The ship is named in honor of veteran Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class George M. Neal, who was awarded the Navy Cross for actions during the Korean War.
At an Industry Day, the Air Force will field solutions from vendors about a next generation long-range weapon with air-to-air and air-to-surface variants.
The PL-16’s specs would let it chase large, slower-moving aircraft, one analyst said, though its effectiveness against smaller, faster planes is unclear.