USS Thad Cochran (DDG-135) is a planned Arleigh Burke-class (Flight III) Aegis guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy.[1] She will be named in honor of William Thad Cochran, a Republican U.S. Senator representing Mississippi from 1978 to 2018, serving on numerous subcommittees during that time. He was a U.S. Navy ensign during 1959–1961.[4] Fabrication of the ship began on 13 November 2023.[5]

History
United States
NameThad Cochran
NamesakeThad Cochran
Awarded27 September 2018[1]
BuilderIngalls Shipbuilding
Laid downOctober 23, 2025[2]
IdentificationHull number: DDG-135
StatusUnder construction
General characteristics
Class & typeArleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement9,217 tons (full load)[3]
Length510 ft (160 m)[3]
Beam66 ft (20 m)[3]
Propulsion4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)[3]
Speed31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)[3]
Complement380 officers and enlisted
Armament
ArmorKevlar-type armor with steel hull. Numerous passive survivability measures.
Aircraft carried2 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopters
Aviation facilitiesDouble hangar and helipad

References

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  1. 1 2 "Thad Cochran (DDG-135)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  2. "HII'S INGALLS SHIPBUILDING AUTHENTICATES KEEL OF DESTROYER THAD COCHRAN (DDG 135)". hii.com. Huntington Ingalls Industries. October 23, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class". Federation of American Scientists. FAS.org. 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  4. "Navy to name ship after the late Sen. Cochran of Mississippi". Associated Press. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  5. "HII Begins Fabrication of Destroyer Thad Cochran (DDG 135)". hii.com (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2024.