Gravely Completes Final Contract Trials

From Program Executive Office Ships Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- USS Gravely (DDG 107) successfully completed Final Contract Trials in Norfolk, Va., May 19.

The trial, run by the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), is part of a series of post-delivery test and trials during which the ship and its major systems are exercised, tested and corrected as required.

INSURV officials closely monitored the testing of the ship's main propulsion & auxiliary systems, Aegis Combat System, communication and navigation systems, and habitability. Successful demonstrations of the ship's full power, steering, anchoring, anti-aircraft warfare (AAW), ship's self defense, and anti-surface warfare (ASW) capabilities were accomplished.

"The crew of Gravely has worked extremely hard to successfully complete this key shipbuilding milestone as assessed by INSURV," said Capt. Pete Lyle, DDG 51 Class Shipbuilding program manager for the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "The Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Doug Kunzman has thoroughly trained his crew and deftly instilled their ownership of Gravely. INSURV has confirmed that this ship is prepared to execute her mission."

Gravely was commissioned last year in Wilmington, N.C. The ship is named for Vice Adm. Samuel Lee Gravely, the first African-American to command a warship and to attain flag rank, among many other achievements.

Gravely is a guided-missile destroyer designed to operate in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface environments. The ship is equipped with the Navy's Aegis Combat System, the world's foremost integrated naval weapon system. The class provides outstanding combat capability and survivability characteristics while minimizing procurement and lifetime support costs due to the program's maturity. The DDG 51 program continues to reinforce affordability and efficiency, with a commitment to deliver ships at the highest possible quality.

As one of the Defense Department's largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships, an affiliated PEO of the Naval Sea Systems Command, is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all major surface combatants, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and special warfare craft. Currently, the majority of shipbuilding programs managed by PEO Ships are benefiting from serial production efficiencies, which are critical to delivering ships on cost and schedule.