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USS John S. McCain (DDG-56)

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For other ships with the same name, see USS John S. McCain.

USS John S. McCain (DDG-56)
A gray warship on a blue ocean
USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) underway in January 2003
History
United States
NameUSS John S. McCain
NamesakeJohn S. McCain, Sr., John S. McCain, Jr., and John S. McCain III[1]
Ordered13 December 1988
BuilderBath Iron Works
Laid down3 September 1991
Launched26 September 1992
Sponsored byCindy McCain
Commissioned2 July 1994
HomeportYokosuka, Japan
MottoFortune Favors the Brave[2]
Nickname(s)"Big Bad John"[3]
StatusActive
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeTemplate:Sclass-
Displacement
  • Light: approx. 6,800 long tons (6,900 t)
  • Full: approx. 8,900 long tons (9,000 t)
Length505 ft (154 m)
Beam59 ft (18 m)
Draft31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion2 × shafts
SpeedIn excess of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × Sikorsky MH-60R

USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) is an Template:Sclass- currently in the service of the United States Navy. She is part of the Destroyer Squadron 15 within the Seventh Fleet, and has her homeport at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan.

The destroyer was involved in a collision with the merchant ship Alnic MC on 21 August 2017 off the coast of Singapore, which resulted in the deaths of ten of her crew, and left another five injured.

Naming

This warship was originally named after John S. McCain, Sr., and John S. McCain, Jr.,[2] both admirals in the United States Navy. John S. McCain, Sr. commanded the aircraft carrier USS Ranger, and later the Fast Carrier Task Force during the latter stages of World War II. John S. McCain, Jr. commanded the submarines USS Gunnel and USS Dentuda during World War II. He subsequently held a number of posts, rising to Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Command, before retiring in 1972. These men were, respectively, the grandfather and father of Senator John S. McCain III.[7]

On 11 July 2018, at a rededication ceremony, Senator John McCain was added as a namesake, along with his father and grandfather.[8]

The ship's nickname is "Big Bad John", and has the motto "Fortune Favors the Brave".[3]

Service

Construction and commissioning

John S. McCain's keel was laid down on 3 September 1991, at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. She was launched on 26 September 1992, sponsored by Cindy McCain, the wife of Senator John McCain III, and was commissioned on 2 July 1994, at the Bath Iron Works. The former President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, was the ceremony's principal speaker.[9] The ship was initially assigned a home port of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and shifted to a forward-deploy port in Yokosuka, Japan in 1997.

2000s

In January 2003, John S. McCain deployed to the Persian Gulf. She launched 39 Tomahawk missiles in support of the invasion of Iraq and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her service. John S. McCain was awarded the Navy Battle E for DESRON 15 in 2003 and again in 2004. On 16 February 2007, John S. McCain was awarded the 2006 Battle Effectiveness Award.[10]

On 11 June 2009, a Chinese submarine reportedly collided with the towed sonar array of John S. McCain near Subic Bay, Philippines. The incident caused damage to the array but was described as an "inadvertent encounter".[11]

In June 2009, John S. McCain pursued the North Korean cargo ship Kang Nam 1 toward Burma in enforcement of the new United Nations resolution of an arms export embargo against North Korea. The vessel was suspected of carrying arms for the Burmese junta government. Kang Nam 1 returned to North Korea without delivering her cargo to Burma.[12]

In July 2009, the destroyer berthed at Yokohama's international passenger terminal on a goodwill tour. The ship was opened to the public on 22 July 2009.[13]

2010s

In March 2011, in company with the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, the ship was deployed off northeastern Honshu, Japan to assist with relief efforts after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.[14][15] During that time, the ship may have been exposed to leaking radiation from the Fukushima I nuclear accidents.[16]

In April 2013, John S. McCain was sent to South Korea during escalating tensions between the Koreas.[17] In June 2014, John S. McCain was sent to Subic Bay to perform in CARAT (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training) exercises.

