USS Hopper

USS Hopper
History
US
Name	USS Hopper (DDG-70)
Namesake	Rear Admiral "Amazing Grace" Hopper
Ordered	8 April 1992
Laid down	23 February 1995
Launched	6 January 1996
Commissioned	6 September 1997
Homeport	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Status	Template:Ship fate box active in service
General characteristics
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	In excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	33 commissioned officers 38 chief petty officers 210 enlisted personnel
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPY-1D PESA 3D radar (Flight I, II, IIA) AN/SPY-6(V)1 AESA 3D radar (Flight III) AN/SPS-67(V)3 or (V)5 surface search radar (DDG-51 – DDG-118) AN/SPQ-9B surface search radar (DDG-119 onwards) AN/SPS-73(V)12 surface search/navigation radar (DDG-51 – DDG-86) BridgeMaster E surface search/navigation radar (DDG-87 onwards) 3 × AN/SPG-62 fire-control radar Mk 46 optical sight system (Flight I, II, IIA) Mk 20 electro-optical sight system (Flight III) AN/SQQ-89 ASW combat system: AN/SQS-53C sonar array AN/SQR-19 tactical towed array sonar (Flight I, II, IIA) TB-37U multi-function towed array sonar (DDG-113 onwards) AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III shipboard system
Electronic warfare & decoys	AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare suite AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo countermeasures Mk 36 Mod 12 decoy launching systems Mk 53 Nulka decoy launching systems Mk 59 decoy launching systems
Armament	Guns: 1 × 5-inch (127 mm)/54 mk 45 mod 1/2 (lightweight gun) 2 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Phalanx CIWS 2 × 25 mm (0.98 in) Mk 38 machine gun system 4 × 0.50 inches (12.7 mm) caliber guns Missiles: 2 × Mk 141 Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher 1 × 29-cell, 1 × 61-cell (90 total cells) Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS): RIM-66M surface-to-air missile RIM-156 surface-to-air missile BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile RUM-139 vertical launch ASROC Torpedoes: 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes: Mark 46 lightweight torpedo Mark 50 lightweight torpedo Mark 54 lightweight torpedo
Aircraft carried	1 × Sikorsky MH-60R

USS Hopper (DDG-70), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, is a ship of the United States Navy named for the pioneering computer scientist, Rear Admiral "Amazing Grace" Hopper.

The contract to build her was awarded to Bath Iron Works Corporation in Bath, Maine on 8 April 1992 and her keel was laid down on 23 February 1995. She was launched on 6 January 1996 sponsored by Mrs. Mary Murray Westcote, sister of the ship's namesake, and commissioned on 6 September 1997, with Commander Thomas D. Crowley in command.

Hopper is only the second US Navy warship to be named for a woman from the Navy's own ranks. The other was the World War II destroyer USS Higbee named for the Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I, Lenah Higbee.

Deployments

Hopper has participated in multiple deployments to East Asia and the Persian Gulf, including RIMPAC 98, three individual PACMEF deployments, an Expeditionary Strike Group deployment to the Persian Gulf in 2004, and a deployment to Southeast Asia in support of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2006. In addition, Hopper has been foremost in the field of Ballistic Missile Defense.

On 12 November 2007, Hopper departed with the USS Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group for a scheduled deployment to the Fifth Fleet and Seventh Fleet.

On 6 January 2008, Hopper was involved in an incident with five Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats. The Hopper, the cruiser USS Port Royal and the frigate USS Ingraham were entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz when five Iranian boats approached them at high speed and in a threatening manner. The U.S. ships had been in the Arabian Sea searching for a sailor who had been missing from the USS Hopper for one day. The US Navy says the Iranian boats made "threatening" moves toward the U.S. vessels, coming as close as 200 yards (180 m). The U.S. Navy received a radio transmission saying, "I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes." As the U.S. ships prepared to fire, the Iranians abruptly turned away, the U.S. officials said. Before leaving, the Iranians dropped white boxes into the water in front of the U.S. ships. The U.S. ships did not investigate the boxes.

Officials from the two nations differed on the severity of the incident. The Iranians claimed they were conducting normal maneuvers while American officials claimed that an imminent danger to American naval vessels existed.

Ship's Coat of Arms

Coat of arms of the USS Hopper (DDG-70)

Blazon

SHIELD: Azure, a lion rampant Or, armed and langued Gules.

Translation: On a background of blue, a gold lion rising with fore paws in the air as if attacking, claws and tongue of red.

CREST: From a wreath Or and Azure a lozenge Gules charged with a mullet Argent above a demi-trident of the first, between two lightning bolts pilewise of the like and all upon a wreath of laurel and oak Proper.

Translation: From a two-color roll of gold and blue, a red diamond bearing a white five-point star above a gold three-point spear head, between two wedge shaped lightning bolts also of gold, and all upon a wreath of laurel and oak in their natural colors.

MOTTO: A scroll Argent edged Gules inscribed "AUDE ET EFFICE" Azure.

Translation: A white scroll edged in red inscribed "DARE AND DO" (in Latin) in blue.

SEAL: The complete coat of arms in full color as in the blazon upon a white field enclosed by a blue oval border edged on the outside with gold rope and bearing the name USS HOPPER at top and DDG 70 in base all in gold.

Symbolism

SHIELD: Blue and gold are traditionally used by the Navy. The lion, a symbol of strength and courage, stands for the USS Hopper's characteristics of survivability and alludes to the ship's motto ( DARE AND DO ). The rampant lion has been adapted from the arms of Scotland and refers to Rear Admiral Hopper's heritage. Gold stands for excellence; blue is for devotion to duty.

CREST: The lozenge, traditionally used in the coats of arms of women, honors Rear Admiral Grace Hopper. Her distinction as the first woman to achieve the rank of rear admiral is represented by the single silver star. The trident symbolizes her love for the United States Navy and her Naval service, the focus of her life's work. The lightning bolts, framing the bottom of the shield, connote the image of ship's hull cutting through the sea. They also represent the sophistication and power of the Aegis warship, in large part made possible by Admiral Hopper's pioneering work in the computer field. The wreath consists of laurel and oak representing honor and strength. Red denotes courage and sacrifice; gold stands for excellence.

MOTTO: The Latin phrase "AUDE ET EFFICE" translates into the English phrase "DARE AND DO", in context of a command. RADM Hopper was frequently quoted using this phrase when issuing advice. The phrase captures the spirit of RADM Hopper in her quest for pushing the limits of conventional thinking and looking beyond the norm for innovative solutions and approaches to problem solving. The simple phrase, in Latin, exemplifies the essence of Admiral Hopper's spirit while paying tribute to her tremendous academic achievements.

References

•  This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

External links

• Official website
• Video of January 2008 incident in the Straight of Hormuz