Crew members man-the-rails during the commissioning ceremony of the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst/Released) SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, will arrive in San Diego Dec. 4 where the ship will be homeported after transiting from the Bath Iron Works Shipyard in Bath, Maine.
The new destroyer, under the command of Cmdr. Nick A. Sarap, was commissioned in Philadelphia and placed into active service on the Delaware River Oct. 10. The ship is the 58th destroyer in its class carrying the 100th Aegis combat system; an advanced command and control, and weapon control system that uses powerful computers and radars to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets.
Meyer honors retired Navy Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer who led the development of the Aegis combat system for the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers.
In 1963, the secretary of the Navy chose Meyer to lead a special Navy Task Force for Surface Missile Systems. Meyer turned down a destroyer command to continue his work with missile, radar and fire control systems, and became the founding chief engineer at the Naval Ship Missile System Engineering Station, Port Hueneme, Calif. In this position, Meyer was promoted to rear admiral in January 1975.
In January 1977, he assumed duties as the founding project manager of the Aegis Shipbuilding Project. This project was ultimately responsible for the construction of all of the Navy's current cruisers and destroyers – with 89 ships built or in construction, and more in planning. This is one of the longest and largest naval shipbuilding programs in history. He retired from active duty in 1985.
Meyer will provide deterrence, promote peace and security, preserve freedom of the sea and humanitarian/disaster response within 3rd Fleet's 50-million square mile area of responsibility in the Eastern Pacific, as well as supporting the nation's Maritime Strategy when forward deployed.