As a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, Richard Danzig would be mounted with the more powerful AN/SPY-6 radar compared to her sister mates. This radar, and other modifications, would allow Flight III destroyers to serve as a replacement for the air-defense roles of Ticonderoga-class cruisers.[2]
She was ordered in 2023 as part of a larger 5-year plan to build 9 Flight III ships, and is expected to begin fabrication in 2027.[2]
In 2024, she was named for former Secretary of the NavyRichard Danzig as he was a "visionary leader in the mold of the greatest naval leaders that came before [him]".[3]