USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53)

For other ships of the same name, see USS John Paul Jones.

USS John Paul Jones in the Persian Gulf
Career (US)
Name:	USS John Paul Jones
Namesake:	John Paul Jones
Ordered:	25 September 1987
Awarded:	25 September 1987
Builder:	Bath Iron Works
Laid down:	8 August 1990
Launched:	26 October 1991
Commissioned:	18 December 1993
Homeport:	Naval Base San Diego
Motto:	In Harm's Way
Status:	in active service, as of 2011[update]
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Arleigh Burke class destroyer
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	Light: approx. 6,800 long tons (6,900 t) Full: approx. 8,900 long tons (9,000 t)
Length:	505 ft (154 m)
Beam:	66 ft (20 m)
Draft:	31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion:	4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, two shafts, 100,000 total shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Speed:	>30 knots (56 km/h)
Range:	4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots (8,100 km at 37 km/h)
Complement:	33 Officers 38 Chief Petty Officers 210 Enlisted Personnel
Sensors and processing systems:	• AN/SPY-1D 3D Radar • AN/SPS-67(V)2 Surface Search Radar • AN/SPS-73(V)12 Surface Search Radar • AN/SQS-53C Sonar Array • AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar • AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III Shipboard System
Electronic warfare and decoys:	• AN/SLQ-32(V)2 Electronic Warfare System • AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures • MK 36 MOD 12 Decoy Launching System • AN/SLQ-39 CHAFF Buoys
Armament:	1 × 29 cell, 1 × 61 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems with 90 × RIM-156 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc missiles 1 × Mark 45 5/54 in (127/54 mm) 2 × 25 mm chain gun 4 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried:	1 SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter can be embarked

USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) is the third Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer and the first ship of the class homeported on the west coast. She is named after American Revolutionary War Captain John Paul Jones. She was built at Bath Iron Works in Maine.

Description

The mission of John Paul Jones is to conduct prompt and sustained operations at sea in support of U.S. national interests. John Paul Jones is capable of operating independently, as an element of a coordinated force, or as the nucleus of a surface action group, and to direct and coordinate anti-air, surface, undersea, and strike warfare operations. The ship is named in honor of Naval hero John Paul Jones and derives her motto from a famous quote of his, "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way."^[1]

In order to successfully conduct this mission, John Paul Jones has been fitted with the latest weapons, engineering, and damage control systems. The AEGIS Weapons system is one of the most advanced and most capable air defense systems currently in use. John Paul Jones is capable of conducting both offensive and defensive operations using Tomahawk and Harpoon cruise missiles, Standard missiles, CIWS, and 5 inch (127 mm) gun. The Arleigh Burke Class is the first class of U.S. warships to be fitted with an integrated Chemical, Biological and Radiological defense system.^[1]

John Paul Jones was selected as the Shock Trial platform for the DDG-51 Class. The ship was subjected to a series of close range explosions in order for the Navy to obtain critical information concerning the survivability of the DDG-51 class in a shock environment. The crew prepared the ship for the most demanding and complex surface ship shock trial test in the history of the Navy. The ship has completed four deployments to the Persian Gulf.^[1]

On 20 September 1995, an F-14A Tomcat crashed in the vicinity of John Paul Jones. A fly-by at transonic speed was performed, during which the engine exploded (due to "compression failure") 55 miles away from the carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln. Both pilot and WSO ejected and survived with only minor burns.^[2]

On 7 October 2001, John Paul Jones launched the first tomahawk missiles into Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.^[3]

On 13 March 2006, John Paul Jones was named, along with the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard, an honorary flagship for the upcoming search for the remains of the original USS Bonhomme Richard (1765).^[1]

On June 10, 2011, she anchored off the coast of Malibu, California at the beginning of a three day celebration called Navy Days designed to thank the sailors and their families for their service to the country. ^[4]

USS Mobile Bay(CG-53) NOT USS John Paul Jones(DDG-53) in San Diego Bay, 2011

In Popular Culture

The upcoming movie Battleship features the USS John Paul Jones in the teaser trailer.^[5]

References

• This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.

1. ^ ^{a b c d} US Navy. USS John Paul Jones History.
2. ^ Ejection History
3. ^ http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=3612&page=2
4. ^ "U.S. Navy destroyer docks in Malibu for three-day celebration". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/06/us-navy-destroyer-docks-in-malibu-for-three-day-celebration.html. Retrieved June 10, 2011. 
5. ^ http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/battleship.html

External links

• US Navy: USS John Paul Jones Official Website