USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51)

The Arleigh Bruke, as seen in-game

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The USS Arleigh Burke is a Tier II American Guided Missile Destroyer. It is widely considered one of the best destroyers of its tier.

## Overview

### Ship Overview:

The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers is led by the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51). She was named after US Navy Admiral Arleigh A. Burke. This magnificent ship was commissioned on July 4, 1991, and she is still serving her country to this day.

She is a Tier II destroyer that may be obtained after the player reaches Level 5, at the low price of one million dollars. She, along with HMS Duncan (D37), is one of the more commonly used ships in Tier II. She is also one of only 8 Tier II ships with more than one missile slot. HMS Duncan (D37), ROKS KDDX (KDX-IV), RF Kursk (K-141), ROKS Sejong the great, XWind 4000, USS FFG(X), RF Breeze, RF Derzkiy, and RF Loon(Project-903) are the others.

### Ship Statistics Overview:

The Burke is a reasonably tough fighter, having a basic HP of 220k that can be increased to 300k with upgrades. She is fairly quick, with a standard speed of 18.66 knots, and she is also extremely nimble in terms of maneuverability.

This USN destroyer is one of the more stealthy ships in this category and may remain unnoticed unless seen by an aircraft or other stealthier ships. Overall, she is a very good ship, although her poor AA, short-range radar and almost no Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities frequently let her down.

### Ship Load-Out/Configuration Overview:

In this game, the DDG-51 is designed solely for missile spamming. The two missile batteries allow her to fire a large number of missiles while remaining a safe and appropriate distance away from the attackers. The ship arrives with two distinct batteries, each with a single slot for the BGM-109 Tomahawk. But captain of the ship, on the other hand, can load any missile that matches the player's playstyle.

The Burke is outfitted with a single Mark-45 (127mm) cannon and two MK-19 (40mm) auto-cannons. Though alternative options are available, this equipment is some of the finest in its class at this tier. Keeping this gun and auto-cannon is therefore a good idea unless you can afford alternatives such as the Bofors NAG Stealth or the Melara rapid.

This ship has two distinct Air Defense mounts, each with one slot. Upon acquisition of the ship, they are outfitted with the Phalanx CIWS (20 mm). However, considering how bad they are, they should be replaced as soon as feasible. This must be done in order to enhance the AA, which is already lacking.

Finally, the Burke is equipped with one AH-64 Apache helicopter. At Tier II, this helicopter is among the best. Its excellent attacking skills might be of tremendous assistance to the user in tough situations. The user has the option of keeping this helicopter.

## Optimal Load-Out Suggestion

The Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) is an excellent package since it is reasonably priced and comes equipped with some excellent features. However, this does not restrict her from being improved. Because I have a lot of expertise with the Burke, I recommend that you go with the following setup to optimise your battle outcomes:

*Optimal Setup:*

**1st Missile Battery**: CJ-20, SSM-700K C-star or PJ-10 BrahMos (for damage), P-500 Bazalt (I use this on my Burke, I approve)

**2nd Missile Battery**: CJ-20 SSM-700K C-Star (PJ-10 BrahMos can also be used), P-500 Bazalt

**Cannon**: Mark-45 (127 mm) or Korkut-D, Melara Rapid (76 mm) (for longer range anti air and better anti surface capabilities), Bofors NAG Stealth (accurate)

**Torpedo:** Mark-50 (long range), K745 Blue Shark

**Auto-cannon**: MK-19 (40 mm)

**1st Air Defense**: OSA-M, (the best anti-missile AA in tier 2, basically a t2 sea ram that launches 1 missile)

**2nd Air Defense**: OSA-M or 3M-47 Gibka

**Helicopter**: 360 Invictus or SV-22 Osprey Or Ka 52 Alligator For ASW

## Playing as USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51)

### Playing as USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51):

Playing as a Burke might be difficult at first because to her low AA and helplessness when confronted with a submarine. But don't worry, this post will assist you in improving. To begin, ensure that your configuration is as near to the optimal one as possible, as described in this post. It might not be quite right for you, but that's okay; you can make a few tiny modifications here and there. This is to ensure that you are well-equipped and capable of making the most of this ship.

Before we go into how to play the Burke, bear in mind that the Helicopter you have is for recon reasons, not adornment. If you don't have any CVs at the start of a match, use your Helicopter to scout first, then continue with the combat. When you enter a match, keep in mind that your AA is low. Try not to sail alone or to be discovered out in the open. You'd be a sitting duck if you did this. If your team has a CV, simply reverse or sail to it as quickly as possible. The CV will offer you with important information as well as protection. It can scout the opponents with its planes as you sit in its powerful AA bubble and spam missiles. Keep in mind that this long range strategy gives the enemy more time to react to your missile launch and potentially use countermeasures. Another effective strategy is to use islands for cover while destroying any enemy ships that come close. Remember, the closer you are to your enemy, the lower the chance they react and/or use countermeasures. This allows the burke to sometimes come out on top in brawls with ships that would otherwise obliterate it at ~3km range, such as the IT Caio Duilio, or worse, a JS Kurama (DDH-144). Said tactic makes use of the fact that your missiles must reload in less than 10 seconds in order to get another salvo off before the enemy's countermeasures are ready, namely, the SSM-700K C-Star for the very high DPS and the effectiveness in bypassing AA. If you;re brave enough, charging in an open map is always an option, but this leaves you exceptionally vulnerable, which is why always stick to your teammates/use islands for cover in transit/kill the enemy as fast as possible.

