General Dynamics Dedicates New Guided-Missile Destroyer; Fred Harris Comments

General Dynamics has christened a new guided-missile destroyer at the company’s Bath, Maine-based shipyard.

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works started to fabricate the USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) in November 2011 and is set to deliver the destroyer to the U.S. Navy in 2016, General Dynamics said Monday.

“We all understand the importance of what we do — building ships that will protect our sailors and marines, providing them the best possible tools to do their jobs,” said Fred Harris, president of Bath Iron Works.

The ship was named after U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who was killed on Nov. 15, 2014, during his deployment to Iraq.