16^th Ingalls-built Aegis destroyer christened
Navy’s newest surface combatant honors heroic WW II Marine

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi, February 24, 2001 — "Marine Corps General David M. Shoup was a man of immense character," Major General William A. Whitlow, USMC, said here this morning, "...a hero who stood for what this country stands for – then and today."

General Whitlow, Director of the Expeditionary Warfare Division in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations, was at Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding to deliver the principal address for the christening of a new Aegis guided missile destroyer named for General Shoup. The new ship, SHOUP (DDG 86), honors the 22^nd Commandant of the Marine Corps, a Medal of Honor recipient for his heroic actions during landings on Betio, Tarawa Atoll, in the Pacific in 1943.

"I would like to challenge the crew of the SHOUP today, as we bring her to life, to maintain the commandant’s challenge of compassion in peace time – but fight if you must, and maintain that character which was his cornerstone," said General Whitlow.

Admiral Robert J. Natter, USN, Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, said the christening was an opportunity "to honor General Shoup’s fellow sailors and Marines who fought and won the Second World War and ensured America’s freedom and position of world leadership."

"From this day forward this ship will be recognized as a symbol of American naval supremacy and a visual public reminder of our great Navy and Marine Corps," Adm. Natter said, "I enjoin her crew to set and exceed the highest standards of combat readiness. This crew and their ship, one of the most powerful combatants ever to sail the seas, represent the warrior legacy of General Shoup.

"Each time I visit the Gulf Coast," Adm. Natter continued, "I am continually impressed by the outstanding service to our Navy and our nation on the part of Ingalls Shipbuilding and the citizens of the Gulf Coast who produce the finest warships ever to sail the seas. I would like to publicly thank and congratulate each of you."

At the pinnacle of Saturday’s christening ceremony, two sponsors christened the new ship with the traditional splash of crashing champagne bottles. Mrs. Zola Shoup, the General’s widow, of Arlington, Virginia; and Claudia Kaine Natter, of Norfolk, Virginia, wife of Admiral Natter, are the ship’s sponsors. In Mrs. Shoup’s absence, Mrs. Natter was joined for the champagne ceremony by General and Mrs. Shoup’s granddaughter, Lieutenant Colonel Catherine Chase, USMCR, of Fairport, New York. Ms. Caroline LaMar, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Ms. Victoria Watkins, of Aberdeen, North Carolina, served as Matrons of Honor from the Shoup family, with Rebecca Watkins, of Chapel Hill and Martha Shoup, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the family’s Maids of Honor. Ensign Kelly Natter, USN, of Milton, Florida, and Kendall and Courtney Natter of Norfolk, served as Mrs. Natter’s Maids of Honor.

Litton Ingalls President Dave Wright welcomed the more than 1,000 guests to Ingalls, noting that Ingalls has delivered 33 Aegis cruisers and destroyers into Fleet duty since 1981 -- completing these ships a total of more than 170 weeks ahead of schedule and $600 million under budget. "Our team works hard to make every ship in the class better and more mission ready than the previous ship," Wright added. "Our nation, our sailors and our great American heroes, like General Shoup, expect – and deserve – no less."

Dr. Ronald Sugar, President and Chief Operating Officer of Litton Industries, said Ingalls’ record and reputation in the construction of Navy cruisers and destroyers will carry over to the Navy’s DD 21 next-generation destroyer program. "The DD 21 Gold Team, led by Litton, is proposing the most survivable warship in naval history -- a multipurpose combatant fully equipped to find, fight, kill, survive and go home safely, and to do it at the lowest life cycle cost to the taxpayers of America," said Dr. Sugar.

"This ship could not be in better hands than right here at Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding, which has been building freedom, one great ship at a time since 1938," said Vice Admiral Edward Moore Jr., USN, Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. "This represents a pivotal moment in a ship’s life, a moment when, for the rest of time, we are able to see with great clarity the intellect, resourcefulness and skill required to build a modern combatant. A time just after the last coat of paint is applied, the equipment is fine tuned and calibrated and the scaffolding removed. It is a tribute to the talented men and women who built her and is a future home to the precommissioning crew, who stands ready and able to begin her modern odyssey."

