(2nd Class (AW) Kevin S. O’Brien) One of the U.S. Navy's most advanced, state-of-the-art warships in the fleet. With the combination of Aegis, the vertical launching system, and advanced anti-submarine warfare system, advanced anti-aircraft missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Arleigh Burke-class continues the revolution at sea.

Features
Guided missile destroyers are multi-mission [Anti-Air Warfare (AAW), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW)] surface combatants. The destroyer's armament has greatly expanded the role of the ship in strike warfare utilizing the MK-41 Vertical Launch System (VLS).

Features unique to DDG 1000:
• Eighty peripheral vertical launch system (VLS) cells, two Advanced Gun System (AGS) 155 millimeter (mm) guns, and two 57mm Close In Guns (CIGS).
• A stern boat ramp for two 7 meter (m) Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), designed with room for two 11m RHIBs.
• Aviation capacity for two MH-60R or one MH-60R and 3 VT Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
• It will be powered by an Integrated Power System with an Integrated Fight Through Power (IFTP). This is created by an Advanced Induction Motor (AIM).
• A Composite superstructure with integrated apertures and low signature profile.
• Advanced sensors including a SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar.
• A wave-piercing "Tumblehome" hull form.

Utilizing a gas turbine propulsion system, USS Michael Murphy will be able to operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups.

USS Michael Murphy will be the 62nd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. She is 509.5 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, displaces approximately 9,200 tons, has a crew size of 323 (23 officers and 300 enlisted) and she will make speed in excess of 30 knots.

From Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt, CNN

Bath, Maine (CNN) -- Under clear, blue skies, a ship dedicated to fallen Medal of Honor recipient and Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy was christened Saturday by his mother, Maureen, at Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine.

"I feel not only Michael's presence, but that ship embodies the spirits of Michael and his teammates," Murphy's father, Daniel, told CNN.

Following tradition, Murphy's mother cracked a bottle of champagne against the hull of the USS Michael Murphy.

"Happy Birthday, son!" Murphy's mom said on what would have been her son's 35th birthday. His life was cut short in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2005.

Dr. Josh Appel, an Air Force Reserve flight surgeon, helped retrieve Murphy's body after a firefight that claimed the lives of 18 other troops, including 2 SEALs from Murphy's team.

Appel called the christening "a symbolic gesture that brings Michael's spirit into the ship."

Murphy's team -- on a mission to go after a Taliban leader -- was ambushed when the troops were outnumbered by Taliban fighters. Murphy was honored for his courage by running into a clearing to call for help despite exposing himself to enemy fire. He was hit with two bullets in his back, but continued to seek help on the call. His final words to his command belied the deadly attack under way: "Thank you," he said.

"We can never repay, but must never ever forget," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, in front of more than 2,000 people at the shipyard.

The ship's dedication comes during a week of honors for Navy SEALs. Members of the elite special ops force killed Osama bin Laden during a 38-minute operation early Monday in Pakistan.

"You're going to have good days. You're going to have bad days," Rear Adm. Garry Bonelli told CNN. "What we're trying to do is defend freedom and follow out the president's orders. That's what we're all about."

The destroyer will be moved to a dry dock for several months while workers put the final touches on it. The lettering on the stern of the ship doesn't need any more work. It says, "Michael Murphy," but among its admirers, it's already being called "the Murph."

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