The label Flight III originally referred to a more ambitious 1988 design discussion than the ships now carrying that name. The study added another 32 VLS cells for a total of roughly 122 and expanded air-defence capability for the Ticonderoga replacement role. The eventual Flight III did not receive that launcher count or the associated hull enlargement. The old study nevertheless influenced later US destroyer development and the path toward DDG(X).
Notable Point · 1:12:07-1:13:18
The original Flight III concept aimed at 122 VLS cells
A 1988 Flight III study envisioned a larger 122-cell Burke derivative to replace Ticonderoga cruisers, foreshadowing later successor designs.