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| USS Sterett (DDG-104) | |
|---|---|
| Ship name | USS Sterett (DDG-104) |
| Ship class | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer |
| Builder | Bath Iron Works |
USS Sterett (DDG-104) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer of the United States Navy named for Admiral Andrew Sterett and Captain Philip G. Sterett. The ship is a Flight IIA guided-missile destroyer equipped with the Aegis Combat System, designed for multi-mission maritime operations including air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare. Sterett operates from a forward-deployed posture and has participated in multinational exercises, freedom of navigation operations, and counter-piracy and ballistic missile defense activities.
Sterett is a Flight IIA variant of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer constructed with a multi-mission suite centered on the Aegis Combat System, incorporating the AN/SPY-1 radar and the MK 41 Vertical Launching System. The ship's sensor and weapon arrays enable integration with NATO and U.S. Pacific Fleet command networks for theater ballistic missile defense alongside assets such as THAAD, Aegis Ashore, and MK 41 VLS-equipped cruisers and destroyers. Hull form and machinery follow the class pattern developed by Bath Iron Works with combined gas and gas (COGAG) or combined diesel and gas configurations employed across the class; propulsion provides speeds exceeding 30 knots for task force screening in carrier Carrier Strike Group operations. Aviation facilities support embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and integration with Carrier Air Wing logistics and Naval Air Systems Command maintenance cycles. Survivability features include reduced radar cross-section measures, compartmentalization consistent with Naval Sea Systems Command standards, and defensive aids compatible with NATO interoperability protocols.
The contract for Sterett's construction was awarded to Bath Iron Works, a major US naval shipbuilder with a history dating to the American Civil War and continued production for the United States Navy. Keel-laying and fabrication phases incorporated modular construction techniques refined from earlier Arleigh Burke-class destroyer builds and lessons from programs managed by Naval Sea Systems Command and the General Dynamics shipbuilding projects. Launch and outfitting took place at Bath, Maine yards, with sea trials conducted under oversight from Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command and Naval Surface Forces Atlantic representatives. Upon successful trials, Sterett was commissioned into active service in a ceremony attended by members of the United States Navy, local officials, and descendants of Admiral Andrew Sterett.
Sterett has served in multiple operational roles within U.S. Fleet Forces Command and forward-deployed squadrons, integrating with formations such as Carrier Strike Group 8, Carrier Strike Group 1, and Destroyer Squadron 15 for both Atlantic and Pacific theater rotations. The ship has been assigned to missions alongside allies and partners including Royal Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Navy, and Republic of Korea Navy units during multinational exercises like RIMPAC, Malabar, and Cobra Gold. Sterett's operational history includes participation in ballistic missile defense patrols, anti-piracy sorties in the Gulf of Aden, and presence operations in contested maritime regions adjacent to South China Sea and Persian Gulf waterways. Tasking frequently required integration with United States Sixth Fleet, United States Seventh Fleet, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, and coalition maritime forces.
Deployments have seen Sterett transit strategic chokepoints such as the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz while conducting maritime security operations, visit-board-search-and-seizure (VBSS) training, and cooperative engagements with regional partners including Philippine Navy and Indonesian Navy units. The destroyer has been employed on counter-terrorism and counter-smuggling patrols coordinated with U.S. Coast Guard and Combined Maritime Forces taskings, and has supported humanitarian assistance and disaster relief coordination with organizations like United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs during regional crises. Sterett has participated in live-fire exercises and missile defense test events alongside systems from Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and mission planning units within United States Strategic Command. Deployments typically involved port visits to partner capitals and hosting delegations from Department of Defense and allied defense ministries.
Throughout her service Sterett and her crew have been recognized by awards administered by Department of the Navy and fleet commanders, including unit commendations and campaign ribbons for operational deployments under U.S. Central Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The ship's achievements reflect contributions to multinational exercises such as RIMPAC and operational taskings with Combined Maritime Forces, with crew members individually eligible for decorations issued in accordance with Navy Personnel Command protocols.
Sterett's complement comprises officers and enlisted sailors assigned under the administrative and operational authority of Naval Personnel Command and operationally under fleet commanders like Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet during deployments. Commanding officers have been selected from United States Naval Academy, Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, and Officer Candidate School commissioning pipelines, with career paths including prior service in Destroyer Squadron staffs, Surface Warfare Officer tours, and joint assignments with U.S. Joint Forces Command. Shipboard departments collaborate with shore-based organizations including Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, and Commander, Naval Surface Forces for training, maintenance, and personnel readiness.
Category:Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Category:Ships built in Bath, Maine