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USS Scott on 21 March 1986 | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Kidd-class destroyer [1] |
Builders | Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi |
Operators | |
Preceded by | Spruance class |
Succeeded by | Arleigh Burke class |
Subclasses | Kee Lung class |
Built | 1978–1982 |
In commission |
|
Completed | 4 |
Active | 4 (Taiwan) |
General characteristics | |
Type | Guided-missile destroyer |
Displacement |
|
Length | 563 ft (172 m) |
Beam | 55 ft (17 m) |
Draught | 31.5 ft (9.6 m) |
Propulsion | 4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW) |
Speed | 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
Range |
|
Complement | 28 officers; 320 enlisted |
Sensors and processing systems |
|
Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
Armament |
|
Aircraft carried | 1 SH-3 helicopter or 2 SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS helicopters |
Aviation facilities | Flight deck and enclosed hangar for up to two medium-lift helicopters |
The Kidd-class destroyers were a series of four guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) based on the Spruance class. In contrast to their predecessor's focus on anti-submarine warfare, the Kidds were designed as more advanced multipurpose ships with the addition of considerably enhanced anti-aircraft capabilities. [3] Originally ordered for the former Imperial Iranian Navy, the contracts were canceled when the 1979 Iranian Revolution began, and the ships were completed for the United States Navy. They were decommissioned in 1999 and sold to Taiwan, where they have served in the Republic of China Navy as the Kee Lung class since 2005.
These destroyers were originally ordered by the last Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defence role around 1973/74. The original order of six ships was tentatively assigned hull numbers DD 993–998 by the U.S. Navy but it was reduced to four ships after U.S. Congress declined to halt the original production run of 30 Spruance ships. Compared to the preceding Spruance class, they retained the former's anti-submarine capabilities while adding two Tartar-D missile launchers for the Mark 26/Standard anti-aircraft missile system. In order to operate more effectively in the Middle East, they also had four air conditioning plants to the Spruances' three, additional dust separators on their gas turbines' air intakes, and increased water distillation capacity. The Shah was overthrown in the Iranian Revolution, prior to Iran accepting delivery of the ships, causing the United States Navy to integrate the vessels into its own fleet in 1981–82 as the Kidd class. [4]
On 3 February 1979, the Iranian government canceled the second two ships in the class, signing a memorandum of understanding indicating that they were available for acquisition by the U.S. Navy. On 21 February. 1979, the Iranian Prime Minister notified the U.S. government that Iran intended to terminate the contract of the first two ships, officially cancelling delivery on 8 March 1979. [5]
Each ship in the class was named after a U.S. Navy Admiral who had died in combat in the Pacific in World War II:
Because they were equipped with heavy-duty air conditioning and other features that made them suitable in hot climates, they tended to be used in the Middle East, specifically the Persian Gulf itself. [4] During their service with the U.S. Navy from the 1980s to the late 1990s, the ships were popularly known as the "Ayatollah" class. [6]
In 1988–90, the Kidds received the "New Threat Upgrade", which allowed cooperative engagement with Aegis Ticonderoga-class cruisers, enabling the cruisers to control the Kidds' surface-to-air missiles in flight while the destroyers remained electronically silent. However, the arrival of the Aegis-equipped Arleigh Burke-class destroyers led to the accelerated retirement of the Kidd class. [4] [7]
All four ships were decommissioned from the U.S. Navy in the late 1990s and were initially offered for sale to Australia in 1997 for A$30 million each. [8] The Royal Australian Navy was a strong supporter of buying the Kidd-class destroyers to replace the Perth class as their air warfare ships. [9] In 1999, the offer was rejected, based on extensive problems the Royal Australian Navy had encountered during the acquisition of two surplus Newport-class tank landing ships from the U.S. Navy in 1994. [8] In the early 1990s the Labor government of Paul Keating chose to maintain the Royal Australian Navy's existing Adelaide-class frigates instead of replacing them with the more expensive and much more labour-intensive, but more capable Kidd-class destroyers. Under the succeeding Liberal government of John Howard, in the mid-1990s they commenced the SEA 1390, also known as the FFG Upgrade Project, to improve the Adelaide frigates' capabilities; however, this project ran over costs and was behind schedule. [10] [11]
After the Australian refusal, the four ships were offered to Greece, which also refused. [8]
ROCS Ma Kung in 25 August 2018 | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Kee Lung-class destroyer [12] |