On 2 October 2016, USS John S. McCain and USS Frank Cable made the first port visit by U.S. Navy ships to Cam Ranh Bay since end of the Vietnam War in 1975.[18] In August 2017, John S. McCain sailed within 6 nautical miles (7 mi; 11 km) of Mischief Reef in the South China Sea, exercising a claim to freedom of navigation. China, claiming sovereignty over the reef, expressed its "strong dissatisfaction" in response to the action.[19] A US Navy representative reported that a Chinese frigate had sent at least ten radio messages warning that the John S. McCain was in Chinese waters, to which the US ship replied that it was "conducting routine operations in international waters."[19]

MV Alnic MC collision

Main article: USS John S. McCain and Alnic MC collision

At 5:24 a.m. on 21 August 2017, John S. McCain was involved in a collision with the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC off the coast of Singapore and Malaysia, east of the Strait of Malacca.[7][20][21] According to a United States Navy press release, the breach "resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms."[22] Ten US Navy sailors died as a result of the crash.[23][24][21][25] After the incident, the ship, which sustained damage to her port side aft, was able to sail to Changi Naval Base in Singapore under her own power. The U.S. Navy announced on 24 August 2017 that it had suspended search-and-rescue efforts for survivors in the open sea to focus on the recovery of the remains of the missing sailors still inside the flooded compartments of the ship.[26] By 27 August U.S. Navy and Marine Corps divers had recovered the remains of all 10 sailors.[27]

John S. McCain was undergoing repairs at the Yokosuka Naval Base outside Tokyo and could not be moved during U. S. President Donald Trump’s late May, 2019 state visit to Japan when on May 27 Trump delivered a Memorial Day address from aboard the nearby USS Wasp. On June 1, 2019 the Navy acknowledged that a member of the White House staff had requested that the Navy “minimize the visibility” of John S. McCain during Trump’s base visit. Trump said “I was not a big fan of John McCain in any shape or form,” that he had no prior knowledge of the request, that the staff person who made the request was “well-meaning,” and said via Twitter that the story was fake news.[28][29][30][31][32][33][34] On June 1, 2019 acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan said “there's no room for politicizing the military" and that the request was from the White House Military Office directly to the Seventh Fleet, and ordered his chief of staff to investigate the matter.[35][36][37][38] On June 2, 2019 acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the request was not “unreasonable” and that the White House staffer who made the request would not be fired.[39][40][41][42][43] Days later, during Trump’s early June, 2019 state visit to the United Kingdom, the campaign group Led by Donkeys projected an image of John S. McCain on Madame Tussauds wax museum in central London, near Winfield House where Trump and his family were staying.[44][45][46][47]

Images

  • John S. McCain firing a RIM-67 Standard: 6 February 2004
    John S. McCain firing a RIM-67 Standard: 6 February 2004
  • John S. McCain (foreground) and Australian destroyer Brisbane: 19 May 2001
    John S. McCain (foreground) and Australian destroyer Brisbane: 19 May 2001
  • McCain family at ship's launching: 26 September 1992
    McCain family at ship's launching: 26 September 1992
  • USS John S. McCain patrolling the South China Sea, 22 January 2017
    USS John S. McCain patrolling the South China Sea, 22 January 2017

