USS Bainbridge ( DDG - 96 ) USS " Bainbridge " ( DDG - 96 ) is an guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy . She is the fifth ship to carry that name , and the 46th destroyer of a planned 75 - ship class . " Bainbridge " is named in honor of Commodore William Bainbridge , who as commander of the frigate USS " Constitution " distinguished himself in the War of 1812 when he and his crew captured HMS " Java " , a 38 - gun fifth - rate frigate of the Royal Navy . Since her commissioning in 2005 , " Bainbridge " has been active in the Mediterranean Sea , but most of the attention she has garnered has been as a result of the failed hijacking attempt of the U . S . - flagged freighter by Somali pirates in April , 2009 , which ended with the release of the vessel ' s Master , Captain Richard Phillips , on 12 April 2009 . After crewmen of the captured cargo vessel managed to retake the ship , the pirates retreated , taking the ship ' s Master hostage in a lifeboat . " Bainbridge " , , and shadowed the pirates , and with FBI assistance attempted negotiations for the safe return of the captive captain until U . S . Navy SEAL sniper s resolved the situation with deadly force . The story of this incident was turned into the 2013 motion picture titled " Captain Phillips " , starring Tom Hanks . Construction . " Bainbridge " is one of 75 authorized " Arleigh Burke " – class guided missile destroyers , and is classified as a member of the Flight IIA – class variation that incorporate the 5 " / 62 caliber gun mount , an improvement over the previous 5 " / 54 caliber gun mounts on the earlier " Arleigh Burke " – class destroyers . In addition to her guns , " Bainbridge " carries over 100 missiles of various types aboard two separate Mk 41 VLS magazines . Her superstructure features the AN / SPY - 1 radar indicative of the Aegis combat system , which allows the destroyer to track over 100 targets simultaneously . " Bainbridge " was floated from drydock and christened on 13 November 2004 at Bath Iron Works , Bath , Maine , sponsored by Susan Bainbridge Hay , Commodore William Bainbridge ' s great - great - great - granddaughter . She was commissioned on 12 November 2005 , with Commander John M . Dorey commanding . Presently , she is commanded by CDR Bruce G . Schuete , with CDR David J . Pearson serving as the Executive Officer and CMDCM ( SW / AW ) Laura S . Nunley serving as Command Master Chief . History . " Bainbridge " assumed flagship for Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 ( SNMG - 1 ) from ( SNMG - 1 April 2007 – August 2007 ) and remained flagship from August 2007 until February 2008 . While on deployment under SNMG - 1 , they visited various ports across the Mediterranean such as Valletta , Malta ; A Coruña , Spain ; Istanbul , Turkey ; Crete , Athens , Greece ; as well as Port Victoria , Seychelles in the Indian Ocean . On 8 April 2009 , " Bainbridge " was dispatched in response to a hostage situation in which Somali pirates had seized control of an American - flagged cargo vessel , the " Maersk Alabama " . The crew of the " Alabama " were able to get to safety , after their captain offered to be taken hostage by the pirates in exchange for the safety of his crew . He was taken to and held on a lifeboat , and refused release in an unsuccessful attempt to exchange him for a pirate the ship ' s crew had captured . The destroyer shadowed and later encircled the Somali pirates during the standoff , at which time the pirates and " Bainbridge " began negotiating for the safe release of the captive captain . On 12 April 2009 Captain Phillips was freed — reportedly in good condition — during a US Navy SEAL team assault . Three of the Somali pirates were killed by US Navy SEAL sharpshooters aboard " Bainbridge " , and one was captured .