically in his speech in Ballina, County Mayo, President Biden paid tribute to the legacy of the Irish in defending the United States of America.
The president stated: "Today, the United States continues to honor that legacy, including that of a Mayo-born Marine named Patrick Gallagher. Patrick immigrated to New York in 1962. He worked for the Senate campaign of one of my political heroes, Robert F. Kennedy.
"A few years later, when he wasn’t even a U.S. citizen, Patrick joined the United States Marine Corps and deployed to Vietnam. In 1966, Patrick’s team was attacked in an ambush.
"When the enemy hurled a grenade at his team, Patrick threw himself on top of that grenade. He was willing to sacrifice his life to save his brothers-in-arms. He survived that attack, was awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery. Sadly, he was later killed in action."
The president said that Gallagher's name would "be honored in iron" when the United States "launches a new Navy destroyer, the USS Patrick Gallagher — from Mayo."