Stick to your pals if there is no CV in the squad. This is why I recommend that you equip the Korkut-D or Melara Rapid (76 mm) cannons. It will not only harm opposing ships, but it will also destroy enemy aircraft that try to hunt you down.However remember that both melara and korkut (especially the latter) lack range and effective damage. Mark-45 (127 mm) or the Bofors NAG Stealth (57 mm) may also be used, as they are powerful guns with extremely high DPS, and it allows you to hit enemy CVs that are practically resistant to missiles due to their high AA.

Let us now discuss hostile submarines. It might pose a significant danger to you if the opposing team has one. Remember, you have no ASW capabilities and should not go 1v1 with a submerged submarine. Always use islands for cover, and attempt to run circles around the island. As most submarines can't catch up to you, use this to your advantage and attempt to stay across them on the other side of the island and then use your helicopter to attack the submarine with torpedoes or the gun (most helicopter guuns can hit submerged submarines when positioned directly on top of the submarine); The default added AH-64 Apache, the 360 Invictus and the SV-22 Osprey all have a torpedo slot, while the Russian Ka-52 Alligator has a depth charge slot.

### Playing with USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51):

**Anti Air Warfare.** As previously stated, the Arleigh Burke lacks enough AA to effectively protect itself against more than one or two incoming missiles. Therefore, help through aircraft or your own SAM/AAA firing is always welcome.

**Mark For Fire/Spotting.** As any ship with a long radar, and Carriers especially, you may be of help in boosting the ArBurke's somewhat lacking RADAR detection abilities. Helicopters, Planes, yourself, all can light up a target for the ArBurke to fire against.

**Hunt For The Red October(ASW support).** Grenade launcher equipped ships will always be helpful in destroying enemy Torpedoes, while antisubmarine warfare by Submarines, Helicopters, or Torpedo equipped ships can help ward off enemy submarines that might destroy the helpless ArBurke. Remember, this ship only has for its ASW capability its helicopter, if that.

### Playing against USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51):

Different classes of ships deal with the AB differently. However, here is how it can be done. Although you have numerous choices as a destroyer, going one on one with an AB may be dangerous. Using missiles and torpedoes is usually the best option. Because getting up to her for a brawl is frequently tough, and only a few ships are capable of doing so. If you're an IT Caio Duilio, though, you may just blow an AB out of the water if it gets too near (just be vigilant and alert for it's missiles, use flares as soon as possible to minimize cooldown time).

Things are very simple in terms of a CV. Given your resistance to most AB assaults, there isn't much an AB can do to you. But be careful; she may have poor AA, but it is AA, and with the right configuration, the DDG-51 can be an aircraft killer. However, if the player is not operating the Korkut-D or Melara Rapid (76 mm), you may just spam the AB with your planes.

Killing the Burke in a submarine is a piece of cake. Even with a proper setup, the Burke has no protection against your torps and can't even enhance the situation. All you have to accomplish is stay submerged and launch torpedoes at the AB until it dies.

## Advantages and Disadvantages:

**Pros:**

* Quite fast
* Has smooth turning, but still quite hard to dodge torpedoes in unless well upgraded
* Has two missiles slots
* Has a economical price tag for such a good ship

**Cons:**

* Weak AA
* Completely harmless to submarines apart from it's helicopter
* Might seem weak at first as it requires a certain degree of skill cap
* No Grenade Launchers, a little bit more vulnerable to torpedoes.

## Trivia

* There are currently exactly 70 vessels in the Arleigh-Burke class.
* Another Arleigh-Burke class vessel, the USS Gravely (DDG-107), is also available in the game. Said ship is an ASW (if it is, not imo) variant of the Burke, AKA an Arleigh Burke class Block IIA.
* One of those ships, named USS Kidd, was featured in a Transformers movie, where it used a US Navy Electromagnetic Railgun against one of the Decepticons.
* The Arleigh Burke has torpedo launchers as well as RADAR decoys in real life. Its AN/SPY-1 RADAR is suitable for missile interception due to its extreme range.
* 2 other vessels of the Arleigh-Burke class and 1 Kongo class Japanese DDG also appear in the 2012 movie Battleship, namely the USS Sampson (DDG-102) and the USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) where one of them (Sampson) is shown to be immediately destroyed and the other one, the USS John Paul Jones, destroys 2 of the alien vessels before getting torn apart by the third.