Uss Gonzalez

	USS Gonzalez on 6 June 2008
History
United States
Name	Gonzalez
Namesake	Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez
Ordered	16 January 1991
Builder	Bath Iron Works
Laid down	3 February 1994
Launched	18 February 1995
Acquired	14 June 1996
Commissioned	12 October 1996
Homeport	Norfolk
Identification	MMSI number: 368773000; Callsign: NGON; ; Hull number: DDG-66;
Motto	Beyond the Call
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement	Light: approx. 6,800 long tons (6,900 t); Full: approx. 8,900 long tons (9,000 t);
Length	505 ft (154 m)
Beam	59 ft (18 m)
Draft	31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion	2 × shafts
Speed	In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	33 commissioned officers; 38 chief petty officers; 210 enlisted personnel;
Sensors and ; processing systems	AN/SPY-1D PESA 3D radar (Flight I, II, IIA); AN/SPY-6(V)1 AESA 3D radar (Flight III); AN/SPS-67(V)3 or (V)5 surface search radar (DDG-51 – DDG-118); AN/SPQ-9B surface search radar (DDG-119 onwards); AN/SPS-73(V)12 surface search/navigation radar (DDG-51 – DDG-86); BridgeMaster E surface search/navigation radar (DDG-87 onwards); 3 × AN/SPG-62 fire-control radar; Mk 46 optical sight system (Flight I, II, IIA); Mk 20 electro-optical sight system (Flight III); AN/SQQ-89 ASW combat system:; AN/SQS-53C sonar array; AN/SQR-19 tactical towed array sonar (Flight I, II, IIA); TB-37U multi-function towed array sonar (DDG-113 onwards); AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III shipboard system;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare suite; AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo countermeasures; Mk 36 Mod 12 decoy launching systems; Mk 53 Nulka decoy launching systems; Mk 59 decoy launching systems;
Armament	Guns:; 1 × 5-inch (127 mm)/54 mk 45 mod 1/2 (lightweight gun); 2 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Phalanx CIWS; 2 × 25 mm (0.98 in) Mk 38 machine gun system; 4 × 0.50 inches (12.7 mm) caliber guns; Missiles:; 2 × Mk 141 Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher; 1 × 29-cell, 1 × 61-cell (90 total cells) Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS):; RIM-66M surface-to-air missile; RIM-156 surface-to-air missile; BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile; RUM-139 vertical launch ASROC; Torpedoes:; 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes:; Mark 46 lightweight torpedo; Mark 50 lightweight torpedo; Mark 54 lightweight torpedo;
Aircraft carried	1 × Sikorsky MH-60R

She is named for Sergeant Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez, a Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam War.

Service history

The ship took part in Operation Allied Force, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles at Serbian targets in 1999. Gonzalez also assisted a cruise ship, Seabourn Spirit, after an abortive attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia in 2005.

On 1 March 2006, the ship rescued the crew of an Iranian ship, whose engine and rudder were broken down since 18 February. The Iranian crew were returned to Iran. She was involved in the action of 18 March 2006 with suspected pirates, along with the cruiser USS Cape St. George. The two ships exchanged fire with the suspected pirates about 25 nautical miles (46 km) off the coast of Somalia. Initial reports indicated that one suspected pirate was killed and five others wounded.

On 17 July 2006, CNN reported that Gonzalez would be deployed to help in evacuation efforts of American citizens from Lebanon in the midst of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.

In May 2022, Gonzalez was homeported out of Naval Station Norfolk and a part of Destroyer Squadron 28, along with Carrier Strike Group 8 led by the USS Harry S. Truman.

Gallery

USS Gonzalez executing a high speed turn during builder's sea trials on 03 May 1996
USS Gonzalez fires a Tomahawk cruise missile during Operation Allied Force on 31 March 1999
Italian frigate Alpino underway with USS Gonzalez in the Atlantic Ocean on 17 May 2018
USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) departs Naval Station Norfolk on 10 September 2018

Awards

James F. Chezek Memorial Gunnery Award (1998)

References

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

Official site Archived 9 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
Official blog by Cmdr. Brian Fort, ship's captain

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