USS Mahan (DDG-72)

For other ships of the same name, see USS Mahan.

USS Mahan (DDG-72)
Career (US)
Name:	USS Mahan
Namesake:	Alfred Thayer Mahan
Ordered:	8 April 1992
Builder:	Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Laid down:	17 August 1995
Launched:	29 June 1996
Commissioned:	14 February 1998
Status:	in active service, as of 2011[update]
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Arleigh Burke class destroyer
Displacement:	Light: approx. 6,805 tons Full: approx. 8,939 tons
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
Motto:	Built to Fight

USS Mahan (DDG-72) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer currently in service with the United States Navy.

Overview

The USS Mahan is homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, and is one of the ships of the United States Fleet Forces Command.

Namesake

Like her predecessors, the USS Mahan is named after Alfred Thayer Mahan, a naval theorist on seapower. She is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name.

Service history

1990s

The USS Mahan was commissioned on February 14, 1998.

2000s

On February 16, 2007, Mahan was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award.^[1]

2011s

During a 2011 Maritime Security Operation (MSO) deployment, the USS Mahan was dispatched to the Mediterranean Sea to conduct operations in Libya. Insitu Inc. announced that its ScanEagle been assisting U.S. and NATO Forces in their mission to protect civilians and reduce the flow of arms to Libya. During a 72-hour counter-terrorism surge supporting Operation Unified Protector (OUP), the ScanEagle UAS was operated organically aboard the USS Mahan (DDG-72) to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) support. In strong winds, ScanEagle performed cooperatively with a host of U.S. and NATO participating forces. On this deployment ScanEagles second aboard the USS Mahan, the team achieved a 100 percent mission readiness rate, accruing 1,154 flight hours and 167 sorties. ^[2]

Mahan Sailor Writes Children's Book

On October 28th 2011, LS3 (SCW) Angelina Colon-Franceschi, a sailor attached to the USS Mahan, wrote the first children's illustrated book about a US Navy female sailor deploying entitled Mommy The Sailor. LS3 Colon-Franceschi read to the children of the Willoughby Child Development Center located in Norfolk, VA. After reading to the children, an event that was covered by local media and the Navy Flagship papers, LS3 donated 100 copies to be distributed amongst the daycares in the Hampton Roads area. There has never been a book created that depicted women in the US Navy deploying, which made LS3 Colon-Franceschi spearhead creating this project. ^[3]. A website was created in dedication to all the women of the armed forces, and an area to gather more information about the book. ^[4]. LS3 also created a facebook webpage that would allow new users to follow up on all upcoming events. ^[5]

Controversy

Executive officer relieved of duty

On Friday, September 17, 2010, the Navy relieved Commander Charles Mansfield for misconduct by Captain Jeffrey Wolstenholme, Commander of Destroyer Squadron 22. Relief of Mansfield came after investigation into allegations that Mansfield struck a subordinate officer while the ship was underway, participating in a Composite Training Unit Exercise on July 9. Mansfield was taken for nonjudicial punishment proceeding on charges of assault and conduct unbecoming an officer. He was found guilty of both charges, said Lt. Cmdr. Bill Urban, a spokesman with Naval Surface Force Atlantic. The incident took place in the Mahan's combat direction center in front of several other sailors, Urban said. He declined to provide further details. ^[6]

References

1. ^ Surface Force Ships, Crews Earn Battle "E"
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ [2]
4. ^ [www.mommythesailor.com]
5. ^ [3]
6. ^ [4]

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. 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. 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.

External links

• Official USS Mahan (DDG-72) web site
• USS Mahan (DDG-72) webpage at Navysite