Destroyer

:This article is about the warship. For other meaning, see destroyer (disambiguation).

Modern US destroyers

The United States commissioned its first destroyer, USS Bainbridge, Destroyer No. 1, in 1902. In the US Navy, destroyers operate in support of carrier battle groups, surface action groups, amphibious groups and replenishment groups. Destroyers (with a DD hull classification symbol) primarily perform anti-submarine warfare duty while guided missile destroyers (DDGs) are multi-mission (anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, and anti-surface warfare) surface combatants. The relatively-recent addition of cruise missile launchers has greatly expanded the role of the destroyer in strike and land-attack warfare. As the expense of heavier surface combatants has generally removed them from the fleet, destroyer tonnage has grown (a modern destroyer of the Arleigh Burke class has the same tonnage as a World War II light cruiser). The modern Arleigh Burke is billed by its designers, the Bath Iron Works, as ton-for-ton the most powerful warship in history.

Related Topics:
United States - USS ''Bainbridge'' - 1902 - US Navy - Carrier battle group - Hull classification symbol - Guided missile - Anti-submarine - Anti-aircraft - Cruise missile - ''Arleigh Burke'' class - World War II - Light cruiser - Bath Iron Works

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Two classes of destroyers are currently in use by the US Navy: the Spruance class and the Arleigh Burke class. The Zumwalt class was planned to replace them; on November 1, 2001, the US Navy announced the issuance of a revised Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Future Surface Combatant Program. Formerly known as DD 21, the program will now be called DD(X) to more accurately reflect the program purpose, which is to produce a family of advanced technology surface combatants, not a single ship class. DD(X) is no longer called Zumwalt class, and is much larger than traditional destroyers, being nearly three thousand tons heavier than a Ticonderoga-class cruiser. It will potentially employ advanced weaponry and an all-electric Integrated Power System.

Related Topics:
''Spruance'' class - ''Arleigh Burke'' class - ''Zumwalt'' class - November 1 - 2001 - DD(X) - ''Ticonderoga''-class - Cruiser - Integrated Power System

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