USS DONALD COOK is the 25th ship in the Navy's ARLEIGH BURKE - class of Guided Missile Destroyers and the first ship in the Navy named after US Marine Corps Colonel Donald Cook.
General Characteristics: Keel Laid: July 7, 1996
Launched: May 3, 1997
Commissioned: December 4, 1998
Builder: Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines
Propellers: two
Blades on each Propeller: five
Length: 505,25 feet (154 meters)
Beam: 67 feet (20.4 meters)
Draft: 30,5 feet (9.3 meters)
Displacement: approx. 8.300 tons full load
Speed: 30+ knots
Aircraft: None. But LAMPS 3 electronics installed on landing deck for coordinated DDG/helicopter ASW operations.
Armament: two MK 41 VLS for Standard missiles, Tomahawk; Harpoon missile launchers, one Mk 45 5-inch/54 caliber lightweight gun, two Phalanx CIWS, Mk 46 torpedoes (from two triple tube mounts)
Homeport: Norfolk, Va.
Crew: 23 Officers, 24 Chief Petty Officers and 291 Enlisted
May 3, 1997 Ship Launch
July 11, 1997 Ship Tow to Portland for Sonar Dome
August 16, 1997 Ship Tow back to BIW after Dome install
January 9, 1998 AEGIS Light Off (ALO)
April 4, 1998 Maine Engine Light Off (MELO)
June 29, 1998 Combined A/B Shipyard Trials
July 14, 1998 Navy Acceptance Trials Charlie
August 1998 Receipt of Homeport Certificate
August 21, 1998 Ships Custody Transfer (SCT) / This commences ship move aboard
November 16, 1998 Sailaway (from BIW)
December 4, 1998 Commissioning in Philadelphia, Pa.
August 20, 1999 Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) in Portland, Maine
June 2000 Departed on its maiden deployment to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf as part of the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) Battle Group.
October 2000 Provided support for sister ship COLE (DDG 67) after she was attacked by terrorists in Aden, Yemen.
December 2000 Returned to Norfolk, Va.
August 2001 Participation in the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) for the THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Battle Group in the US Atlantic Fleet Operating Areas along the Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina coasts.
February - March 2002 NATO Exercise Strong Resolve in Northern Europe
December 5, 2002 Left Norfolk, Va. on its second deployment. Assigned to the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75) Battle Group USS COOK operated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
March 20, 2003 Involved in the first Tomahawk strikes against Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
http://www.navysite.de/dd/ddg75.htm
Palau SG?