USS Gonzalez
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| Career | 
|
|---|---|
| Ordered: | January 16, 1991 |
| Laid down: | February 3, 1994 |
| Launched: | February 18, 1995 |
| Commissioned: | October 12, 1996 |
| Decommissioned: | |
| Status: | Template:Ship fate box active in service |
| Struck: | |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 8,315 tons |
| Length: | 505 ft (153.9 m) |
| Beam: | 66 ft (20.1 m) |
| Draught: | 31 ft (9.4 m) |
| 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 5/54 in (127/54 mm), 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 a cruise ship, Seabourn Spirit, after an abortive attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia in 2005.
On March 1, 2006, she rescued the crew of an Iranian ship, whose engine and rudder were broken down since February 18. The Iranian crew were rendered to Iran.
On March 18, 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.
On July 17, 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 July 26 2006, Frank James of The Chicago Tribune reported on the evacuation efforts of the Gonzalez.
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
- http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2006/07/patriotism_at_s.html