recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
ROCS Tian Dan

## ROCS Tian Dan (PFG2-1110)

ROCS Tian Dan

**ROCS *Tian Dan*** (田單, **PFG2-1110**) is the eighth ship of the *Cheng Kung*-class guided-missile frigates of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN), which was based on the *Oliver Hazard Perry* class of the United States Navy.

### Career

*Tian Dan* was initially ordered as the first ship of the second batch of the *Cheng Kung* class. However, the second batch was cancelled in October 1994. The ship was re-ordered from the China Shipbuilding Corporation at Kaoshuing, Taiwan, as a continuation of Batch I in January 1999, but funding for the vessel did not become available until December 2000. The frigate was laid down on 21 December 2001 and was launched on 15 October 2002. Named for a famous Chinese commander, the ship was commissioned on 11 March 2004. The *Cheng Kung*-class frigates make up the ROCN 146th Frigate Squadron.

On 14 March 2014, *Tian Dan*, along with two of Taiwan's Coastguard patrol vessels, arrived in the South China Sea between Malaysia and Vietnam to join the multi-national search and rescue operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight.
USS Telesforo Trinidad

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## USS Telesforo Trinidad (DDG-139)

**USS *Telesforo Trinidad* (DDG-139)** is a planned *Arleigh Burke*-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, the 89th overall for the class. She will honor Fireman 2nd class Telesforo Trinidad, the only Filipino in the US Navy to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Sea Sparrow

## RIM-7 Sea Sparrow

### Users

Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Taiwan (current), Australia, Canada, New Zealand (former)

### Designer

Raytheon and General Dynamics

The **RIM-7 Sea Sparrow** is a U.S. ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles. The system was developed in the early 1960s from the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile as a lightweight "point-defense" weapon that could be retrofitted to existing ships as quickly as possible, often in place of existing gun-based anti-aircraft weapons. In this incarnation, it was a very simple system guided by a manually aimed radar illuminator.

After its introduction, the system underwent significant development into an automated system similar to other United States Navy missiles like the RIM-2 Terrier. Contemporary improvements being made to the Sparrow for the air-to-air role led to similar improvements in the Sea Sparrow through the 1970s and 80s. After that point the air-to-air role passed to the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the Sea Sparrow underwent a series of upgrades strictly for the naval role. It now resembles the AIM-7 only in general form; it is larger, faster and includes a new seeker and a launch system suitable for vertical launch from modern warships.

Fifty years after its development, the Sea Sparrow remains an important part of a layered air defense system, providing a short/medium-range component especially useful against sea-skimming missiles.
TCG Heybeliada

## TCG Heybeliada (F 511)

TCG Heybeliada

**TCG *Heybeliada* (F 511)** is the lead ship of the Ada-class ASW corvettes of the Turkish Navy. *Heybeliada* was named after Heybeliada Island, where the Turkish Naval High School is located. Heybeliada Island is part of the Prince Islands archipelago in the Sea of Marmara, to the southeast of Istanbul.

### Career

The ship was designed, developed and built by the Tuzla (Istanbul) Naval Shipyard as a part of the MILGEM project. Istanbul Naval Shipyard Command started construction of *Heybeliada* on 22 January 2007. The ship was laid down on 22 January 2007 and launched on 27 September 2008. Sailed out for initial sea trials in 2008, she was officially commissioned by the Turkish Navy and entered navy service on 27 September 2011.

Since her commissioning, her longest voyage has been 2013 Mediterranean cruise. This journey took the vessel to the ports of Alexandria, Tripoli, Libya, Algiers, La Goulette, Casablanca, and Durres. Throughout the vagaries of her service career, the vessel has received the moniker the "Ghost of the Seas".
USNS Carl Brashear

## USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7)

USNS Carl Brashear

USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7) is a Lewis and Clark-class Dry Cargo Ship of the United States Navy. She is named for Master Chief Boatswain's Mate Carl Brashear.

### Career

During Operation Tomodachi, USNS Carl Brashear unloaded some 800 pallets of humanitarian cargo in Sasebo. She supported many ships and conducted 17 replenishments.
USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931)

Not to be confused with the other USS Forrest Sherman

USS Forrest Sherman

USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931) was a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer of the United States Navy.

### Career

USS Forrest Sherman sailed along the East Coast and Caribbean throughout 1957 and took part in the Hampton Roads international fleet review. On September 3 she took part in Operation Strikeback.

On August 10, 1958, she deployed to Gibraltar after training in Puerto Rico. She cruised the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, and joined the United States 7th Fleet near Taiwan. She returned to Newport on November 11.

In 1959 Forrest Sherman took part in Operation Inland Seas and escorted HMY Britannia.

In 1960 USS Forrest Sherman took part in more training exercises. In October she aided a Liberian freighter with an extremely injured man aboard.

She was overhauled in 1961.

In 1982 Forrest Sherman was decommissioned, and she was stricken in 1990. She was scrapped in 2014.
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)

Not to be confused with the other USS Lake Champlain

## USS Lake Champlain (CV/CVA/CVS-39)

USS Lake Champlain

USS Lake Champlain (CV/CVA/CVS-39) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy.

### Career

As Lake Champlain was commissioned at the end of World War 2, she did not see combat then. However, she took part in Operation Magic Carpet, ferrying troops home from Asia.

