USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee

For other ships with the same name, see USS Higbee.

USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee on 8 May 2023
History
United States
Name	Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee
Namesake	Lenah Higbee
Awarded	3 June 2013
Builder	Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down	14 November 2017
Launched	27 January 2020
Sponsored by	Louisa Dixon Virginia Munford Rolanda Pickett Wilson
Christened	24 April 2021
Acquired	30 November 2022
Commissioned	13 May 2023
Homeport	San Diego
Identification	Hull number: DDG-123
Motto	Bellatrix illa, "She Is a Warrior"[1]
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics [2]
Class & type	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement	9,217 tons (full load)
Length	513 ft (156 m)
Beam	66 ft (20 m)
Propulsion	4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)
Speed	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)
Complement	380 officers and enlisted
Armament	Guns: 1 × 5-inch (127 mm)/62 Mk 45 Mod 4 (lightweight gun) 1 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Phalanx CIWS 2 × 25 mm (0.98 in) Mk 38 machine gun system 4 × 0.50 inches (12.7 mm) caliber guns Missiles: 1 × 32-cell, 1 × 64-cell (96 total cells) Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS): RIM-66M surface-to-air missile RIM-156 surface-to-air missile RIM-174A standard ERAM RIM-161 anti-ballistic missile RIM-162 ESSM (quad-packed) BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile RUM-139 vertical launch ASROC Torpedoes: 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes: Mark 46 lightweight torpedo Mark 50 lightweight torpedo Mark 54 lightweight torpedo
Aircraft carried	2 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopters
Aviation facilities	Double hangar and helipad

USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) is an Arleigh Burke-class (Flight IIA) Aegis guided missile destroyer. She is named for Chief Nurse Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (1874–1941). Sutcliffe Higbee was a pioneering Navy nurse who served as Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I and the first woman to be awarded the Navy Cross.^[3]

Construction

USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) at Naval Base San Diego, October 2024

Ingalls Shipbuilding was awarded the contract for Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee in June 2013, and began fabrication of the vessel in January 2017.^[4] The ship's keel was laid in a ceremony at the Ingalls shipyards on 14 November 2017, and sponsored by Louisa Dixon, Virginia Munford, and Rolanda Pickett Wilson.^[5][6] She was launched on 27 January 2020, and christened on 24 April 2021 in Pascagoula, Mississippi.^[7] On 30 November 2022, Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee was delivered to the Navy,^[8][9] and commissioned in Key West, Florida, on 13 May 2023.^[10][11]

Service history

Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee unveiled a new battle flag in 2025, the flag pays tribute to the first female naval nurses. The flag shows the number 20 surrounded by 20 gold stars.^[12]

References

1. Badge 2021.
2. FAS 2016.
3. Kreisher 2016.
4. Marine Log 2017.
5. Higbee Keel 2017.
6. Huntington Ingalls 2017.
7. Higbee Christened 2021.
8. Higbee Delivered 2022.
9. HII 2022.
10. Higbee Commissioned 2023.
11. WJXT 2023.
12. Guldin 2025.

Bibliography

• "Huntington Ingalls Industries Authenticates Keel of Guided Missile Destroyer Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
• "Keel Laid for Future USS Lenah H Sutcliffe Higbee" (Press release). United States Navy. 15 November 2017. NNS171115-01. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
• "Huntington Ingalls Industries Christens Destroyer Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
• "Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee" (Press release). United States Navy. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
• "USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee Commissions in Conch Republic Honoring Navy Nurses" (Press release). COMNAVSURFPAC. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
• "USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123)". The Institute of Heraldry. U.S. Army. 6 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
• "DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class". Federation of American Scientists. FAS.org. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
• Kreisher, Otto (14 June 2016). "Mabus Names Arleigh Burke Destroyer After Higbee, First Woman Awarded Navy Cross". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
• "Ingalls starts fabrication of DDG 123". Marine Log. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
• "HII Delivers Destroyer Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) to U S. Navy" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
• "Navy commissions Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Lenah Sutcliff Higbee". WJXT. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
• Guldin, Joanna (28 March 2025). "This Navy Destroyer's New Battle Flag Pays Tribute to the Service's First Female Nurses". military.com. Retrieved 30 March 2025.

•  This article incorporates public domain material from Lenah H Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) at the Naval Vessel Register.

External links

• Official website