USS Hopper ( DDG - 70 ) The USS " Hopper " ( DDG - 70 ) is an " Arleigh Burke " - class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy , named for the pioneering computer scientist , Rear Admiral " Amazing " Grace Hopper . The contract to build the USS " Hopper " was awarded to Bath Iron Works Corporation in Bath , Maine on 8 April 1992 and her keel was laid down on 23 February 1995 . She was launched on 6 January 1996 sponsored by Mrs . Mary Murray Westcote , sister of the ship ' s namesake , and commissioned on 6 September 1997 in San Francisco to be near Silicon Valley , with Commander Thomas D . Crowley in command . The USS " Hopper " is only the second U . S . Navy warship to be named for a woman from the Navy ' s own ranks . The other was the World War II destroyer USS " Higbee " named for the Superintendent of the U . S . Navy Nurse Corps during World War I , Lenah Higbee . History . Deployments . The USS " Hopper " has participated in multiple deployments to East Asia and the Persian Gulf , including RIMPAC 98 , three individual PACMEF deployments , an Expeditionary Strike Group deployment to the Persian Gulf in 2004 , and a deployment to Southeast Asia in support of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training ( CARAT ) 2006 . In addition , " Hopper " has been foremost in the field of Ballistic Missile Defense . On 12 November 2007 , the USS " Hopper " departed with the USS " Tarawa " Expeditionary Strike Group for a scheduled deployment to the Fifth Fleet and Seventh Fleet . On 6 January 2008 , the USS " Hopper " was involved in an incident with five Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats . The USS " Hopper " , the cruiser USS " Port Royal " and the frigate USS " Ingraham " were entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz when five Iranian boats approached them at high speed and in a threatening manner . The U . S . ships had been in the Arabian Sea searching for a sailor who had been missing from the USS " Hopper " for one day . The U . S . Navy said the Iranian boats made " threatening " moves toward the U . S . vessels , coming as close as . The U . S . Navy received a radio transmission saying , " I am coming to you . You will explode after a few minutes . " As the U . S . ships prepared to fire , the Iranians abruptly turned away , the U . S . officials said . Before leaving , the Iranians dropped white boxes into the water in front of the U . S . ships . The U . S . ships did not investigate the boxes . Officials from the two nations differed on the severity of the incident . The Iranians claimed they were conducting normal maneuvers while American officials claimed that an imminent danger to American naval vessels existed . On 15 April 2011 , the USS " Hopper " departed from Pearl Harbor on a deployment to Asia and the Middle East . Coat of Arms . Blazon . SHIELD : Azure , a lion rampant Or , armed and langued Gules . " Translation : On a background of blue , a gold lion rising with fore paws in the air as if attacking , claws and tongue of red . " CREST : From a wreath Or and Azure a lozenge Gules charged with a mullet Argent above a demi - trident of the first , between two lightning bolts pilewise of the like and all upon a wreath of laurel and oak Proper . " Translation : From a two - color roll of gold and blue , a red diamond bearing a white five - point star above a gold three - point spear head , between two wedge shaped lightning bolts also of gold , and all upon a wreath of laurel and oak in their natural colors . " MOTTO : A scroll Argent edged Gules inscribed " AUDE ET EFFICE " Azure . " Translation : A white scroll edged in red inscribed " DARE AND DO " ( in Latin ) in blue . " SEAL : The complete coat of arms in full color as in the blazon upon a white field enclosed by a blue oval border edged on the outside with gold rope and bearing the name USS HOPPER at top and DDG 70 in base all in gold . Commanding Officers . CDR Thomas Crowley ( Sep97 - Nov98 ) CDR John Peterson ( Nov98 - Jul00 ) CDR John Source ( Jul00 - Mar02 ) CDR Kenneth Auten ( Mar02 - Aug03 ) CDR Michael Selby ( Aug03 - Mar05 ) CDR Peter Driscoll ( Mar05 - Jan07 ) CDR Jeff James ( Jan07 - Jul08 ) CDR Timothy Kott ( Jul08 - Mar10 ) CDR Kevin . Melody ( Mar10 - Nov11 ) CDR Al Lopez ( Nov11 - May13 ) CDR Dave Snee ( May13 - - )