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	>30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots (8,100 km at 37 km/h)
Complement	33 commissioned officers 38 chief petty officers 210 enlisted personnel
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPY-1D 3D radar (Flight I,II,IIa) AN/SPY-6 AESA 3D radar (Flight III) AN/SPS-67(V)2 surface-search radar AN/SPS-73(V)12 surface-search radar AN/SPG-62 fire-control radar AN/SQS-53C sonar array AN/SQR-19 tactical towed array sonar AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III shipboard system
Electronic warfare & decoys	AN/SLQ-32(V)2 Electronic Warfare System AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures MK 36 MOD 12 Decoy Launching System MK 53 Nulka Decoy Launching System AN/SLQ-39 CHAFF Buoys
Armament	1 × 29 cell, 1 × 61 cell Mk 41 vertical launching systems with 90 × RIM-156 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-ASROC missiles 2 x Mk 141 Harpoon Missile Launcher SSM 1 × Mark 45 5/54 in (127/54 mm) 2 × 25 mm chain gun 4 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried	2 Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters can be embarked

USS Gonzalez (DDG-66) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named for Sergeant Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez, a Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam War.

Service history[]

The warship took part in Operation Allied Force, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles at Serbian targets in 1999. She also assisted a cruise ship, Seabourn Spirit, after an abortive attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia in 2005.^[1]

Gonzalez in the Atlantic, 2003

On 1 March 2006, she 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 U.S. warships 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. On 26 July 2006, Frank James of The Chicago Tribune reported on the evacuation efforts of Gonzalez.^[2]

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[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Gonzalez (DDG-66).

• Official site
• Official blog by Cmdr. Brian Fort, ship's captain