"This ship will be manned by the finest men and women this country has to offer," said Rear Admiral William W. Cobb Jr., USN, Program Executive Officer for Theater Surface Combatants. "The success of these fine destroyers is not made up of just a Navy-government team. It is civilians...it is our taxpayers. We can never take shortcuts when it comes to engineering standards for these ships. This great team is never going to do anything but have the highest quality, and we will continue to make these ships as strong as we can."

"It’s great to be here representing the over 46,000 members of Naval Sea Systems Command," said Rear Admiral Terrance T. Etnyre, USN, Vice Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command. "Today we christen a ship, honoring an American hero who left an imprint on the 20^th century that will be forever remembered. The spirit and courage of General Shoup will live in this Aegis destroyer as it sails in harm’s way and will be a testament of United States sovereignty wherever she goes. SHOUP is a proud addition to America’s Fleet. It honors one of the best of a great generation of heroes who sacrificed much to ensure our freedom."

"It has taken over two million hours of work to get this ship, formerly known as Ingalls Hull 5286, to this stage of construction, and it will take one million more hours of work to get her ready for the Fleet," said Captain Philip N. Johnson, USN, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Pascagoula. "She is part of a long line of quality, Navy ships under construction by the talented men and women of the crafts, technicians, suppliers and support contractors here at Ingalls."

Fourteen Ingalls-built Aegis destroyers are now in the Fleet. Following SHOUP, Ingalls has contracts to produce nine additional Aegis destroyers, with six of those ships in production.

Aegis destroyers are the workhorse of the Navy's surface fleet, and the modern naval threat dictates that these ships be prepared to conduct simultaneous operations in multi-threat environments that include air, surface and subsurface targets. These versatile ships conduct a variety of missions, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, around the clock and around the world in support of the Nation's military strategy.

Construction of DDG 86 began at Ingalls on November 10, 1998. The ship's keel was laid on December 13, 1999. When completed in 2002, DDG 86 will be homeported in Everett, Washington, as an element of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Commander E. Bernard Carter, a native of Hopkins, South Carolina, will take command of the ship upon commissioning next year.

The 509.5-foot, 9,300-ton SHOUP will operate primarily with aircraft carrier battle groups, but will also provide essential escort services to Navy and Marine Corps amphibious forces and auxiliary ships, and conduct independent operations. The ship will be operated by a crew of approximately 383 officers and crewmembers.

DDG 86 is Ingalls’ fourth Flight IIA Aegis destroyer. The highlight of this major upgrade program is the addition of two helicopter hangars that will each accommodate an SH-60B undersea warfare helicopter. DDG 86 also has the LAMPS MK III Undersea Warfare Control System, with helicopter landing and replenishment facilities for the SH-60B.

Litton Ship Systems (LSS), headquartered in Pascagoula, Mississippi, includes Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding and the Litton Ship Systems Full Service Center, both located in Pascagoula, as well as Litton Avondale Industries, located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Gulfport, Mississippi. LSS, which currently employs more than 17,000 shipbuilding professionals, primarily in Mississippi and Louisiana, is one of the nation's leading full service systems companies for the design, engineering, construction, and life cycle support of major surface ships for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and international navies, and for commercial vessels of all types. LSS has a firm business backlog exceeding $5.5 billion, in a variety of naval and commercial shipbuilding programs.

Litton Industries (NYSE: LIT) is also a leading information technology (IT) contractor to the U.S. government and provides specialized IT services to commercial customers and government customers in local/international jurisdictions. Litton is a leading provider of defense and commercial electronics technology, components, and materials for customers worldwide. Headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, Litton has more than 40,000 employees and more than $5 billion in annual revenue.