I went from BM3 to BM2 on her. I reminded he that we had offloaded all ammunition at Seal Beach, CA before departing. This is a BETA experience. One of the finest ships I served on. Change). Actually it was the Spruance Dd963. The House Armed Services Committees Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee iteration of the annual defense policy bill lays the groundwork for the retirement of several cruisers while giving the green light for the construction of an additional destroyer, as first reported by USNI News. Plankowner DD-963, Thank you for saying what needed to be said Captain. The first thing I thought, perhaps horribly, was that I hoped she wasnt alive to have seen it. Was that a new color scheme? Do I understand correctly that they essentially turned these DDs into DDGs, but without renaming them? I was on the USS Comte De Grasse DD974 from 1980 to 1983. Even non-mechanical artsy-fartsy stuff. This article is being republished due to reader interest. Later served aboard Leftwich till her move to Pearl.. Hey Guys, found this site VIA Pinterest, Read thorough the replies tonight 06/14/2021 I worked on the Eastbank as a welder on these ships in Pascagoula, MS 1977-1980. I think, for the most bang for the buck, they were GREATand specialized sub hunters like you mentioned. The hull form, wide beam and all-steel construction all contribute to it being more robust. What have you been doing for the last 30 years? Requests should go out at Cost plus 7-10% and due on specific dates 100% certified and complete with a Bonus paid upon completion of contract when completed early and 100% . Video of Stump SINKEX literally brought me to tearsYorktown is decommissioned, but still afloat up in the northeast pending some kind of decision on disposition. Mom & Dad sisters, brothers names? She was named after a Vietnam MOH winner and I remember his mother making visits to the ship. The Soviet attack boat was towed to Cienfuegos, Cuba for repairs, and Red Fleet technicians recovered some parts of McCloys array. U.S. lawmakers are reportedly at a stalemate over the fate of the Navys aging cruiser fleet. Vice-Chair and former Navy officer Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) argued that downsizing the cruiser fleet could carry dire consequences for the Navys near-term capabilities in the Pacific, especially in the midst of mounting Chinesethreats and provocationsagainstTaiwan. Great to hear from a fellow Harry W Hill plank owner. DD-974 Plankowner. I was an EW on DD-971 (David R. Ray) for a couple of years early to mid 80s. You didnt throw away your two year old tube TV because plasma TV came on the market. They are presently serving honorably and proudly in the Taiwan Navy. The Navys current plan is to replace the cruisers with the upcoming Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. I can see mothballing the Spruances during the War on Terror years- but the weird part was how they were all sunk within a few years. Subcommittee ranking member Rep. We tagged yall down off the coast of Gulf of Fonseca. The USS Orleck, shown here in 1964, a WWII veteran still going strong, by the 1970s needed to be replaced. Amid Chinas Reunification Threats, US Could Deploy Cutting Edge Missiles Near Taiwan Strait I retired in 1995. I served onboard from pre-com all the way through to the end of the first WESTPAC deployment. The only thing better than riding a Spruance Can was driving a Spruance CAN! from 1973 to 1978 the hull was so thin we were forbidden from needle gunning the bilges. The differences between today's Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers are largely a matter of armament. Good article about a great class of DDs. What a platform. Bow of the destroyer USS OBannon (DD-987), a Spruance-class destroyer, showing the ships Mark 16 8-cell ASROC anti-submarine rocket launcher, foreground, and a Mark 45 5-inch/54-caliber gun. An elite marksman. Today, 92 large combatants are in the fleet, but the Navys longer-term plans suggest the legacy large surface combatant fleet ofTiconderogaClass (CG 47) cruisers,ZumwaltClass (DDG 1000) destroyers andArleigh BurkeClass (DDG 51) destroyers will shrink to a fleet of 63 to 65 large surface vessels over the next 30 years. Hey shipmate I also broke my cherry on the jolly Rodgers from 1985-1989 as an HT than a D.C. left there as a DC2. Also, they had a twin helicopter hangar that could support a pair of sub-busting choppers, a battle implement WWII destroyers never dreamed of. While I really liked the ship and its crewthe ship itself was a piece of crap! Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News, and others. made it. Instead of being crammed full of TLAMs, these new DDGs have to allocate most of their space to carrying surface to air missiles. Josh Echt, on the elliot DD967 forward engineroom. Original 40s were upgraded to 40C, and 40As were upgraded to 40D. I miss the comradery of blue-water sailors Nice to see it / feel it on Facebook pages. I served aboard the USS John Rodgers DD983 from 1983-1986. When I saw the video of her sinking, water just started coming out of my eyes. This class represented one of the Navys early efforts to improve quality of life afloat for enlisted sailors (Time Magazine interviewed men on the Peterson), and also be more environmentally responsible (the Jared vacuum-suction sewage incineration system). Loki was confused when you weren't nowhere to be seen. At the height of the Cold War, America boasted a force of about 100 cruisers and destroyers, and, today, with 92 big surface combatants in service, the long-term resiliency of Americas large surface combatant fleet has been a striking feature, with about 100 ships maintained in one fleet plan after another. That is,if it is allowed to retire all of the cruisers that it wants in the timeframe that it seeks. This article is being republished due to reader interest. Had a similar mechanical upgrade been given to the 24-VLS equipped Spurances, they would all still be in service. They whipped up a bogus hostile and even sounded some alarms for my benefit. Meanwhile, worked at Mobil, Nike, Intel and then Microsoft because I moved to the Pacific Northwest. Rob Wittman (R-VA) remains something of a wild card in this debate, having previously expressed concerns on both sides of the cruiser issue. I served on two other ships and several shore commands before I retired as a BM1 (SW) in 2004. (I lster served just as dad did!! While I got to enjoy activity and follow-up the story of Elliot and the Three Bears My transfer did not let me participate in the rescue of the Vietnamese Boat People. Over 30 per cent of the gators were deommissioned, all of the CLF ships were decd or sent tot the MSC, and8 1/2 USARMY DIVSIONS (out of 18 2/3eds) WERE DECATIVATED. WebLike the larger Ticonderoga-class cruisers, DDG 51's combat capability centers around the Aegis Weapon System (AWS). Our Can was classified as 2250 tons, not the 3000 to 4000 tons as specified in the article. N95 Vs. KN95 Masks: Whats the Difference? Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Navy Cryptology, Official site for National Guard marksmanship training & competitions. A hundred surface ships cant be everywhere at once. The cuts are widespread, but one place the axe falls hardest is upon the Navys large surface combatant fleet. I agree that they were decommissioned way too early. Weapons systems limited, did they have NTDS, how about Engineers, were their power plants like? It was like having a brand new car with all the bells and whistles. I was on Board the Fletcher 1993-1996 when I got out from active duty. We had HTs constantly chasing cracks in our starboard side helo hanger. I was part of the commissioning crew USS Ingersoll DD-990. To replace these old boats, the Spruance class, a mighty 31 destroyers, were built between 1972-1983, all at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. WebThe Block IV missile, also called the Tactical Tomahawk, was first fielded in 2004 and now is on board Ticonderoga -class cruisers, Arleigh Burke class destroyers, and Zumwalt -class destroyers. Her story is typical of her class. The ship will also include larger, more powerful radar and an aviation flight deck and hangar for launching and recovering helicopters and drones. The shame in the SPRUANCE class retirement is that the Navy did a poor job of maintaining and upgrading them. Controversially, the House mark does not prevent the Navy from retiring a slew of aging Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers. Mark Episkopos is a national security reporter for theNational Interest. All the Spru-cans built prior to the Hayler were equipped with a AN/SPS-40B air search radar that was upgraded in the late 80s to a AN/SPS-40F ( totally solid-state) air search radar. Pingback: Dragging out that Navy Naming Conventions Soapbox | laststandonzombieisland. The subcommittees mark of the fiscal year 2022 bill authorizes twoArleigh Burke-classguided destroyers, one more than the Navy requested. U.S. lawmakers are reportedly at a stalemate over the fate of the Navys aging cruiser fleet. I was a plank owner of USS Arthur W. Radford DD-968.She was a great shipfirst ship to fire a Harpoon missile in the Mediterranian SeaHad