Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

USS Gridley (DDG-101)

2007 MODERN NAVY

History of USS Gridley (DDG-101)

The Arleigh Burke-class battleship group remains an important destroyer class for the modern United States Navy (USN). A total of 82 warships have been compiled in this class, of which 66 have been completed (at the time of writing - all in active duty in January 2019).

The type was designed in the last years of the Cold War (1947-1991) - and therefore influenced by design - and construction began in 1988, with the first ship commissioned in 1991.

The aircraft carrier USS Gridley (DDG-101) was one of them: the warship was ordered on March 6, 1998 and awarded to Bath Steel, which laid down the keel on July 30, 2004. Commissioned in 2005 and officially named "Gridle" on February 10, 2007 after U.S. Navy Capt.

Charles Vernon, Gridley continues to sail today (2019) with "fire when ready" " is the motto.

When completed, the warship will displace 9,300 tons (short), have a length of 509.5 feet, a beam of 66 feet, and a draft of 31 feet. Power comes from 4 General Electric LM2500-30 series gas turbines with an output of 100,000 horsepower and 2 shafts. On board were 380 officers and enlisted personnel, including an Air Force wing.

These men are tasked with maintaining and operating up to 2 Sikorsky Sh-60 Seahawk Navy helicopters, launched and recovered from the stern (including a full-service hangar).

Armament is 1 x 5" (130 mm) /62 caliber with foredeck turret gun, 1 x 32-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), 1 x 64-cell Mk 41 VLS (total 96 x RIM - 66 SM-2 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) with OR BGM-109 Tomahawk SAM), 2 x 25mm Mk-38 chain guns, 2 x Mk-46 triple torpedo tubes and 1 x 20mm Phalanx - In Weapon Systems (CIWSs). All in all, a warship's extensive armament means it can be used to deal with air, surface and submarine threats as needed.

The home port of Everett Naval Base Everett, Washington, on the northwest coast of the United States (with direct access to the vast Pacific Ocean). Her first trip started in San Diego on May 19, 2008, and ended in November of the same year.

Her next notable deployment was in August 2014, when she embarked on a 10-month westward voyage aboard the cruiser USS Carl Vinson and the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill. In mid-2016, the warship returned to the United States.