See also

References

  1. ^ "Senator McCain Joins USS John S. McCain Namesake". Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "About our Namesake - John S. McCain". U.S. Navy. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b "7 things about US warship USS John S. McCain or 'Big Bad John'". The Straits Times. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ "Mk46 MOD 1 Optical Sight System". Kollmorgen. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  5. ^ Rockwell, David (12 July 2017). "The Kollmorgen/L-3 KEO Legacy". Teal Group. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  6. ^ Hart, Jackie (17 December 2023). "Decoy Launch System Installed Aboard USS Ramage". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b Flanagan, Ed; Stelloh, Tim (20 August 2017). "Navy Destroyer USS John S. McCain Collides With Merchant Ship East of Singapore". NBC News. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Doornbos, Caitlin (12 July 2018). "McCain joins father and grandfather on ship's list of namesakes". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  9. ^ "USS John S. McCain (DDG 56)". www.navysite.de. Retrieved 10 September 2008. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  10. ^ Ludwick, Paula M. (19 February 2007). "Surface Force Ships, Crews Earn Battle "E"". U.S. Navy. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  11. ^ Starr, Barbara (12 June 2009). "Sub collides with sonar array towed by U.S. Navy ship". CNN. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  12. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (21 June 2009). "Test Looms as U.S. Tracks North Korean Ship". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  13. ^ "U.S. destroyer visits Yokohama passenger pier". Japan Times. Kyodo News. 22 July 2009. p. 2.
  14. ^ Rabiroff, John (17 March 2011). "U.S. military delivers 40 tons of supplies to hardest-hit areas". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Warships Supporting Earthquake in Japan". Seawaves. 22 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Stewart, Joshua (14 March 2011). "Navy ships off Japan move to avoid radiation". Military Times. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  17. ^ Miklaszewski, Jim; Kube, Courtney (1 April 2013). "US Navy shifts destroyer in wake of North Korea missile threats". NBC News. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  18. ^ "United States warships make first visit to Vietnam base in decades". South China Morning Post. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  19. ^ a b "China protests, challenges US warship near its artificial islands". News Corp Australia. AFP. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ McKirdy, Euan; Lendon, Brad; Sciutto, Jim (22 August 2017). "'Some remains' of missing 10 sailors found after collision, admiral says". CNN. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  21. ^ a b "UPDATE: USS John S. McCain Collides with Merchant Ship". U.S. Navy. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  22. ^ Global, IndraStra. "10 U.S. Navy Sailors Missing after USS John S McCain Collides with Oil Tanker". IndraStra. ISSN 2381-3652.
  23. ^ McKirdy, Euan (28 August 2017). "Remains of all 10 missing USS John S. McCain sailors recovered". CNN. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  24. ^ "U.S. Navy identifies 1 dead and 9 missing USS John S. McCain Sailors as search and rescue efforts suspended". Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. U.S. Navy. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  25. ^ Farrer, Martin; Holmes, Oliver (21 August 2017). "Pentagon orders temporary halt to US navy operations after second collision". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  26. ^ Cohen, Zachary (25 August 2017). "Navy suspends USS John McCain search and rescue efforts". CNN. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  27. ^ Varner, Jesse (28 August 2017). "All remains recovered of 10 sailors from USS John S. McCain collision". U.S. Navy.
  28. ^ Haberman, Maggie; Cooper, Helene (29 May 2019). "Navy Destroyer John McCain Hidden During Trump's Japan Visit". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  29. ^ Ballhaus, Rebecca; Lubold, Gordon (30 May 2019). "White House Wanted USS John McCain 'Out of Sight' During Trump Japan Visit". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  30. ^ Zapotosky, Matt (1 June 2019). "Navy confirms request was made to 'minimize the visibility' of USS John S. McCain during Trump's visit to Japan". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  31. ^ Burman, Max; Kube, Courtney (1 June 2019). "Navy acknowledges request was made to hide USS John S. McCain during Trump visit". NBC News. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  32. ^ Wagner, John; Itkowitz, Colby; Lamothe, Dan (30 May 2019). "Trump: Official who directed obscuring USS John S. McCain warship was 'well-meaning'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  33. ^ Landler, Mark; Sullivan, Eileen (30 May 2019). "Let's Not Upset the President: The White House Tells the Navy to Hide the U.S.S. McCain". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  34. ^ Blinder, Alan (30 May 2019). "What You Need to Know About the U.S.S. John S. McCain". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  35. ^ King, Ledyard (1 June 2019). "Navy confirms request to keep USS John S. McCain out of sight during President Trump's visit". USA Today. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  36. ^ Cone, Allen (2 June 2019). "Shanahan: Request to move USS John McCain made directly to Seventh Fleet". UPI. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  37. ^ Ali, Idrees (2 June 2019). "Amid USS McCain controversy, Pentagon says military will not be politicized". Reuters. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  38. ^ Cooper, Helene; Dooley, Ben (31 May 2019). "Acting Defense Chief Says He Wouldn't Have Hidden McCain Ship". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  39. ^ Kamisar, Ben (2 June 2019). "White House chief of staff says request to move USS John McCain was not 'unreasonable'". Meet the Press. NBC News. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  40. ^ Pengelly, Martin (2 June 2019). "Order to hide USS John McCain from Trump not 'unreasonable' – chief of staff". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  41. ^ Fearnow, Benjamin (2 June 2019). "Trump Chief of Staff Says 'Not Unreasonable' to Request Hiding USS John McCain From President's View". Newsweek. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  42. ^ Schmitt, Eric (14 June 2019). "Mulvaney Says McCain Ship Episode Is 'Much Ado About Nothing'". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  43. ^ Baldor, Lolita C. (2 June 2019). "Pentagon Tells the White House to Stop Politicizing Military". Time. Associated Press. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  44. ^ Kowalick, Claire (5 June 2019). "USS John S. McCain hats sell out online after London protest aimed at Trump". USA Today. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  45. ^ O'Kane, Caitlin (3 June 2019). "Anti-Brexit group taunts Trump with images of USS John McCain and Obama's approval rating projected onto London landmarks". CBS News. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  46. ^ Croucher, Shane (4 June 2019). "Donald Trump U.K. State Visit: Massive Protests Against President's Visit Include Projection of USS John McCain". Newsweek. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  47. ^ Dorman, Sam (5 June 2019). "Meghan McCain praises UK protesters' attempt to troll Trump with giant 'USS John McCain' stunt". Fox News. Retrieved 14 June 2019.

Further reading

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