US Navy Installs Unidentified Launcher on Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer

An unidentified launcher has been spotted on the destroyer USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), and its purpose remains unclear.

The War Zone reported on this.

The photo of the ship was taken on March 29, 2026, from the deck of the Whidbey Island-class landing ship USS Comstock.

The image shows a new installation on the upper deck at the stern of the destroyer. The device resembles the launch system for the White Spike interceptor from Zone 5 Technologies.

The system is mounted at the rear of the superstructure, between the port-side torpedo tubes and the Mk 41 vertical launch system. The design features multiple cells and likely uses a rotating base that raises before launch.

The system was not present on the destroyer as of December 2025, and similar installations have not been seen on other ships of this class.

In addition to White Spike, the US Navy is considering integrating Anduril’s Roadrunner-M and Raytheon’s Coyote interceptors. The latter were previously spotted in similar positions on the decks of the destroyers USS Bainbridge and USS Winston S. Churchill.

However, the system on USS Carl M. Levin does not match any publicly known versions of these systems.

Another possible option is a launcher for the AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM).

Lockheed Martin has previously presented a concept for placing four-cell modules for these missiles at the stern of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. JAGM missiles with active seekers can engage both drones and small boats.

In addition to combat roles, the system could also launch decoys or decoy drones.

The US Navy is actively testing long-range autonomous systems to divert anti-ship missiles away from ships. In February, the Defense Innovation Unit issued a request for containerized drone launchers for rapid deployment on ships.

There is also speculation that this could be a new counter-drone system or another emerging weapon, but the US Navy has not commented.
Militarnyi previously reported that the destroyer USS Stockdale was equipped with the ODIN laser system.