Builders | Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi |
Operators | |
Preceded by | Spruance class |
Succeeded by | Arleigh Burke class |
Built | 1978–1982 |
In commission |
|
Completed | 4 |
Active | 4 (Taiwan) |
General characteristics | |
Type | Guided-missile destroyer |
Displacement |
|
Length | 563 ft (172 m) |
Beam | 55 ft (17 m) |
Draught | 33.1 ft (10.1 m) [13] |
Propulsion | 4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW) |
Speed | 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
Range |
|
Complement | 31 officers; 363 enlisted |
Sensors and processing systems |
|
Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
Armament |
|
Aircraft carried | 1 or 2 Sikorsky S-70C(M) helicopter(s) [lower-alpha 1] |
Aviation facilities | Flight deck and enclosed hangar for up to one medium-lift helicopter |
In 2001, the U.S. authorized the reactivation and sale of all four ships to Taiwan (Republic of China). All four have been transferred to the Republic of China Navy under the Kuang Hua VII program. They were sold for a total price of US$732 million with upgraded hardware, overhaul, activation, and training, and included a reduced missile loadout of 148 SM-2 Block IIIA and 32 RGM-84L Block II Harpoon anti-ship missiles. [15] The reactivation was done in Charleston, South Carolina, by VSE/BAV. [16]
The first two ships, ex-Scott and ex-Callaghan, arrived at Su-ao, a military port in eastern Taiwan, in December 2005, and were named Kee Lung and Su Ao in a commissioning ceremony on 17 December 2005. Following the tradition of ship class naming, ROCN has referred to these vessels as Kee Lung-class destroyers, with the ships named after military ports in Taiwan. The remaining two units, ex-Kidd and ex-Chandler, were delivered in 2006, and named Tso Ying and Ma Kong, respectively.
The opposition-led Legislature Yuan originally allocated only enough money to purchase half of the SM-2 missiles that the destroyers can carry; a further purchase of 100 supplemental SM-2MRs was included in the 2007 annual budget to ensure all four ships had a full load of SM-2.
By end of 2008, Su Ao was spotted to have eight HF-3 AShMs installed in place of eight Harpoon AShMs. [17] It has been speculated from 2014 on that a navalized Sky Bow missile system, currently planned for an upcoming shipbuilding programme that involves the procurement of up to 15 general purpose frigates and three or four air defense destroyers, [18] [19] will also be replacing the Standard Missile system on these vessels. No plan for any Mk 26-compatible version of the Sky Bow III missile is ever known to have existed.
Name | Hull no. | Crest | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kidd | DDG-993 | Ingalls Shipbuilding | 26 June 1978 | 11 August 1979 | 27 March 1981 | 12 March 1998 | Sold to Taiwan, 30 May 2003; commissioned as ROCS Tso Ying (DDG-1803) | |
Callaghan | DDG-994 | 23 October 1978 | 1 December 1979 | 29 August 1981 | 31 March 1998 | Sold to Taiwan, 30 May 2003; commissioned as ROCS Su Ao (DDG-1802) | ||
Scott | DDG-995 | 12 February 1979 | 1 March 1980 | 24 October 1981 | 10 December 1998 | Sold to Taiwan, 30 May 2003; commissioned as ROCS Kee Lung (DDG-1801) | ||
Chandler | DDG-996 | 7 May 1979 | 28 June 1980 | 13 March 1982 | 23 September 1999 | Sold to Taiwan, 30 May 2003; commissioned as ROCS Ma Kong (DDG-1805) |
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of guided-missile frigates named after U.S. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a commander noted for his role in the Battle of Lake Erie. Also known as the Perry or FFG-7 class, the warships were designed in the United States in the mid-1970s as general-purpose escort vessels inexpensive enough to be bought in large numbers to replace World War II-era destroyers and complement 1960s-era Knox-class frigates.
The Arleigh Burke class of guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) is a United States Navy class of destroyer centered around the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multi-function passive electronically scanned array radar. The class is named for Admiral Arleigh Burke, an American destroyer officer in World War II and later Chief of Naval Operations. With an overall length of 505 to 509.5 feet, displacement ranging from 8,300 to 9,700 tons, and weaponry including over 90 missiles, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are larger and more heavily armed than many previous classes of guided-missile cruisers.
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States, originally established in 1938, and now part of HII. It is a leading producer of ships for the United States Navy, and, as of 2023, is the largest private employer in Mississippi.
A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers which have a primary gun armament or a small number of anti-aircraft missiles sufficient only for point-defense are designated DD. Nations vary in their use of destroyer D designation in their hull pennant numbering, either prefixing or dropping it altogether.