In 1950 she was modernized for service in the Korean War. She began her operations in 1953, when her aircraft bombed runways and defensive positions and also escorted B-29 bombers. She was relieved by USS Kearsarge on October 11, 1953.

She operated in the Mediterranean through the late 50s, and her H-19 Chickasaws took part in relief operations in Valencia.

She recovered Freedom 7's crewman, Alan Shepard. She also blockaded Cuba and took part in relief operations after Hurricane Flora. On May 6, 1964, she collided with USS Decatur, but both ships made it home under their own power.

She recovered Gemini 2 and Gemini 5 in 1965. She was considered for sale to Spain but this was cancelled and she was decommissioned in 1966. She was scrapped in 1972.
USS Harpers Ferry

## USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49)

USS Harpers Ferry

**USS *Harpers Ferry* (LSD-49)** is the lead ship of her class of landing ship dock of the United States Navy. This warship was named for the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which, because of the U.S. arsenal there, was an important location during the Civil War. USS *Harpers Ferry* is assigned to the Navy's "Amphibious Group 1". The homeport of *Harpers Ferry* is at San Diego County, California. *Harpers Ferry* was previously stationed at the American Naval Base in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan before she was relieved in 2011 by USS *Germantown*.

*Harpers Ferry*'s keel was laid down on 15 April 1991, at the Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans. The ship was launched on 16 January 1993. The vessel was commissioned on 7 January 1995.

### Operational History

On 1 September 2002, *Harpers Ferry* relieved *Germantown* as a forward-deployed warship based in Japan. In 2011, the two ships exchanged places again with *Harpers Ferry* returning to San Diego, California as its homeport.

Following the Cyclone Nargis disaster in Burma in 2008, and during the following "Operation Caring Response" humanitarian aid mission to Burma, *Harpers Ferry* steamed in Burmese waters from 13 May to 5 June, waiting for the Burmese junta government to allow American aid to be taken to its citizens. During this operation, she was a part of USS *Essex*'s expeditionary strike group, which also included *Juneau* and the guided missile destroyer *Mustin*, However, in early June, with permission to enter Burmese airspace and land areas still not forthcoming from the Burmese government, it was decided to withdraw this aid mission and to return this Naval Task Group back to its previously-scheduled operations.

In October 2009, *Harpers Ferry* participated in humanitarian rescue operations in the Pangasinan province, of the Philippines, following the impact of Typhoon Parma (Pepeng) that caused serious flooding.

In early April 2010, the ship participated in the recovery efforts of the sunken Republic of Korea Navy ship ROKS *Cheonan*.

This ship was one of several participating in disaster relief after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

In December 2020 the U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that the ship was planned to be placed Out of Commission in Reserve in 2024.
USS Constitution

USS Constitution at the Boston Harbor, c. 2014.

The **USS Constitution** is a wooden-hulled United States Navy frigate that has been commissioned as a part of the navy since 1797. Being in service for 226 years, she’s the world’s oldest still in-service ship. She’s remarkable for capturing various British merchant ships during the War of 1812, as well as defeating 5 British warships. The USS Constitution serves the role to help people understand the navy’s role in war and peace through several different means.

She is called the “USS Constitution” because it was one of the proposed names submitted to George Washington, though the name wasn’t officially adopted until the year 1925. In the year 1830, the Boston Daily Advertiser claimed she would be scrapped in the future, as she was created when a ship’s expected lifespan was around 15 years.

Despite that, she was never scrapped, and in 1833, she had entered dry dock so her hull could be repaired. During the American Civil War, the USS Constitution had been converted into a training ship, and was moved from Portsmouth to the American Naval Academy. They then gave her the name “New Ironsides” in 1862, until she was destroyed in 1865 and moved back to Annapolis.

In 1873, the USS Constitution had a large overhaul, and she would be prepared for the Paris Exposition in 1878. While en route to France, bad navigation had led her to the United Kingdom instead, and was sent to Portsmouth to be repaired. In 1881, she was considered unfit for naval service, was decommissioned, and turned into a receiving ship.

In 1924, the USS Constitution would begin funds for repairing, and school would teach about her and encourage to donate pennies, raising 148,000 dollars. Overtime, her repair donations reached 750,000, which was way over the required cost, which was 400,000 dollars. After several years of being repaired, she would finally emerge from dry dock in 1930, and was recommissioned in 1931.

In 1934, she became a museum ship, but in 1938 due to the New England Hurricane, she had collided with the USS Ralph Talbot, suffering minimal damage. With limited funds, she slowly began to deteriorate, and items began to disappear. In 1947, a stamp was made to commemorate her, and her upkeep was later the responsibility of the United States Navy in 1954.

From 1973 to 1974, another repair was made, as she was preparing for the Bicentennial celebration in 1976. In addition, the Constitution Museum opened in August of 1976. In 1992, she’d enter dry dock again for a minor repair, but it was discovered that she was almost completely different from when she was first built in 1797. After various donations and hundreds of scans, she was restored to her 1812 aspects in the year 1995.

On her 200th anniversary in 1997, she sailed unassisted for the first time in 116 years, along with the frigate USS Halyburton and the destroyer USS Ramage. Since then, the USS Constitution has served the role to help people understand the navy’s role in war and peace through several different means.
USS Delbert D. Black

## USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119)

USS Delbert D. Black

**USS *Delbert D. Black* (DDG-119)** is an *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyer of the United States Navy.

