#17: Arleigh Burke-class: The Destroyer That Became a Global Standard
With over 70 ships built or ordered since 1988, the Arleigh Burke-class is the most numerous surface combatant class in any Western navy, and the longest production run of any post-World War II warship. Japan, South Korea, and Australia have all built derivatives of the design, making the Arleigh Burke the de facto standard for modern naval warfare worldwide.
Each Arleigh Burke carries 90 to 96 vertical launch cells packed with a mix of Standard missiles, Tomahawk land-attack missiles, and ESSM self-defense missiles, all managed by the SPY-1D Aegis radar. These ships have fired Tomahawks in combat from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, intercepted ballistic missiles in defense tests, and provided air defense for carrier strike groups across every ocean. At approximately 9,700 tons, they are larger than many World War II light cruisers. The class represents the pinnacle of American surface warship defense technology and will remain in service well into the 2060s.
