Navy Plans More Destroyer Upgrades

The U.S. Navy is in the early phases of a series of engineering and combat systems modernization upgrades to its current fleet of 62 commissioned Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, service officials said.

The planned upgrades are what the Navy calls "Hull, Mechanical & Electrical" or "HME" modernizations. Separate combat systems upgrades are also part of the effort, Navy officials said.

"Every year you have a ship out there is a significant investment in fuel, people and spare parts. What you want is to keep the ship combat relevant so it continues to be able to perform the full range of missions against all the modern threats throughout its life," Capt. Mark Vandroff, program manager for DDG 51 acquisition, told Military.com.

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