USS Gravely

USS Gravely (DDG-107) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named after Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.[4]

USS Gravely (DDG-107)
Gravely (DDG-107) in 2013
History
United States
Name: USS Gravely
Namesake: Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.[1]
Awarded: 13 September 2002[2]
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding[2]
Laid down: 26 November 2007[2]
Launched: 30 March 2009[2]
Sponsored by: Alma Gravely[1]
Christened: 16 May 2009[1]
Commissioned: 20 November 2010[3]
Homeport: Naval Station Norfolk[2]
Motto: "First To Conquer"
Status: in active service[2]
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement: 9,200 long tons (9,300 t)
Length: 509 ft 6 in (155.30 m)[2]
Beam: 66 ft (20 m)[2]
Draft: 33 ft (10 m)[2]
Propulsion: 4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW)[2]
Speed: 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)[1]
Complement: 312 officers and enlisted[2]
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 2 x MH-60R Seahawk helicopters

Gravely is the 57th destroyer in her class. She was authorized on 13 September 2002 and her keel was laid down on 26 November 2007 at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Gravely was launched on 30 March 2009.[2] She successfully completed sea trial in June 2010.[5]

Alma B.C. Gravely, Admiral Gravely's widow, christened Gravely, Northrop Grumman's 27th Aegis guided missile destroyer, on 16 May 2009. Retired Navy Adm. J. Paul Reason was the principal speaker at the ceremony, which was held at Northrop's facility in Pascagoula.[1]

Gravely was commissioned at Wilmington, North Carolina on 20 November 2010.[3]

Service history

In late August 2013 along with her sister ships Mahan, Barry, and Ramage, Gravely was sent to patrol the eastern Mediterranean Sea in response to rising rumors of an imminent U.S. military intervention in the Syrian civil war.[6] On 28 October 2013, the destroyers Gravely and Ramage answered a distress call from vessel a carrying immigrants located 160 nautical miles (300 km; 180 mi) off the coast of Kalamata, Greece.[7] On 18 November 2013, Gravely returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, completing her first overseas deployment.[8] On 28 March 2016, Gravely provided assistance to USS Sirocco, which had seized a stateless dhow transporting weapons. Once the weapons were offloaded, the dhow and its crew were released.[9]

Forward 5 in/62 caliber gun of USS Gravely. Taken during Fleet Week 2012 in Boston. The superstructure of a German destroyer is in the left background.
USS Gravely fore VLS. Picture taken during Fleet Week 2012 in Boston. The ship in the background is a German destroyer.

In June 2016 while escorting the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman the destroyer had a close encounter with a Russian Navy frigate causing Russian and US Navy officials to accuse each other of dangerous and unprofessional conduct.[10]

References
  1. "Navy Christens Newest Arleigh Burke Class Ship Gravely". Navy.mil. Navy News Service. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  2. "Gravely". Naval Vessel Register. NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office (NAVSHIPSO). Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  3. Trettor, Eric (13 November 2010). "PCU Gravely Arrives in Wilmington for Commissioning". Navy News Service. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  4. "Navy Names Newest Arleigh Burke Class Ship USS Gravely". Department of Defense. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  5. "Pascagoula-built destroyer Gravely returns from sea trial", The Mississippi Press, 30 June 2010.
  6. "U.S. and U.K. Move Ships Closer to Syria". USNI News. United States Naval Institute. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  7. "U.S. ships head towards migrant vessel in distress off Greece". Reuters. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  8. "Destroyer Gravely returns to Norfolk Naval Station". The Virginian-Pilot. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  9. LeGrone, Sam (4 April 2016). "U.S. Navy Seizes Suspected Iranian Arms Shipment Bound for Yemen". USNI News. United States Naval Institute. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  10. Martinez, Luis; Reevell, Patrick; McLaughlin, Elizabeth (29 June 2016). "US Officials Say Russian Warship Intentionally Interfered With Navy Operations". ABC News. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
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