### Etymology

She is named in honor of Master Chief Petty Officer Delbert Black, the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), who died in 2000. He is remembered for establishing the role of the Navy's senior enlisted leader, and the ship naming is the culmination of a decade of advocacy by MCPONs to honor him with a combatant ship.

### Service History

*Delbert D. Black* was launched on 8 September 2017. On 29 March 2019, the ship was damaged at the shipyard when a heavy-lift ship collided with a barge that was alongside the *Delbert D. Black*. The barge in turn struck the destroyer, resulting in several workers sustaining minor injuries and causing significant damage to the destroyer. The superstructure and hull were both breached and substantial internal spaces were flooded. Damages were estimated to be approximately $10–15 million USD. On 12 March 2020, the ship successfully completed acceptance trials, after spending two days at sea in the Gulf of Mexico.

*Delbert D. Black* left Mayport on 2 August 2022 for her maiden deployment as part of Carrier Strike Group 10.

On 29 September 2022, *Delbert D. Black* seized 7200 kilograms of hashish in the Gulf of Oman.
SPS Numancia

## SPS Numancia (F83)

SPS Numancia

SPS Numancia (F83) is a Santa Maria-class frigate (based on the Oliver Hazard Perry-class) of the Spanish Navy.

### Career

On April 27, 2009, SPS Numancia seized 9 pirates attacking cruise ship MSC Melody. Through 2013 she operated in the Indian Ocean as part of Operation Atalanta. In 2016 she operated in the Mediterranean. In 2022 she returned to the Indian Ocean.
USS Esteem

## USS Esteem (AM/MSO-438)

USS Esteem

**USS *Esteem* (AM-438/MSO-438)** was an *Aggressive*-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.

The first ship to be named *Esteem* by the Navy, *AM-438* was launched 20 December 1952 by Martinolich Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California; sponsored by Mrs. C. H. Davis; reclassified *MSO-438*, 7 February 1955; and commissioned 10 September 1955.

Deployed to Persian Gulf from 1987-1990 under President Reagan’s direction to protect the world's oil supply from the threat of Iranian mines (the "Tanker War"). Participated in Operation EARNEST WILL.

### Service History

*Esteem* sailed out of Long Beach, California, her first home port, for training in mine warfare and minesweeping exercises along the U.S. West Coast until 4 March 1957, when she departed for her first tour of duty with the U.S. 7th Fleet in the Far East. Along with visiting Japanese and Korean ports and Hong Kong, she exercised with mine warfare ships of the navies of the Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, aiding in the training of friendly forces in new techniques.

Returning to Long Beach in September 1957, *Esteem* resumed her west coast operations for the next year, then sailed 6 October 1960 for exercises with the Royal Canadian Navy off Nootka Sound, British Columbia. During the next month, she circumnavigated Vancouver Island, and visited several Canadian ports, returning to Long Beach 5 November.

During her 1961-62 tour of duty in the Far East, she again exercised with ships of the Chinese Navy, and also visited Bangkok, Thailand, to train with the Royal Thai Navy. In December of 1961 she went to Saigon, Vietnam and worked with the Vietnamese Navy. Based out of Danang she provided patrol off the coast of Vietnam through May 1962. On 27 June 1962, she began an overhaul which continued through most of the remainder of the year.

*Esteem* was decommissioned in Seattle, Washington on 20 September 1991 and stricken on 30 September 1991. She was sold for scrapping in 2000.
Sachsen-class Frigate

## Sachsen-class

FGS Hamburg with USN vessels

The **F124 *Sachsen* class** is the German Navy's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the *Sachsen*-class frigate is based on that of the F123 *Brandenburg* class but with enhanced stealth features designed to deceive an opponent's radar and acoustic sensors. The class incorporates an advanced multifunction radar APAR and a SMART-L long-range radar which is purported to be capable of detecting stealth aircraft and stealth missiles.

Although designated as frigates, they are comparable to destroyers in capability and were intended to replace the Navy's *Lütjens* class. They are similar to the Dutch *De Zeven Provinciën* class, in that both are based on the use of a common primary anti-air warfare system built around the APAR and SMART-L radars as well as the area-defence SM-2 Block IIIA and point-defence Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) surface-to-air missiles.

The German government contracted for three ships in June 1996 with an option on a fourth that was provisionally to have been named *Thüringen*, but the option for this fourth ship was not taken up. At €2.1 billion for the three ships, the class was one of the most expensive ship building programs of the German Navy.

### Armament

* **Naval guns:**
	+ 1 OTO Melara 76 mm dual-purpose gun
	+ 2 Mauser MLG 27 27 mm autocannons
* **Anti-aircraft warfare:**
	+ 32 Mk 41 VLS cells for 24 SM-2 Block IIIA and 32 RIM-162 ESSM (quad-packs per cell) surface-to-air missiles
* **CIWS:**
	+ 2 RAM launchers with 21 surface-to-air/CIWS-missiles each
* **Anti-ship missiles:**
	+ 2 quadruple Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers
* **Anti-submarine warfare:**
	+ 2 triple torpedo launchers with EuroTorp MU90 Impact torpedoes

### Ships in Class

* FGS Sachsen
* FGS Hamburg
* FGS Hessen
USS Sigsbee

## USS Sigsbee (DD-502)

USS Sigsbee

USS Sigsbee (DD-502) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy.

