USS Gonzalez

USS Gonzalez cruises in the Mediterranean Sea. USS Gonzalez cruises in the Mediterranean Sea.
Career
Ordered:	16 January 1991
Laid down:	3 February 1994
Launched:	18 February 1995
Commissioned:	12 October 1996
Decommissioned:
Status:	Template:Ship fate box active in service
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	8,315 tons
Length:	505 ft
Beam:	66 ft
Draught:	31 ft
Propulsion:	4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW)
Speed:	30+ knots
Range:
Complement:	337 officers and enlisted
Armament:	1 x 29 cell, 1 x 61 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems, 90 x RIM-67 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc, missiles 1 x 5 in, 2 x 25 mm, 4 x 12.7 mm guns, 2 x Phalanx CIWS 2 x Mk 46 triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft:	1 SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter can be embarked
Motto:	Beyond the Call

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.

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

On 1 of March 2006, she rescued the crew of an Iranian ship, whose engine and rudder were broken down since the 18th of February. The Iranian crew were rendered to Iran.

On 18 March 2006, she was involved in a second incident with suspected pirates, along with the USS Cape St. George. The two U.S. warships exchanged fire with the suspected pirates about 25 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. Initial reports indicated that one suspected pirate was killed and five others wounded.

References

 This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060318/ap_on_re_mi_ea/somalia_us_pirates