USS Nitze
 USS Nitze at sea | |
| Career (United States of America) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Nitze (DDG 94) |
| Namesake: | Paul Nitze |
| Ordered: | 6 March 1998 |
| Builder: | Bath Iron Works |
| Laid down: | 20 September 2002 |
| Launched: | 3 April 2004 |
| Commissioned: | 5 March 2005 |
| Motto: | "Vision, Courage, Determination" |
| Status: | in active service, as of 2015 |
| Badge: |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer |
| Displacement: | 6,600 tons light, 9,200 tons full, 2,600 tons dead |
| Length: | 509 feet 6 inches (155.30 m) length overall 471 feet (144 m) waterline length |
| Beam: | 66 feet (20 m) extreme 59 feet (18 m) at waterline |
| Draft: | 31 feet (9.4 m) maximum 22 feet (6.7 m) limit |
| Propulsion: | Four General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, two shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW) |
| Speed: | Over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Complement: | 32 officers, 348 sailors |
| Armament: | 1 x 32-cell, 1 x 64-cell Mark 41 vertical launch systems, 96 RIM-66 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc, missiles 1 x 5/62 in (127/62 mm) gun, 1 x 25 mm, 4 x 12.7 mm guns 2 x Mark 46 triple torpedo tubes 1 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS |
| Aircraft carried: | Two SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters |
USS Nitze (DDG-94) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. She is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Paul Nitze, who served as Secretary of the Navy under president Lyndon B. Johnson and as chief arms control adviser in the administration of president Ronald Reagan.
Overview
The contract to build her was awarded to Bath Iron Works Corporation in Bath, Maine on 6 March 1998 and her keel was laid down on 20 September 2002. She was launched on 3 April 2004 sponsored by Elisabeth Porter, Nitze's wife. Nitze, 97 years old, was present at the christening, thus adding the destroyer to the rapidly growing list of military vessels named after living Americans (although Nitze died 6½ months later). Nitze was commissioned on 5 March 2005, with CDR Michael A. Hegarty in command. Nitze, homeported in Norfolk, VA, went on her maiden deployment in January 2007 as part of the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group, returning home on 3 July 2007.
On 12 September 2008, Nitze departed Norfolk for a seven-month deployment with Carrier Strike Group Two, led by USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), returning on 18 April 2009.
In October 2009, Nitze was open to the public for tours in downtown Norfolk as part of the Navy Fleet Week celebration. She was moored at the Nauticus Museum and Half Moone Cruise terminal.
From 1–5 July 2011, Nitze was docked in Eastport, Maine, for 4 July Celebration.
From 12 March to 4 November 2012, Nitze completed her third successful deployment to the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility with the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) Battlegroup (CCSG 12).
Nitze completed her fourth, and most recent deployment 29 November 2013 through 15 July 2014, spending most of their time off the Horn of Africa conducting maritime security operations.
Nitze is currently under the command of CDR Michelle Nakamura; CDR Paul Kaylor serves as Executive Officer. The ship is known as the "Cold Warriors" in reference to Paul Nitze's involvement in shaping US Cold War policy.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Nitze (DDG-94). |
References
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
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