### Career

USS Sigsbee's first operation after sea trials was with the USS Birmingham. On April 4, 1943, she escorted 2 tankers to Casco Bay. Next she escorted USS Independence along with her sister ship USS Guest. After this she escorted USS Lexington with USS Guest and USS Earle. On June 8, she, USS Lexington, USS Daly, and USS Harrison headed to Trinidad, arriving May 8. In August she joined a task group with USS Essex, USS Yorktown, and USS Independence to raid Marcus Island. Sigsbee bombarded Wake Island in October. From late October to December she struck island with Task Unit 53.1.4.

In January 1944, Sigsbee sailed to Kwajalein to aid in the strikes. She and USS Ringgold provided call-fire for troops on shore. She took part in the Marianas and New Ireland campaigns in that year. She took part in the invasion of Leyte and then received an overhaul.

In 1945 Sigsbee was hit by a kamikaze in her stern. Her commander, Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon, managed to maintain order and repair the ship while directing her AA guns. She lost 23 sailors.

After WW2 she was laid up and decommissioned, and she was finally scrapped in 1975.
USS Coucal

## USS Coucal (ASR-8)

USS Coucal

The **USS *Coucal* (ASR-8)** was a *Chanticleer*-class submarine rescue ship in the United States Navy.

### Construction and Commissioning

*Coucal* was launched on 29 May 1942 by Moore Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Oakland, California, sponsored by Mrs. D. A. Scott, and was commissioned on 22 January 1943.

### Service History

*Coucal* arrived at Brisbane, Australia, 23 June 1943 to serve the submarines of the 7th Fleet. After 4 October, she gave escort, fueling, and tender services from Milne Bay, New Guinea, and in March 1944, carried cargo to Manus Island and the bombarded Koruniat Island while sailing south to Brisbane for repairs. She returned to Manus 21 April for diving operations, and to set up a rest camp for submariners. On 25 June she sailed for overhaul at Brisbane, and on 12 August arrived at Darwin, Australia to serve submarines once more.

Between 29 October 1944 and 29 December, *Coucal* joined in convoy exercises with submarines out of Fremantle, returning to duty at Darwin. Between 10 February 1945 and 3 June, she continued her tender service at Exmouth Gulf, then loaded cargo and passengers at Fremantle for the submarine base at Subic Bay, Philippines where she arrived 4 July. Aside from the period between 23 July and 18 August when she escorted British submarines to Borneo, *Coucal* served at Subic Bay until clearing for Okinawa on 14 September. She was ordered on to Sasebo, where she served on occupation duty until returning to San Francisco 24 November.

Assigned to Operation "Crossroads", the atomic weapons tests in the Marshalls, *Coucal* put out from San Francisco 25 February 1946 for Pearl Harbor. From 13 April to 30 September she planted moorings at Bikini, and carried out a variety of diving assignments in the tests, then returned to San Francisco for overhaul. From her home port at Pearl Harbor, she sailed to conduct diving and salvage operations on sunken targets at Bikini in the summer of 1947, then operated in the Hawaiian Islands until 12 April 1948, when she sailed westward for the Suez Canal, and İzmir, Turkey. Here she trained men of the Turkish Navy in submarine rescue, salvage, and deep sea diving techniques, and continuing west to round the world, returned to Pearl Harbor 8 January 1949.

Serving Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, *Coucal* operated in the Hawaiian Islands training deep sea divers, and carrying out rescue and salvage missions, and serving in the Far East in 1951, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958, and 1960. Her base in the western Pacific was Yokosuka, Japan, from which she cruised to the Korean coast, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Okinawa on salvage and rescue duty.

From September 1976 to September 1977, *Coucal* operated from her home port at Pearl Harbor, mainly supporting submarine training. One break in that routing was towing a barge to Johnson Island. On 15 September 1977, *Coucal* was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor. In April 1990, ex-*Coucal* was sunk in the first PACFLT test of a Tomahawk anti-ship missile, fired from USS *Chancellorsville* (CG-62).
USS Bulkeley

## USS Bulkeley (DDG-84)

Bulkeley, c. 2004

**USS *Bulkeley* (DDG-84)** is an *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named for Medal of Honor recipient Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley. This ship is the 34th destroyer of its class. USS *Bulkeley* was the 15th ship of this class to be built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and construction began on 10 May 1999. She was launched on 21 June 2000 and was christened on 24 June 2000. On 8 December 2001 she was commissioned during a pierside ceremony at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City, New York, with Commander Carlos Del Toro in command. Del Toro later became the 78th Secretary of the Navy in 2021.

### Service History

On 13 June 2004, *Bulkeley* came to the aid of a vessel in distress, *Al-Rashid Mum 131*. Shortly after turning the vessel over to an Iranian tugboat, it sank. *Bulkeley* rescued three crew and recovered the body of a fourth. The tug rescued one additional crewman; the other seven were lost at sea. The incident is recounted in the book *In the Shadow of Greatness*.

In February 2011, *Bulkeley* was involved in a mission to rescue four American citizens from the yacht *Quest* which was attacked by Somali pirates.

On 5 March 2011, *Bulkeley* was involved in rescuing a Japanese oil tanker, MV *Guanabara*, from Somali pirates while on duty with Combined Task Force 151 off the coast of Oman. Three of the pirates were tried and convicted in Japan, the fourth was turned over to juvenile authorities, as it was determined that he was a minor.

