Huntington Ingalls Industries has officially started fabrication of a new Arleigh Burke-class destroyer for the U.S. Navy.

The future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) will be the 67th ship of its class and the first ship in a FY2013-FY2017 procurement contract.

HII said a formal steel-cutting ceremony was held earlier this week.

"The Arleigh Burke class destroyer is an incredible asset that has been integral to the success of naval missions across the world by providing outstanding combat capability and survivability characteristics," said Navy Capt. Mark Vandroff, DDG 51-class program manager, Program Executive Office Ships. "Since the commissioning of the first ship in 1991, the destroyers and their crews have continued the legacy of U.S. naval excellence enhancing naval presence and capability across the world."

Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyers are 505 feet long, 66 feet in the beam, have a speed of 30 knots and a range 4,400 nautical miles at a speed of 20 knots.

The future USS Paul Ignatius is a flight IIA destroyer, incorporating advances in anti-submarine warfare, command-and-control, and anti-surface warfare.

It is named after the Secretary of the Navy from 1967-1969.