USS Spruance (DDG-111)

USS Spruance in September 2011
History
United States
NameSpruance
NamesakeRaymond A. Spruance
Awarded13 September 2002[1]
BuilderBath Iron Works[1]
Laid down14 May 2009[2]
Launched6 June 2010
Christened5 June 2010
Commissioned1 October 2011
Home portSan Diego
Identification
Honors and
awards		See Awards
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class & typeArleigh Burke-class destroyer[2]
Displacement9,200 tons[1]
Length510 ft (160 m)[1]
Beam66 ft (20 m)[1]
Draft33 ft (10 m)[1]
Propulsion4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW)
Speedover 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range4,400 nautical miles (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement260 officers and enlisted[1]
Electronic warfare
& decoys		AN/SLQ-32(V)2 Electronic Warfare System
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopters

USS Spruance (DDG-111) is an Arleigh Burke-class (Flight IIA) Aegis guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. Spruance is the second ship to be named after Admiral Raymond A. Spruance (1886–1969), who commanded American naval forces at the Battles of Midway and the Philippine Sea.

Ship history

Construction

Spruance was built in Bath, Maine at Bath Iron Works, at a cost of $1 billion.[3][4] Her keel was laid down on 14 May 2009.[2] Spruance was the first of the U.S. Navy's destroyers to be fitted with the Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex System (GEDMS), manufactured by the Boeing Company. GEDMS provides an Internet Protocol (IP) based backbone for video and data services on the ship.[5] The bridge features touch screen controls and color readouts instead of gauges.[6]

At her christening on 5 June 2010, the principal address was delivered by Honorable John Baldacci of Maine, and the vessel was christened by Ellen Spruance Holscher as the ship's sponsor. Commander Tate Westbrook was the ship's first commanding officer.

Operational history

The completed ship left Bath on 1 September 2011 for her commissioning in Key West, Florida on 1 October 2011.[7][8]

She sailed from San Diego on her maiden deployment on 16 October 2013, heading for Asia under the command of Commander George Kessler who was succeeded by Commander Daniel Cobian.[6]

Spruance sails with the carrier Izumo, 28 July 2022.

In January 2024, the US Navy reinstalled ODIN Laser on Spruance. ODIN, a solid-state laser system, is designed primarily to counter and neutralize the sensors on UAS, effectively blinding them without destroying the aircraft. Technical aspects of the ODIN system include its ability to emit a high-intensity laser beam, targeting the optical sensors of enemy drones.[9]

On the morning of 27 September 2024, while transiting the Red Sea with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Stockdale and Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Indianapolis, she was attacked by roughly two dozen missiles and drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. All missiles and drones were intercepted by the flotilla or missed their target outright.[10]

On 11 November 2024, following US attacks on Houthi bases in Yemen, the Houthis again attacked the Spruance and Stockdale, launching eight drones, five ballistic missiles, and three cruise missiles at the American destroyers. All of the projectiles were shot down by the destroyers with no damage or casualties to the vessels.[11]

On 22 March 2025, Spruance helped the Coast Guard and agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehend 13 people in a vessel off the Mexican coast.[12]

Spruance during the 2026 Iran war

Spruance launched Tomahawk missiles at Iranian targets during the 2026 Iran war on 28th February 2026.[13]

On 19 April 2026, Spruance attacked the Iran-flagged cargo ship Touska after it attempted to breach the US naval blockade of Iran en route to Bandar Abbas.[14] Spruance fired several rounds from its 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 45 gun into the Touska's engine room, disabling the vessel. It was then seized by the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Gulf of Oman.[15][16] Iran described the seizure as a US-Iran truce violation.[17] Iran retaliated against the seizure by launching attack drones at U.S. ships, although no damage was reported.[18] According to Reuters, the seized ship was probably carrying equipment that the US considered "dual-use," meaning that it had equipment that could be used by the Iranian army.[19]

  • Attack and boarding of M/V Touska
  • USS Spruance disables M/V Touska
  • United States Marines leave amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and board M/V Touska, 19 April 2026

Awards

  • Combat Action Ribbon - (Sep-Nov 2024)[20]
  • Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation Ribbon with Operational Distinguishing Device (2017)[21]
  • Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group's (ABECSG) Deployment Tomahawk Strike Warfare Award for Thor's Hammer 2022[22]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Spruance". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "Keel Laid for future USS Spruance". Navy News Service. 20 May 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ^ Sharp, David (6 June 2010). "BIW Destroyer Named For 'Quiet Warrior'". Maine Sunday Telegram. Associated Press.
  4. ^ Hoey, Dennis (2 September 2011). "Destroyer leaves discord behind". Maine Sunday Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Boeing Deploys Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex System on USS Spruance" (Press release). Boeing. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  6. ^ a b Steele, Jeanette (16 October 2013). "SD destroyer takes maiden deployment". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  7. ^ "USA: Arleigh Burke-Class Guided-Missile Destroyer Starts Maiden Voyage". Shipbuilding Tribune. 2 September 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  8. ^ Clark, Cammy (24 September 2011). "Navy Destroyer Debuts In Key West". Miami Herald.
  9. ^ "US Navy quietly reinstalls ODIN Laser on destroyer USS Spruance". Navy Recognition. 29 February 2024. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  10. ^ Land, Olivia (27 September 2024). "Navy intercepts Houthi barrage of missiles, drones launched at three US warships in the Red Sea". New York Post. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Houthis attack US warships after US strikes in Yemen". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Navy destroyer helps apprehend 13 people for border security mission". Yahoo News. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  13. ^ "U.S. uses hundreds of Tomahawk missiles on Iran, alarming some at Pentagon". The Washington Post. 27 March 2026. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  14. ^ "Iranian ship seized by US Navy after attempting to pass through Strait of Hormuz". The Jerusalem Post. 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  15. ^ "Trump says US seizes Iranian-flagged cargo ship near Strait of Hormuz that tried to pass blockade". The Hill. Associated Press. 19 April 2026.
  16. ^ "U.S. Forces Disable Vessel Attempting to Enter Iranian Port, Violate Blockade". United States Central Command. X (social network).
  17. ^ "Iran Calls US Seizure Of Cargo Ship Near Hormuz "Piracy, Ceasefire Violation". NDTV. Associated Press. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  18. ^ "Iran attacks US ships with drones, says Iranian media, with no reports of damage". BBC. 19 April 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  19. ^ Saul, Jonathan (20 April 2026). "Seized Iranian ship likely carrying equipment deemed dual-use by US, sources say". Reuters. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  20. ^ navy.mil
  21. ^ "USS Spruance and HSM 49 Receive Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation". DVIDS. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  22. ^ "A Peek behind the Curtain: USS Spruance (DDG 111) Tomahawk Strike Team".

Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to USS Spruance (DDG-111) at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.