USS Nitze

USS Nitze at sea
History
United States of America
Name	USS Nitze
Namesake	Paul Nitze
Ordered	6 March 1998
Builder	Bath Iron Works
Laid down	20 September 2002
Launched	3 April 2004
Commissioned	5 March 2005
Motto	"One Team, One Fight"
Status	in active service
Badge	File:DDG-94 USS Nitze.jpg
General characteristics
Class and type	Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
Displacement	6,600 tons light, 9,200 tons full, 2,600 tons dead
Length	509 feet 6 inches (155.30 m) length overall 471 feet (144 m) waterline length
Beam	66 feet (20 m) extreme 59 feet (18 m) at waterline
Draft	31 feet (9.4 m) maximum 22 feet (6.7 m) limit
Propulsion	Four General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, two shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW)
Speed	Over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement	32 officers, 348 sailors
Armament	One 32-cell, one 64-cell Mark 41 vertical launch systems, 96 RIM-66 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc, missiles one 5/62 in (127/62 mm) gun, two 25 mm, four 12.7 mm guns two Mark 46 triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried	Two SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters

USS Nitze (DDG-94), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Paul Nitze, who served as Secretary of the Navy under President Lyndon B. Johnson and as chief arms control adviser in the administration of President Ronald Reagan.

Overview

The contract to build her was awarded to Bath Iron Works Corporation in Bath, Maine on 6 March 1998 and her keel was laid down on 20 September 2002. She was launched on 3 April 2004 sponsored by Elisabeth Porter, Nitze's wife. Nitze, 97 years old, was present at the christening, thus adding the destroyer to the rapidly growing list of military vessels named after living Americans. Nitze was commissioned on 5 March 2005, with CDR Michael A. Hegarty in command.

While in command, Hegarty saw port visits in NYC for Fleet Week, Mobile, AL for Mardi Gras, and several other high visibility ports. The current CO is CDR Chris Nerad. The XO is CDR John Bub. The ship is known as the "Cold Warriors" in reference to Paul Nitze's involvement in shaping US Cold War policy. Nitze, homeported in Norfolk, VA, went on its maiden deployment in January 2007 as part of the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group, returning home on 3 July 2007.

On September 12, 2008, Nitze departed Norfolk for a seven-month deployment with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Carrier Strike Group, returning on 18 April 2009.

In October 2009, Nitze was open to the public for tours in downtown Norfolk as part of the Navy Fleet Week celebration. She was moored at the Nauticus Museum and Half Moone Cruise terminal.

From July 1-5, 2011, Nitze was docked in Eastport, Maine, for the 4th of July Celebration.

External links

• USS Nitze’s Web site

References

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

USS Nitze (DDG-94)