USS Spruance DD 963 - Destroyer

When launched in 1975, the "Spruance" was seen as a huge expenditure of money, being only armed with Harpoon missiles and anti-submarine torpedoes. The first eight ships were not even equipped with “Sea-Sparrow” anti-aircraft missile launch systems (which were installed only from David R. Ray). Initially they had as classic objective the hunting of submarines. For this they were equipped with the powerful sonar AN-SQS-53A / B, an evolution of the AN-SQS-26 and the ASROC launch system (8 cells) Mk.16 anti-submarine.

With the beginning of the entry into service of the new AEGIS cruisers and destroyers, it was necessary that the “Spruances” were modernized, namely with regard to armament systems. The first changes were the inclusion of the Mk-32 anti-aircraft missile launch system (for Sea Sparrow short-range missiles). From the DD-971 David R. Ray this system started to be included during the construction.

Starting with the DD-974 Comte de Grasse, launching systems for Tomahawk missiles began to be installed, with the capacity to launch ASROCs. Initially armed with an eight-seater launch system for nominal sea defense “Sea Sparrow” missiles, it received the VLS (Vertical Launch System) Vertical Launch System Mk41 in the late 1980s, which replaces the old ASROC launch system (8 cells ) Mk.16, allowing the "Spruance" to fire Tomahawk missiles, expanding the operational range of the ship, enabling them to carry out ground attacks. During Operation “Desert Storm”, the “Spruances” fired 112 Tomahawk missiles.

All ships were ordered from the same shipyard, with the aim of reducing costs to a minimum, but there were still several accusations of favoritism. The fact that the ships show almost no armaments from abroad, has led public opinion to once again criticize the high cost of the ships.

USS Spruance DD-963 Actually the main systems of the Spruance destroyers were hidden, having been later modernized and the weapon systems added The first operation of the USS Spruance was in October 1979 in the Mediterranean Sea, with the Saratoga Battle Group, together with other ships like Biddle, Conyngham, Milwaukee, and Mount Baker. During this operation, Spruance passed through the Black Sea to conduct surveillance on the new helicopter carrier “Moskva”, which sailed from its construction site to the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet.

The USS Spruance entered its first major overhaul in 1980, at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. During a brief period at the shipyard in 1983, he received CIWIS and the TAS Mk 23 Radar System.

Spruance was deployed for a period of six months in January 1983 to the Persian Gulf where for more than four and a half months conducting observations in conjunction with the USS frigate Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) during the Iran-Iraq War.

Two LAMPS SH-2F Seasprite helicopters were used to locate and attack contacts detected by long-range onboard sonar. Seasprite was later replaced by the SH-60B Sea Hawk (LAMPS III).

The USS Spruance served the Atlantic Fleet, assigned to the "Destroyer Squadron 24" and operating from NS Mayport, Florida, being withdrawn from service on March 23, 2005 and sunk as a target for aircraft that launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles. on December 8, 2006.

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