U.S. Navy

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) — The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) is underway to conduct comprehensive at-sea testing, marking a significant step in her return to warfighting readiness.

The ship departed Huntington Ingalls Industries-Ingalls Shipbuilding’s Pascagoula shipyard at approximately 6:30 a.m. (CDT) to conduct a series of demonstrations to evaluate that the ship’s onboard systems meet or exceed Navy performance specifications. Among the systems that will be tested are navigation, damage control, mechanical and electrical systems, combat systems, communications, and propulsion.

The underway reflects nearly two years’ worth of effort in restoring and modernizing one of the Navy’s most capable warships after it was damaged during a collision in 2017 that claimed the lives of seven Sailors.

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