On day 45 of the West Asia conflict, United States Navy has begun a blockade of Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint carrying nearly 20% of global oil and gas. With diplomatic talks failing, President Trump ordered blockade and CENTCOM dispatched USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy to de-mine the waterway. The Navy will rely on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to enforce the blockade; commissioned in 1991, they form the backbone of the US surface fleet with 74 of 92 ships. Arleigh Burke-class of ships are chosen because they combine presence, interdiction capability and layered defenses—roles unsuitable for lightly armed Littoral Combat Ships or risky for aircraft carriers. Armed with up to 96 Vertical Launch System cells, anti-submarine weapons, torpedoes, MH-60R helicopters and emerging HELIOS laser systems, these destroyers can counter air, surface and subsurface threats. Combat experience and regional exercises make them the Navy’s preferred instrument for showing resolve.