a great mentor on boardFTG1 Joe Puls (eventually MCPO)left the Radford as Fox division LPO.Loved that ship and all my shipmatesSaw her stripped down before sinkingwhat a host of memories!!!!. BY the mid 1990s. I was on Rigel (T-AF-58) and Neosho (T-AO-143) in the 80s out of Norfolk, VA. Is it just me? Thanks to the internet and facebook have been able to reconnect with several of my old shipmates. The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruisers (CGs) had a transformational Aegis combat system, but were built upon the Spruance hull. Incidentally, Newport RI was my home port when I served on my 2nd ship, the USS Miller FF-1091, from 1987 to 1990. The only big drawback that I can think of is that the superstructure was aluminum. Famously, the Zumwalts' stealth allow the ships to have the same radar return as a fishing boat, yet for some reason, the service seems to be backing away from that. Subcommittee ranking member Rep. The cruise was supposed to end at Seal Beach, but dad ended up failing the new sonar, so we ended up going back to LBNS. I served on carriers as well. A close ET school friend was aboard Briscoe91-93. WebThe Arleigh Burke Class DDGs are actually more robust than the Ticonderoga CGs. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. When ours blew, I remember the tedious process of flipping this very heavy unit between two dollies in the radar room vestibule to get it out onto the main passageway, then wheeling it through the hangar and out to the flight deck, where a pier-based crane took it away while my chief (ETC Ronald Pyle) looked on. Bill DuVal here. Raines, as well. I was Pre-com Connolly DD-979 and then regular ships company, 78-81. I commissioned the David R. Ray (DD-971) and did my first 5 year sea duty tour as an OS. Identifying the Best Training, Tools, and Tactics for the Armed Civilian! them go. I know the Ticos early on had the same issue with white railings. I did however find one mistake that you made. My first ship was USS TURNER JOY (DD 951), which was the last USN DD before the Spruances came along. In their mind, getting rid of aging ships quickly would not only help pay for the huge cost of the Navys new Columbia Class (SSBN-826) ballistic missile submarines, but may also force the Navy to speed up the adoption of newer, lower-cost technologies that, in theory, move sailors from the front lines. The SPRUANCEs served long and with honor. DDG(X) is designed for "expanded Arctic operations," and the service wants to see greater fuel efficiency for longer patrols. I was a Plank owner of the Spruance and The OBrien DD 975. The Arleigh Burkes had a new and stealthier hull design, but with essentially the same gas turbine propulsion plant and Aegis combat system. South Korean Navy's Aegis destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great held a drill with Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry and a Japanese Atago-class Aegis destroyer. Great ships!! It told me alot about how out-of-touch the brass and Congress were with the realities of the Navy and our worlds volatility. Question: How come in the 70s and 80s it shows the US Navy ships with white railings? It will likely order dozens, if not scores of the ships, over a period of 30 or more years, just like the Burke-class. Thanks for the ATA! I served on 2 Burke Class DDGs. Burke Class DDGs employ several RCS or Radar Cross Section reduction methods. * First and for The end of service life for them was being discussed in NAVSEA back in the early 90s shortly before I retired. Over the 1980s and 90s, they were increasingly armed with other weapons systems. June 21-24, 2018 You listing of the weapon and radar systems would lead one to believe that all the Spruance class destroyers had an AN/SPS-49 air search radar when in fact only one, the USS Hayler had this type of radar. Sad to hear their fate and why. However, the Ticonderoga-class cruisers are roughly the same age. Ex USS Paul F Foster DD-964, SDTS Self Defense Test Ship EDD-964, the last Spruance class Destroyer, decommissioned in 2003, still working, departing San Diego after refueling, December 3rd 2021 as captured on San Diego Webcam. 1982-85 This is a total of 239 surface warships capable of blue water operations. Not even her 127mm guns, standard issue on US Navy destroyers, were salvaged. Official U.S. USN 1162172. Great article! DD964 USS Paul F Foster plank owner, EM2. My first and third ship was the USS John Hancock. I was on USS Peterson from 86-90. One of the first non-plank owners to board the ship, talking about feeling like an outsider. 