Why the U.S. Navy’s DDG 51 Flight III Destroyers Are Something Special The Navy has not only put as many as ten new high-tech DDG 51 Flight III destroyers on contract. While the exact size and configuration of the future U.S. Navy fleet may still be somewhat in flux as a work in progress, the service is not slowing down on efforts to add new more-capable, heavily armed warships to the fleet. The Navy has not only put as many as ten new high-tech DDG 51 Flight III destroyers on contract, but also continues to build new Flight IIA DDG 51s as well, ships which are being equipped with a new generation of radar technology, ballistic missile defense weaponry, and on-board electrical power to support emerging weapons such as lasers.