The United States Navy has released imagery showing the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy conducting a live-fire exercise in the Indo-Pacific region.
The photograph, taken on 16 January 2026, shows the ship’s Phalanx Close-In Weapons System firing on the aft missile deck during routine operations in the area of responsibility of the U.S. 7th Fleet. According to the U.S. Navy, units assigned to 7th Fleet regularly carry out training and patrols across the region to maintain readiness, deter aggression and support maritime security operations in international waters.
USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) is a Flight IIA variant of the Arleigh Burke-class and the final ship built to that configuration. She is named in honour of Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour for his actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in June 2005. He was the first U.S. Navy sailor to receive the award since the Vietnam War. The ship was christened in May 2011 on Murphy’s birthday, with his mother, Maureen Murphy, serving as sponsor. She is assigned to Destroyer Squadron 31 under Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.
As a Flight IIA destroyer, Michael Murphy is equipped with a 5-inch Mk 45 naval gun, Phalanx close-in weapon system, multiple machine gun mounts and a 96-cell Mk 41 vertical launching system. The VLS can carry a mix of missiles including Standard surface-to-air missiles, Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and vertical launch anti-submarine rockets, depending on operational requirements.
The ship also operates two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from a double hangar and flight deck, providing anti-submarine warfare, surface surveillance and search and rescue capabilities. Although originally intended to be the final vessel of the Arleigh Burke class, construction continued after the US Navy curtailed the Zumwalt-class destroyer programme, with the Burke design remaining the backbone of the US surface combatant fleet. The U.S. Navy said the latest exercise forms part of routine activity aimed at sustaining combat readiness and supporting stability across the Indo-Pacific region.