On 16 May 2011, *Bulkeley* responded to a mayday call from the Panamanian flagged very large crude carrier *Artemis Glory* by dispatching a Seahawk helicopter (from HSL 48) to its position. Seeing that a piratical skiff carrying four men was firing upon *Artemis Glory*, the Seahawk investigated the skiff. The pirates opened fire on the helicopter with small arms and were summarily neutralized by crew served weapons from the helicopter in self-defense. The helicopter then withdrew without any casualties to its own crewmembers or that of *Artemis Glory*.

The ship returned to Norfolk on 15 July 2011. During its deployment, she had participated in operations which had captured 75 Somali pirates and had missile strikes by its carrier strike group against the Libyan government.

On 4 August 2022, *Bulkeley* departed Norfolk for a homeport shift to Rota, Spain, arriving on 17 August. Her aft  Phalanx CIWS was replaced with a SeaRAM CIWS.

### Awards

* Navy Unit Commendation – (Nov 2015 – Jul 2016)
* Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation – (Jan 2011 – Nov 2012, Aug 2013 – Mar 2014, Apr–Dec 2018)
* Battle "E" – (2006, 2011, 2018)
* Arizona Memorial Trophy – (2005–2006)
Rafale

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## Dassault Rafale

Rafale B at RIAT 2019

The **Dassault Rafale** (French pronunciation: [ʁafal], literally meaning "gust of wind", or "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. The Rafale is referred to as an "omnirole" aircraft by Dassault.

In the late 1970s, the French Air Force and French Navy were seeking to replace and consolidate their existing fleets of aircraft. In order to reduce development costs and boost prospective sales, France entered into an arrangement with the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain to produce an agile multi-purpose "Future European Fighter Aircraft" (which would become the Eurofighter Typhoon). Subsequent disagreements over workshare and differing requirements led to France's pursuit of its own development programme. Dassault built a technology demonstrator which first flew in July 1986 as part of an eight-year flight-test programme, paving the way for the go-ahead of the project. The Rafale is distinct from other European fighters of its era in that it is almost entirely built by one country, involving most of France's major defence contractors, such as Dassault, Thales and Safran.

Many of the aircraft's avionics and features, such as direct voice input, the RBE2 AA active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the *optronique secteur frontal* infra-red search and track (IRST) sensor, were domestically developed and produced for the Rafale programme. Originally scheduled to enter service in 1996, the Rafale suffered significant delays due to post-Cold War budget cuts and changes in priorities. There are three main variants: Rafale C single-seat land-based version, Rafale B twin-seat land-based version, and Rafale M single-seat carrier-based version.

Introduced in 2001, the Rafale is being produced for both the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations in the French Navy. The Rafale has been marketed for export to several countries and was selected for purchase by the Egyptian Air Force, the Indian Air Force, the Qatar Air Force, the Hellenic Air Force, the Croatian Air Force, the Indonesian Air Force and the United Arab Emirates Air Force. The Rafale has been used in combat over Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria.
Sea Wolf

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## Sea Wolf SAM System

a Sea Wolf being fired from a Type 23 frigate.

**Sea Wolf** is a naval surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed and built by BAC (later to become British Aerospace (BAe) Dynamics), and now MBDA. It is an automated point-defense weapon system designed as a short-range defense against both sea-skimming and high angle anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The Royal Navy has fielded two versions, the **GWS-25** Conventionally Launched Sea Wolf (CLSW) and the **GWS-26** Vertically Launched Sea Wolf (VLSW) forms. In Royal Navy service Sea Wolf is being replaced by Sea Ceptor.
USS Wadsworth

## USS Wadsworth (FFG-9)

FFG-9 underway.

**USS *Wadsworth* (FFG-9)**, third ship of the ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Commodore Alexander S. Wadsworth (1790–1851). She was the third US Navy ship named *Wadsworth*. She was the second "short-hull" (Flight I) OHP frigate 445 ft (136 m) long. Commissioned in 1980, she served in the US Navy until 2002. Upon decommissioning she was immediately turned over to the Polish Navy, where she now serves as ORP *Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko*.

### History

Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California on 27 February 1976 as part of the FY75 program, *Wadsworth*, originally classified **PF-111**, was laid down on 13 July 1977, launched on 29 July 1978, and commissioned on 28 February 1980. *Wadsworth* was sponsored by Mrs. Patricia P. Roberts, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Commodore Alexander S. Wadsworth.

*Wadsworth* portrayed *Reuben James* in the 1990 film *The Hunt for Red October* along with USS *Gary* (FFG-51).

The ship's motto was "For One's Country" and originates from the words of Captain Isaac Hull, Commanding Officer of USS *Constitution* before her August 1812 battle with HMS *Guerriere*. Hull said, "Men, now do your duty. Your officers cannot have entire command over you now. Each man must do all in his power for his country."

*Wadsworth* and her crew received Battle Effectiveness Awards for operations in 1993, 1998 and 2001.

Decommissioned on 28 June 2002, *Wadsworth* was handed over to Poland the same day and commissioned as ORP *Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko*, after Tadeusz Kościuszko an American Revolutionary War hero in the United States and an independence hero in Poland. She was formally stricken from the Navy list on 23 July 2002.
USS Paul Hamilton

Not to be confused with the Fletcher and Clemson class destroyers

## USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60)

DDG-60

**USS *Paul Hamilton* (DDG-60)** is an *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyer in the United States Navy currently in service. The ship is named after Paul Hamilton, the third United States Secretary of the Navy.

