Overview
- The Navy christened the future USS William Charette (DDG-130) on Saturday, August 1, 2026, in a dry dock ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.
- The destroyer is named for Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William R. Charette, who received the Medal of Honor for shielding a wounded Marine from a grenade blast during the Korean War.
- Kathryn Charette Donovan, the namesake’s daughter, served as ship sponsor and broke a bottle across the bow during a ceremony attended by about 1,500 shipbuilders, family members, Maine officials and senior Navy leaders.
- DDG-130 is a Flight III Arleigh Burke–class guided‑missile destroyer fitted with the AN/SPY-6 air and missile defense radar, a major sensor upgrade that improves detection and tracking of airborne and ballistic threats.
- Christening is a construction milestone, not entry into service, and the ship will undergo final outfitting, contractor and Navy trials, and formal commissioning in the months ahead while Bath Iron Works continues building multiple other Flight III hulls.