The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace the many World War II–built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the United States Navy during the 1970s and 1980s. It was named in honor of U.S. Navy Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, who successfully led major naval battles in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II such as the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided-missile destroyers (DDG) built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty-three were built for the United States Navy, three for the Royal Australian Navy, and three for the West German Bundesmarine. The design of these ships was based on that of Forrest Sherman-class destroyers, but the Charles F. Adams class were the first class designed to serve as guided-missile destroyers. 19 feet (5.8 m) of length was added to the center of the design of the Forrest Sherman class to carry the ASROC launcher. The Charles F. Adams-class were the last steam turbine-powered destroyers built for the U.S. Navy. Starting with the succeeding Spruance-class, all U.S. Navy destroyers have been powered by gas turbines. Some of the U.S. Charles F. Adams class served during the blockade of Cuba in 1962 and during the Vietnam War; those of the Royal Australian Navy served during the Vietnam War and Gulf War.
The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, or the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was the effect of a series of missile tests conducted by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the waters surrounding Taiwan, including the Taiwan Strait, from 21 July 1995 to 23 March 1996. The first set of missiles fired in mid-to-late 1995 was allegedly intended to send a strong signal to the Republic of China government under President Lee Teng-hui, who had been seen as "moving its foreign policy away from the One-China policy", as claimed by PRC. The second set of missiles was fired in early 1996, allegedly intending to intimidate the Taiwanese electorate in the run-up to the 1996 presidential election.
The Ticonderoga class of guided-missile cruisers is a class of warships of the United States Navy, first ordered and authorized in the 1978 fiscal year. It was originally planned as a class of destroyers. However, the increased combat capability offered by the Aegis Combat System and the passive phased array AN/SPY-1 radar, together with the capability of operating as a flagship, were used to justify the change of the classification from DDG to CG shortly before the keels were laid down for Ticonderoga and Yorktown.
ROCS Kee Lung is the lead ship of her class of guided-missile destroyers currently in active service of Republic of China Navy.
USS Chandler (DDG-996) was the final ship in the Kidd class of guided-missile destroyers operated by the U.S. Navy. Derived from the Spruance class, these vessels were designed for air defense in hot weather. She was named after Rear Admiral Theodore E. Chandler.
USS Scott (DDG-995) was a Kidd-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was named for Rear Admiral Norman Scott, who was killed during a surface action at the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal aboard USS Atlanta, receiving a posthumous Medal of Honor for his actions.
ROCS Su Ao is a Kee Lung-class destroyer guided-missile destroyer currently in active service of the Republic of China Navy. Su Ao was formerly American Kidd-class destroyer USS Callaghan (DDG-994), which was decommissioned from the United States Navy in 1998. For some time after the ship's 30 May 2003 purchase, Su Ao was tentatively named Ming Teh (明德), following the example of Chi Teh (紀德), but it was later decided to be named Su Ao, after the Su-Ao naval base in eastern Taiwan.
USS Kidd (DDG-993) was the lead ship in her class of destroyers operated by the U.S. Navy. Derived from the Spruance-class, these vessels were designed for air defense in hot weather. The vessel was the second named after Medal of Honor recipient Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who was aboard USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and was the first American flag officer to die in World War II.
USS Callaghan (DD/DDG-994) was the second ship of the Kidd class of destroyers operated by the U.S. Navy. Derived from the Spruance class, these vessels were designed for air defense in hot weather. She was named for Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan, who was killed in action aboard his flagship, the heavy cruiser San Francisco, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942.
New Threat Upgrade (NTU) was a United States Navy program to improve and modernize the capability of existing cruisers and destroyers equipped with Terrier and Tartar anti-aircraft systems, keeping them in service longer.
ROCS Tso Ying is a Kee Lung-class guided-missile destroyer currently in active service of the Republic of China Navy. It was formally commissioned at Suao Naval Base in northeastern Taiwan on 3 November 2006 along with sister ship ROCS Ma Kong (DDG-1805). Tso Ying is named after the largest naval base in Taiwan, the Tso Ying Naval Base in Tsoying District, Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. The Tso Ying Naval Base is also the location of the Taiwanese naval academy and fleet headquarters.
USS Spruance (DDG-111) is a United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. She is the 61st ship in her class. Spruance is the second ship to be named for Admiral Raymond A. Spruance (1886–1969), who commanded American naval forces at the Battles of Midway and the Philippine Sea. He was later Ambassador to the Philippines. Her keel was laid down on 14 May 2009. She was christened by the admiral's granddaughter, Ellen Spruance Holscher, on 5 June 2010 in Bath, Maine at Bath Iron Works, where the ship was built at a cost of $1 billion. The completed ship left Bath on 1 September 2011 for her commissioning in Key West, Florida on 1 October 2011.
The Mark 41 vertical launching system is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats. The vertical launching system (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis Combat System.
Photo of ship-mounted Hsiung Feng-III Anti-ship missiles taken at Su Ao Harbour