### Construction and Career

Constructed at Bath Iron Works (BIW) in Bath, Maine, *Paul Hamilton* was commissioned in Charleston, South Carolina. The destroyer was transferred to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii after her commissioning. She is currently homeported in San Diego, California.

In July 2015, she along with the Royal Navy's HMS *Duncan*, participated in airstrikes against ISIL.

In 2019, cargo ship *Bass Strait*, belonging to Hong Kong-based Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, launched a series of drones that surveilled and harassed *Paul Hamilton* in waters off of Southern California.
USS Louis H. Wilson Jr.

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## USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG-126)

Artist's rendition DDG-126

**USS *Louis H. Wilson Jr.* (DDG-126)** will be an *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She is the second of the Flight III variants and 76th overall in the class. She is named after U.S. Marine Corps General Louis H. Wilson Jr., recipient of the Medal of Honor. On 17 September 2016 she was named by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.

Bath Iron Works began fabrication of the vessel on 3 March 2020.
USS John Finn

## USS John Finn (DDG-113)

**USS *John Finn* (DDG-113)** is an *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyer in service with the United States Navy. The contract to build her was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi, on 15 June 2011. Ingalls has been a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) since its acquisition in April 2001. Prior to the award, Ingalls had constructed 28 *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyers, the last one of which was USS *William P. Lawrence*. On 15 February 2011, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the ship's name to be *John Finn* after John William Finn, the first Medal of Honor recipient of World War II. He was so honored for machine-gunning Japanese warplanes for over two hours during the December 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor despite being shot in the foot and shoulder, and suffering numerous shrapnel wounds. He retired as a lieutenant after thirty years of service and died at age 100 in 2010.

### Career

On 17 November 2020, *John Finn* successfully intercepted an ICBM using a SM-3 Block IIA missile. The target missile was launched from the test site on the Kwajalein Atoll and simulated an attack on Hawaii. This was the first time that an ICBM had been successfully intercepted by an SM-3 and the first time a U.S. Navy ship had brought down such a missile.

On 6 August 2023, *John Finn* and three other destroyers responded to a joint Chinese-Russian patrol in international waters near Alaska. The Chinese-Russian flotilla left without incident.
Vasco da Gama-class Frigate

## Vasco da Gama-class

NRP Vasco da Gama

The ***Vasco da Gama* class** is a class of frigates of the Portuguese Navy. Named in honor of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the ships are based on the German MEKO 200 design, and are Portugal's major surface ships. Portugal operates three ships of this class, which were built in Hamburg by Blohm + Voss (B&V) and by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel, using modular construction techniques.

The project for the construction of three frigates of this class was authorized by the Portuguese Government in 1985, five years after the request of the Portuguese Navy for the acquisition of new surface ships. According to Conway's, 60% of the funding for these ships came from NATO military aid. Similar ships have been built for the navies of Greece, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand.

### Modernization

In 2019, the new *Military Programming Law* was approved by the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic, which provided an amount of 125 million euros for the modernization of the three frigates of the *Vasco da Gama* class. In November 2022, the order authorizing the Ministry of National Defence to proceed with the modernization, was signed, in order to be able to use the ships in scenarios of high intensity combat. Among the improvements to be made to the frigates is the incorporation of RIM-162 ESSM Block-2 missiles to replace the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow. The frigate NRP Álvares Cabral, within the scope of this modernization process, received in 2023 a new platform command, control and management system, installed by the Portuguese company Edisoft. It has not been confirmed whether Vasco da Gama, which has been out of service since 2019 and has been seen to have been disarmed and had some of her engines removed as of September 2023, will be modernised, or will be used as a source of spare parts for her sisters.

### Ships in Class

* NRP Vasco da Gama
* NRP Alvarez Cabral
* NRP Corte-Real

### Armament

#### Missiles

* RGM-84 Harpoon
* RIM-162 ESSM
RSS Supreme

## RSS Supreme (73)

RSS Supreme

**RSS *Supreme* (73)** is the sixth ship of the *Formidable*-class stealth frigate of the Republic of Singapore Navy.

### Career

RSS *Supreme* was built by ST Marine Engineering company in Singapore around the late in the 2000s. *Supreme* was commissioned on 16 January 2009.

RSS *Supreme* participated in *RIMPAC 2010* from 23 June to 1 August 2010. RSS *Supreme* fired her Aster 15 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) off the coast of Hawaii. Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Chew Men Leong was on board to observe the live-firing exercises.

RSS *Vigour*, RSS *Stalwart* and RSS *Supreme* conducted a joint exercise with USS *Chung-Hoon* on 23 August 2011.

In December 2014, *Supreme* was deployed in the search for Airasia Flight QZ8501 after it crashed into the Java Sea on 28 December 2014; along with the RSN ships *Persistence*, *Valour*, and *Kallang*, MV *Swift Rescue*, and two Lockheed C-130H Hercules.

The Republic of Singapore Navy and the Royal Australian Navy conducted a passage exercise which consists of RSS *Supreme*, HMAS *Darwin* and HMAS *Adelaide*. One of HMAS *Adelaide*'s MRH-90 helicopter landed on *Supreme*'s deck.

On 6 April 2018, RSS *Supreme* and RSS *Valiant* underwent alongside USS *Sampson* and USS *Theodore Roosevelt* off Singapore.