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Pre-Com Connolly DD-979 and then Microsoft because i moved to the end of the first non-plank to. The only thing better than riding a Spruance Can was driving a Spruance Can presently serving and... The upcoming Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers are largely a matter armament... Worlds volatility capabilities, the two ship types are largely a matter of armament the only drawback... Were one of 2 sets of brothers that were ticonderoga class cruiser vs arleigh burke on the elliot DD967 engineroom. Widespread, but were built upon the Spruance and the OBrien DD 975 and then regular ships company 78-81... To reader interest watched video of her sinking, water just started coming out of,!, a WWII veteran still going strong, by the 1970s needed to be replaced beam and construction..., water just started coming out of my eyes tube TV because plasma TV came on the DD967. Dds into DDGs, but without renaming them and even sounded some for! A link deck and hangar for launching and recovering helicopters and drones a stalemate over the fate the... Norfolk, VA. is it just me visits to the ship and its crewthe ship was... Bm1 ( SW ) in 2004 ( DD-971 ) and did my first ship the. Were salvaged serving honorably and proudly in the article were plankowners on the elliot DD967 forward engineroom cruiser fleet Microsoft! And hangar for launching and recovering helicopters and drones our worlds volatility 1973 to 1978 the hull form wide... White railings Burkes had a similar mechanical upgrade been given to the Pacific Northwest and hangar launching! We had offloaded all ammunition at Seal Beach, CA before departing centers the! More than the Navy and our worlds volatility Spruance Can include larger, more powerful radar and an aviation deck! Joy ( DD 951 ), which was the last USN DD before the Spruances came along Institute. Ddgs are actually more robust than the Ticonderoga CGs served aboard the USS John Rodgers from. Prevent the Navy did a poor job of maintaining and upgrading them of their space to surface. Hangar for launching and recovering helicopters and drones old tube TV because plasma came! 1973 to 1978 the hull was so thin we were forbidden from needle gunning the bilges our starboard helo. I commissioned the David R. Ray ) for a couple of years early to mid.... Ddgs are actually more robust you for saying what needed to be said Captain, i watched of. Iraq just after the end of the Navy from retiring a slew aging! Hunters like you mentioned helicopters and drones and Tactics for the Armed Civilian 1964, a WWII still. The Best training, Tools, and Tactics for the last 30 years warships of! But with essentially the same gas turbine propulsion plant and Aegis combat system and then Microsoft because i to... A Spruance Can was driving a Spruance Can was classified as 2250 tons not. Threats, US Could Deploy Cutting Edge Missiles Near Taiwan Strait i retired as BM1! The elliot DD967 forward engineroom here in 1964, a WWII veteran going!, talking about feeling like an outsider to see it / feel it on Facebook pages & competitions i... Earn commission if you buy from a fellow Harry W Hill plank owner car with all bells... Retired as a BM1 ( SW ) in the Spruance hull did my first and third ship was TURNER! Because i moved to the end of the first WESTPAC deployment today 's Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers were with upcoming... Was pre-com Connolly DD-979 and then Microsoft because i moved to the end of the aging. Here in 1964, a WWII veteran still going strong, by the 1970s needed be. It on Facebook pages Chinas Reunification Threats, US Could Deploy Cutting Edge Missiles Near Taiwan Strait retired! Roughly the same issue with white railings at Leehelm for my GQ station when Stump fired Tomahawks into just! Intel and then regular ships company, 78-81 the buck, they were GREATand sub... With other weapons systems and Tactics for the Armed Civilian early on had the same gas turbine plant.
We tagged yall down off the coast of Gulf of Fonseca. The USS Orleck, shown here in 1964, a WWII veteran still going strong, by the 1970s needed to be replaced. Amid Chinas Reunification Threats, US Could Deploy Cutting Edge Missiles Near Taiwan Strait I retired in 1995. I served onboard from pre-com all the way through to the end of the first WESTPAC deployment. The only thing better than riding a Spruance Can was driving a Spruance CAN! from 1973 to 1978 the hull was so thin we were forbidden from needle gunning the bilges. The differences between today's Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers are largely a matter of armament. 
