USS Fletcher (DD-992)

USS "Fletcher" (DD-992), the thirtieth "Spruance"-class destroyer, was named after Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher and the second ship in the United States Navy to bear this name.

Construction

Designed and built by Ingalls Shipyards of Litton Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, "Fletcher" was a member of the first major class of surface ships in the United States Navy to be powered by gas turbine engines. Four General Electric LM2500 gas turbine engines, marine versions of those used in DC-10 aircraft, drove the ship at speeds in excess of 30 knots (56 km/h). Twin controllable reversible pitch propellers provided "Fletcher" with a degree of maneuverability unique among warships of her size.

History

Commissioned in July 1980, she was immediately sent to join the Pacific Fleet. Starting in 1982, "Fletcher" made regular deployments to the western and southern Pacific, with some of those extending into the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf areas. During the 1990s, she was modernized with the vertical launch system, giving her a much broader range of capabilities.

A highly versatile multi-mission destroyer, "Fletcher" was capable of operating independently or in company with Amphibious or Carrier Task Forces. "Fletcher"'s main mission was to operate offensively in a Strike Warfare or Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) role. The Tomahawk Weapons Systems provided "Fletcher" with long range cruise missile capability for use in tactical strike operations. The ship's primary passive ASW sensor was the AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS). Its active sonar together with the Mk 116 Underwater Fire Control System combined as one of the most advanced underwater detection and fire control systems ever developed. The Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS) provided the ship with faster and more accurate processing of target information. Integration of the ship's digital gun fire control system in the NTDS provided quick reaction in the mission areas of shore bombardment, Anti-Surface, and Anti-Aircraft Warfare.

Originally carrying an 8-tube ASROC launcher, a sixty-one cell Mk 41 Vertical Launching System for firing Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) and Anti-Submarine Rockets (ASROCs) was later installed. Other weapons included two Mk 45 light weight 5 inch guns, two triple Mk 32 torpedo tubes, and facilities for operating LAMPS helicopters. The ship was also armed with the NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System, a short range, surface-to-air defensive weapon; and the Harpoon Weapon System, a medium range, surface-to-surface, anti-ship cruise missile. For defense against anti-ship missile, "Fletcher" employed two Mk 15 (PHALANX) 20 mm Close-In Weapons System, SRBOC chaff, and topside armor in addition to the NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System. The AN/SLQ-32 countermeasures set provided "Fletcher" with additional defense against anti-ship missiles through the use of active electronic countermeasures.

Crew comfort and habitability were an integral part of the design. Berthing compartments were spacious and the ship was equipped with amenities not usually found aboard other destroyers, including a crew's gymnasium and an improvised library of sorts with several hundred fiction novels. Although "Fletcher" was as large as a World War II cruiser, a high degree of automation permitted a crew of 24 officers and 296 enlisted to operate the ship.

Deployment in 1983

On July 20, 1983 the "New York Times" reported that the "Fletcher" along with seven other vessels in the Carrier "Ranger" Battle Group left San Diego on Friday July 15, 1983 and were headed for the western Pacific when they were rerouted and ordered to steam for Central America to conduct training and flight operations in areas off the coasts of Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras as part of major military exercises planned for that summer.

Besides the "Ranger", the battle group is composed of the carrier "Ranger", the cruiser "Horne", the guided missile destroyer "Lynde McCormick", the destroyers "Fletcher" and "Fife", the frigate "Marvin Shields", the oiler "Wichita" and the support ship "Camden".

Fate

"Fletcher" was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list 1 October 2004. In 2004 "Fletcher" was slated to be sold to Chile, but in 2005 it was planned to be granted to Pakistan. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/transfer.htm] Ex-"Fletcher"'s disposition is not known, and the Naval Vessel Register lists the ship Stricken, to be disposed of.

On July 16, 2008, [ [http://www.dd992.org/forum/portal.php?article=0&sid=1c1049f6db96283ec212babd49eaa06c Announcement: Fletcher & Horne Final Plots Map] dd992.org] the US Navy, working with the Australian Navy, sank the USS Fletcher, as part of a new torpedo test exercise. The Australian submarine, HMAS Waller,Fact|date=July 2008 test fired a modified live Mk48 ADCAP torpedo. The Mod7 torpedo is specifically designed for shallow water operations. Ex-"Fletcher", suffered a direct hit and sank within minutes.Fact|date=July 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.navysite.de/dd/dd992.htm navysite.de: "USS Fletcher"]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-f/dd992.htm history.navy.mil/photos: USS "Fletcher"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/992.htm navsource.org: USS "Fletcher"]
* [http://www.dd992.org/forum/portal.php "USS Fletcher" alumni website]