RSS *Supreme* and USNS *Carl Brashear* conducted a replenish at sea on 26 June 2020.

RSS *Supreme* joined HMAS *Stuart*, HMAS *Sirius*, USS *Rafael Peralta* and KDB *Darulehsan* on their way to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in preparation for RIMPAC 2020 on 6 August. RIMPAC 2020 is scheduled to start on 17 August.
USS Ted Stevens

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## USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128)

Graphical Depiction of USS Ted Stevens

**USS *Ted Stevens* (DDG-128)** is an *Arleigh Burke*-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, the 78th overall for the class. She will be named in honor of Ted Stevens who served as a U.S. Senator for Alaska for over 40 years. He was also a staunch supporter of both the Navy and the Marine Corps. *Ted Stevens* will be the third ship of the Flight III of the class.
USS Threadfin

## USS Threadfin (SS-410)

USS Threadfin

USS Threadfin (SS-410) was a Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy. She was later sold to the Turkish Navy as TCG Birinci Inonu.

### Career

USS Threadfin departed Pearl Harbor on her first patrol on Christmas Day, 1944. She patrolled around Kyushu through January 1945, and sighted many fishing boats and patrol boats. She spotted a larger patrol craft and let it pass, and the 2000-ton cargo ship the Japanese ship was escorting came into view. Threadfin torpedoed the craft, and escaped after a depth charge attack. The cargo ship probably sank, but it was not confirmed.

2 days later, USS Threadfin encountered a Japanese submarine. She never attacked it because it maneuvered away.

She made several unsuccessful attacks until arriving at Midway.

After a month of refits, she departed Midway in March 1945. She formed an attack group with USS Sea Dog and USS Trigger. During their coordinated patrol, USS Threadfin torpedoed and sank a Japanese destroyer. They were involved in a surface duel with several small Japanese vessels and damaged 3. On March 31 the group was dissolved.

USS Threadfin joined USS Silversides and USS Hackleback near Honshu in April. USS Threadfin made contact with IJN Yamato and her escorts, and radioed the United States 5th Fleet about the contact. She rescued a P-51 pilot later, and returned to Pearl Harbor on May 4 after a refuel stop at Midway.

On her 3rd patrol, Threadfin visited Guam and then patrolled the South China Sea. She sighted a 4-mast cargo schooner and sank it with the deck gun aboard the submarine. She also torpedoed an unidentified Japanese vessel.

She and USS Sea Robin worked together to destroy a small convoy near the Strait of Tsushima. On return to Guam, she rescued 3 survivors from a downed aircraft and reached Guam on July 27, 1945.

After the war, Threadfin conducted patrols in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. She received many upgrades and was sold to Turkey as TCG Birinci Inonu in 1972.
USS Sirocco

## USS Sirocco (PC-6)

USS Sirocco

**USS *Sirocco* (PC-6)** is the sixth *Cyclone*-class patrol ship of the U.S. Navy. *Sirocco* was laid down 20 June 1992 by Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana. The ship was launched 29 May 1993, and sponsored by Mrs. Kathleen Smith, wife of RADM Raymond C. Smith, Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command. She was commissioned by the Navy 11 June 1994. As of 2016, the ship was stationed in Bahrain performing coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance in the region. She was decommissioned on 20 March 2023.

### History

*Sirocco* is assigned to Commander Fifth Fleet through Destroyer Squadron 50 and is homeported in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. Seven Patrol Coastal class (PC) warships are forward deployed to the Fifth Fleet. PC ships were formerly crewed by one of 13 rotational PC crews and homeported in Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Virginia.

There, under the auspices of Commander, Patrol Coastal Squadron One/Commander, Patrol Coastal (PC) Class Squadron the crews trained on five U.S. based PC hulls prior to completing a six-month deployment to the Fifth fleet. PC ships such as *Sirocco* complete a variety of missions that has expanded since the transfer of the ships and associated support structures in naval surface warfare. As of 2009, PC ships deployed in Bahrain primarily conducted maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf with a concentration towards anti-piracy.

In 2009, *Sirocco* completed phase one of a modernization program to extend the useful lives of the ships. Upgrades included new computer systems and satellite communications, as well as upgraded air conditioning systems and a Rafael Typhoon MK38 MOD II gun weapons system replacing the previously fitted MK96 mount.

On 28 March 2016, *Sirocco* seized a stateless dhow in the Arabian sea. A boarding party had been dispatched to inspect the suspicious vessel and discovered it had been transporting 1,500 AK-47 assault rifles, 200 RPG launchers, and 21 .50 caliber machine guns. After receiving reports from *Sirocco*, the destroyer USS *Gravely* also arrived on the scene to assist. After the weapons were seized and offloaded, the dhow and its crew were released.

On 19 June 2022, *Sirocco* was involved in a confrontation with patrol craft of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Navy claimed that the Iranian vessels approached *Sirocco* and the expeditionary fast transport USNS *Choctaw County* (T-EPF-2) at "unsafe and unprofessional" speeds and "aggressively" sailed to within 50 yards of the American vessels. *Sirocco* issued warnings over her loudspeaker system and fired a warning flare, and the Iranian vessels departed within an hour without further interactions.