Good article about a great class of DDs. What a platform. Bow of the destroyer USS OBannon (DD-987), a Spruance-class destroyer, showing the ships Mark 16 8-cell ASROC anti-submarine rocket launcher, foreground, and a Mark 45 5-inch/54-caliber gun. An elite marksman. Today, 92 large combatants are in the fleet, but the Navys longer-term plans suggest the legacy large surface combatant fleet ofTiconderogaClass (CG 47) cruisers,ZumwaltClass (DDG 1000) destroyers andArleigh BurkeClass (DDG 51) destroyers will shrink to a fleet of 63 to 65 large surface vessels over the next 30 years. Hey shipmate I also broke my cherry on the jolly Rodgers from 1985-1989 as an HT than a D.C. left there as a DC2. Also, they had a twin helicopter hangar that could support a pair of sub-busting choppers, a battle implement WWII destroyers never dreamed of. While I really liked the ship and its crewthe ship itself was a piece of crap! Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News, and others. made it. Instead of being crammed full of TLAMs, these new DDGs have to allocate most of their space to carrying surface to air missiles. Josh Echt, on the elliot DD967 forward engineroom. Original 40s were upgraded to 40C, and 40As were upgraded to 40D. I miss the comradery of blue-water sailors Nice to see it / feel it on Facebook pages. I served aboard the USS John Rodgers DD983 from 1983-1986. When I saw the video of her sinking, water just started coming out of my eyes. This class represented one of the Navys early efforts to improve quality of life afloat for enlisted sailors (Time Magazine interviewed men on the Peterson), and also be more environmentally responsible (the Jared vacuum-suction sewage incineration system). Loki was confused when you weren't nowhere to be seen. At the height of the Cold War, America boasted a force of about 100 cruisers and destroyers, and, today, with 92 big surface combatants in service, the long-term resiliency of Americas large surface combatant fleet has been a striking feature, with about 100 ships maintained in one fleet plan after another. That is,if it is allowed to retire all of the cruisers that it wants in the timeframe that it seeks. This article is being republished due to reader interest. Had a similar mechanical upgrade been given to the 24-VLS equipped Spurances, they would all still be in service. They whipped up a bogus hostile and even sounded some alarms for my benefit. Meanwhile, worked at Mobil, Nike, Intel and then Microsoft because I moved to the Pacific Northwest. Rob Wittman (R-VA) remains something of a wild card in this debate, having previously expressed concerns on both sides of the cruiser issue. I served on two other ships and several shore commands before I retired as a BM1 (SW) in 2004. (I lster served just as dad did!! While I got to enjoy activity and follow-up the story of Elliot and the Three Bears My transfer did not let me participate in the rescue of the Vietnamese Boat People. Over 30 per cent of the gators were deommissioned, all of the CLF ships were decd or sent tot the MSC, and8 1/2 USARMY DIVSIONS (out of 18 2/3eds) WERE DECATIVATED. WebLike the larger Ticonderoga-class cruisers, DDG 51's combat capability centers around the Aegis Weapon System (AWS). Our Can was classified as 2250 tons, not the 3000 to 4000 tons as specified in the article. N95 Vs. KN95 Masks: Whats the Difference? Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Navy Cryptology, Official site for National Guard marksmanship training & competitions. A hundred surface ships cant be everywhere at once. The cuts are widespread, but one place the axe falls hardest is upon the Navys large surface combatant fleet. I agree that they were decommissioned way too early. Weapons systems limited, did they have NTDS, how about Engineers, were their power plants like? It was like having a brand new car with all the bells and whistles. I was on Board the Fletcher 1993-1996 when I got out from active duty. We had HTs constantly chasing cracks in our starboard side helo hanger. I was part of the commissioning crew USS Ingersoll DD-990. To replace these old boats, the Spruance class, a mighty 31 destroyers, were built between 1972-1983, all at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. WebThe Block IV missile, also called the Tactical Tomahawk, was first fielded in 2004 and now is on board Ticonderoga -class cruisers, Arleigh Burke class destroyers, and Zumwalt -class destroyers. Her story is typical of her class. The ship will also include larger, more powerful radar and an aviation flight deck and hangar for launching and recovering helicopters and drones. The shame in the SPRUANCE class retirement is that the Navy did a poor job of maintaining and upgrading them. Controversially, the House mark does not prevent the Navy from retiring a slew of aging Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers. 
Mark Episkopos is a national security reporter for theNational Interest. All the Spru-cans built prior to the Hayler were equipped with a AN/SPS-40B air search radar that was upgraded in the late 80s to a AN/SPS-40F ( totally solid-state) air search radar. Pingback: Dragging out that Navy Naming Conventions Soapbox | laststandonzombieisland. The subcommittees mark of the fiscal year 2022 bill authorizes twoArleigh Burke-classguided destroyers, one more than the Navy requested. U.S. lawmakers are reportedly at a stalemate over the fate of the Navys aging cruiser fleet. 