*Sirocco* was decommissioned on 20 March 2023.
Sea Ceptor

## CAMM

CAMM in flight

The **CAMM** (**Common Anti-Air Modular Missile**) is a family of surface-to-air missiles developed by MBDA UK for the United Kingdom. CAMM is derived from and shares some common features and components with the ASRAAM (Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile), but with updated electronics, a soft vertical launch system, and an active radar homing seeker.

In the Royal Navy, **CAMM** (the point and local area defence variant) is known as **Sea Ceptor**, and has been replacing the Sea Wolf missiles on Type 23 frigates since 2018 is planned to equip both the Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates, and intended to replace Aster 15 on the Type 45 Destroyers. In the British Army, CAMM is known as **Land Ceptor**, and is the interceptor component of the **Sky Sabre** air defence system, which since 2021 has been replacing the Rapier missile in service. The system is also contributing to the updating of ASRAAM in service with the Royal Air Force.

An extended-range version of the CAMM (**CAMM-ER**) is in the finale stages of co-development between the UK and Italy and is capable of reaching targets over 45 kilometres (28 mi) away. Brazil is independently developing the similar 40 kilometres (25 mi)+ ranged **MV-AMA (AVibras Medium Altitude Missile)** for its Astros 2020 MLRS and naval platforms. A larger **CAMM-MR** (medium-range) missile with a range of over 100 kilometres (62 mi) is being co-developed between the UK and Poland and slated to equip Polish *Miecznik*-class frigates and *Wisła* air defence systems.
SPS Santa Maria

## SPS Santa Maria (F81)

SPS Santa Maria

SPS Santa Maria (F81) is the lead Santa Maria-class frigate of the Spanish Navy.

### Career

In April 2019 she joined Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in the Black Sea.

She took part in 2020 NATO exercises around Iceland.

In 2022 she suffered fire damage, delaying her participation in Operation Atalanta.

In 2023, Santa Maria tracked RFS Ufa.
USS McClusky

## USS McClusky (FFG-41)

USS McClusky

USS McClusky (FFG-41) was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate of the United States Navy. She was named for Wade McClusky.

### Career

In 1986, USS McClusky was a part of Destroyer Squadron 23. On January 15, 1986, she was a part of Battle Group Foxtrot, along with USS Enterprise, USS Truxtun, USS Arkansas, USS O'Brien, USS David R. Ray, USS Reasoner, and USS Lewis B. Puller. The fleet sailed through the Indian and Pacific Oceans, stopping in Hawaii, Subic Bay, and Singapore.

In 1988 USS McClusky joined Joint Task Force Middle East, carrying out Earnest Will operations. She took part in RIMPAC '88 as a part of Orange Force.

In 1990, McClusky joined Destroyer Squadron 13. In January she was on deployment in the Middle East. She anchored alongside USS Gary and USS Rodney M. Davis for a turnover before heading to the West Pacific. From August 31 to September 4, McClusky hosted RFS Argun, RFS Admiral Vinogradov, and RFS Boyevoy.

In 1991, USS McClusky shifted homeports to Yokosuka, Japan, and joined Destroyer Squadron 15. She took part in Operation Fiery Vigil.

She was slated to be sold to the Mexican Navy along with USS Curts, but was instead sunk as a target in 2018.
USS Daniel Inouye

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## USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118)

USS Daniel Inouye

**USS *Daniel Inouye* (DDG-118)** is an *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named to honor former United States Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. Inouye was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Tuscany, Italy, during World War II. She is part of Destroyer Squadron 31 of Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.

### Career

*Daniel Inouye* is the third of eight planned Flight IIA "technology insertion" ships, which contains elements of the Flight III ships projected to begin with DDG-125.

*Daniel Inouye*'s keel was laid on 14 May 2018 and christened by Inouye's widow, Irene Hirano Inouye, on 22 June 2019. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works delivered the ship to the U.S. Navy on 8 March 2021. She was commissioned on 8 December 2021 in a ceremony at her homeport, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam. Maggie Inouye, with presence of Jessica Inouye and Jennifer Sabas, giving the order to "man our ship and bring her to life" in the place of Irene Hirano Inouye, who died in 2020.
USNS Choctaw County

## USNS Choctaw County (JHSV/T-EPF-2)

USNS Choctaw County in Mayport

**USNS *Choctaw County* (JHSV-2/T-EPF-2)**, **(ex-*Vigilant*)** is the second *Spearhead*-class expeditionary fast transport, which is operated by the United States Navy's Military Sealift Command and was built in Mobile, Alabama.

### Career

On 6 October 2011, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced in Ackerman, Mississippi that the second Expeditionary Fast Transport, previously having been named *Vigilant* by the United States Army before the transfer of the EPF program to the Navy, would be named USNS *Choctaw County*. Since the ship will be operated by the Military Sealift Command and not the United States Navy itself, it will carry the USNS designation and not USS. The ship is named for three U.S. counties, located in Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, all three of which are named for the Choctaw tribe of American Indians.

The ship is laid down on 8 November 2011 and launched on 1 October 2012 by Austal USA. She was commissioned on 6 June 2013.
USS John E. Kilmer

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## USS John E. Kilmer (DDG-134)

Artist's rendition of DDG-134

**USS *John E. Kilmer* (DDG-134)** is a planned *Arleigh Burke*-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, the 84th overall for the class. The ship was authorized for construction by Bath Iron Works on 27 September 2018. On 16 October 2019, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced that the ship will be named in honor of United States Navy Hospital corpsman John E. Kilmer, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Korean War and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in the battle.