I was a plank owner of USS Arthur W. Radford DD-968.She was a great shipfirst ship to fire a Harpoon missile in the Mediterranian SeaHad a great mentor on boardFTG1 Joe Puls (eventually MCPO)left the Radford as Fox division LPO.Loved that ship and all my shipmatesSaw her stripped down before sinkingwhat a host of memories!!!!. BY the mid 1990s. I was on Rigel (T-AF-58) and Neosho (T-AO-143) in the 80s out of Norfolk, VA. Is it just me? Thanks to the internet and facebook have been able to reconnect with several of my old shipmates. The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruisers (CGs) had a transformational Aegis combat system, but were built upon the Spruance hull. Incidentally, Newport RI was my home port when I served on my 2nd ship, the USS Miller FF-1091, from 1987 to 1990. The only big drawback that I can think of is that the superstructure was aluminum. Famously, the Zumwalts' stealth allow the ships to have the same radar return as a fishing boat, yet for some reason, the service seems to be backing away from that. 
Subcommittee ranking member Rep. The cruise was supposed to end at Seal Beach, but dad ended up failing the new sonar, so we ended up going back to LBNS. I served on carriers as well. A close ET school friend was aboard Briscoe91-93. WebThe Arleigh Burke Class DDGs are actually more robust than the Ticonderoga CGs. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. When ours blew, I remember the tedious process of flipping this very heavy unit between two dollies in the radar room vestibule to get it out onto the main passageway, then wheeling it through the hangar and out to the flight deck, where a pier-based crane took it away while my chief (ETC Ronald Pyle) looked on. Bill DuVal here. Raines, as well. I was Pre-com Connolly DD-979 and then regular ships company, 78-81. I commissioned the David R. Ray (DD-971) and did my first 5 year sea duty tour as an OS. Identifying the Best Training, Tools, and Tactics for the Armed Civilian! them go. I know the Ticos early on had the same issue with white railings. I did however find one mistake that you made. My first ship was USS TURNER JOY (DD 951), which was the last USN DD before the Spruances came along. In their mind, getting rid of aging ships quickly would not only help pay for the huge cost of the Navys new Columbia Class (SSBN-826) ballistic missile submarines, but may also force the Navy to speed up the adoption of newer, lower-cost technologies that, in theory, move sailors from the front lines. The SPRUANCEs served long and with honor. DDG(X) is designed for "expanded Arctic operations," and the service wants to see greater fuel efficiency for longer patrols. I was a Plank owner of the Spruance and The OBrien DD 975. The Arleigh Burkes had a new and stealthier hull design, but with essentially the same gas turbine propulsion plant and Aegis combat system. South Korean Navy's Aegis destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great held a drill with Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry and a Japanese Atago-class Aegis destroyer. Great ships!! It told me alot about how out-of-touch the brass and Congress were with the realities of the Navy and our worlds volatility. Question: How come in the 70s and 80s it shows the US Navy ships with white railings? It will likely order dozens, if not scores of the ships, over a period of 30 or more years, just like the Burke-class. Thanks for the ATA! I served on 2 Burke Class DDGs. Burke Class DDGs employ several RCS or Radar Cross Section reduction methods. * First and for The end of service life for them was being discussed in NAVSEA back in the early 90s shortly before I retired. Over the 1980s and 90s, they were increasingly armed with other weapons systems. June 21-24, 2018 You listing of the weapon and radar systems would lead one to believe that all the Spruance class destroyers had an AN/SPS-49 air search radar when in fact only one, the USS Hayler had this type of radar. Sad to hear their fate and why. However, the Ticonderoga-class cruisers are roughly the same age. Ex USS Paul F Foster DD-964, SDTS Self Defense Test Ship EDD-964, the last Spruance class Destroyer, decommissioned in 2003, still working, departing San Diego after refueling, December 3rd 2021 as captured on San Diego Webcam. 1982-85 This is a total of 239 surface warships capable of blue water operations. Not even her 127mm guns, standard issue on US Navy destroyers, were salvaged. Official U.S. USN 1162172. Great article! DD964 USS Paul F Foster plank owner, EM2. My first and third ship was the USS John Hancock. I was on USS Peterson from 86-90. One of the first non-plank owners to board the ship, talking about feeling like an outsider. 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