USS Gonzalez

	; USS Gonzalez on 6 June 2008
Name:	Gonzalez
Namesake:	Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez
Ordered:	16 January 1991
Builder:	Bath Iron Works
Laid down:	3 February 1994
Launched:	18 February 1995
Acquired:	14 June 1996
Commissioned:	12 October 1996
Homeport:	Norfolk
Identification:	Maritime Mobile Service Identity number: 368773000; Callsign: NGON; ; Hull number: DDG-66;
Motto:	Beyond the Call
Status:	in active service, as of 2025
Badge:
General characteristics
Class & type:	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement:	Light: approx. 6,800 long tons (6,900 t); Full: approx. 8,900 long tons (9,000 t);
Length:	505 ft (154 m)
Beam:	66 ft (20 m)
Draft:	31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion:	4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, two shafts, 100,000 total shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Speed:	>30 knots (56 km/h)
Range:	4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots; (8,100 km at 37 km/h);
Complement:	33 commissioned officers; 38 chief petty officers; 210 enlisted personnel;
Sensors and ; processing systems:	AN/SPY-1D 3D Radar; AN/SPS-67(V)2 Surface Search Radar; AN/SPS-73(V)12 Surface Search Radar; AN/SPG-62 Fire Control Radar; AN/SQS-53C Sonar Array; AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar; AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III Shipboard System;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys:	AN/SLQ-32(V)2 Electronic Warfare System; AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures; MK 36 MOD 12 Decoy Launching System; AN/SLQ-39 CHAFF Buoys;
Armament:	1 × 29 cell, 1 × 61 cell Mk 41 vertical launching systems with 90 × RIM-156 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-ASROC missiles; 2 x Mk 141 Harpoon Missile Launcher SSM; 1 × Mark 45 5/54 in (127/54 mm); 2 × 25 mm chain gun; 4 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns; 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS; 2 × Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes;
Aircraft carried:	1 × Sikorsky MH-60R

USS Gonzalez (DDG-66) is an Arleigh Burke-class (Flight I) Aegis guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named for Sergeant Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez, a Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam War.

Service history[]

November 12, 1996 Gonzalez grounded on a coral reef at approximately 0800, off the island of Sint Maarten, damaging her sonar dome and several blades on both screws, costing $10 million in damage returning to service September 1997.^{[citation needed]}

The ship took part in Operation Allied Force, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles at Serbian targets in 1999. Gonzalez also assisted a cruise ship, Seabourn Spirit, after an abortive attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia in 2005.^[1]

On 1 March 2006, the ship rescued the crew of an Iranian ship, whose engine and rudder were broken down since 18 February. The Iranian crew were returned to Iran. She was involved in the action of 18 March 2006 with suspected pirates, along with the cruiser USS Cape St. George. The two ships exchanged fire with the suspected pirates about 25 nautical miles (46 km) off the coast of Somalia. Initial reports indicated that one suspected pirate was killed and five others wounded.

On 17 July 2006, CNN reported that Gonzalez would be deployed to help in evacuation efforts of American citizens from Lebanon in the midst of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.^[2]

In May 2022, Gonzalez was homeported out of Naval Station Norfolk and a part of Destroyer Squadron 28, along with Carrier Strike Group 8 led by the USS Harry S. Truman.^[3]

Gallery[]

Awards[]

Battle "E" – (2019)
James F. Chezek Memorial Gunnery Award (1998)

References[]

↑ "EODMU 8 Removes Inert RPG Remnant from Cruise Liner". 7 November 2005. http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=20930.
↑ James, Frank (26 July 2006). "The Swamp: Patriotism at sea". http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2006/07/patriotism_at_sea.html.
↑ "USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: May 23, 2022". usni.org. 23 May 2022. https://news.usni.org/2022/05/23/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-may-23-2022.

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links[]

Official site Archived 9 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine.
Official blog by Cmdr. Brian Fort, ship's captain

Template:Piracy in Somalia

[1] "EODMU 8 Removes Inert RPG Remnant from Cruise Liner". 7 November 2005. http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=20930.

[2] James, Frank (26 July 2006). "The Swamp: Patriotism at sea". http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2006/07/patriotism_at_sea.html.

[3] "USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: May 23, 2022". usni.org. 23 May 2022. https://news.usni.org/2022/05/23/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-may-23-2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

Career (United States)
USS Gonzalez on 6 June 2008
Name:	Gonzalez
Namesake:	Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez
Ordered:	16 January 1991
Builder:	Bath Iron Works
Laid down:	3 February 1994
Launched:	18 February 1995
Acquired:	14 June 1996
Commissioned:	12 October 1996
Homeport:	Norfolk
Identification:	Maritime Mobile Service Identity number: 368773000 Callsign: NGON Hull number: DDG-66
Motto:	Beyond the Call
Status:	in active service, as of 2025^[update]
Badge:
General characteristics
Class & type:	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement:	Light: approx. 6,800 long tons (6,900 t) Full: approx. 8,900 long tons (9,000 t)
Length:	505 ft (154 m)
Beam:	66 ft (20 m)
Draft:	31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion:	4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, two shafts, 100,000 total shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Speed:	>30 knots (56 km/h)
Range:	4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots (8,100 km at 37 km/h)
Complement:	33 commissioned officers 38 chief petty officers 210 enlisted personnel
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SPY-1D 3D Radar AN/SPS-67(V)2 Surface Search Radar AN/SPS-73(V)12 Surface Search Radar AN/SPG-62 Fire Control Radar AN/SQS-53C Sonar Array AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III Shipboard System
Electronic warfare & decoys:	AN/SLQ-32(V)2 Electronic Warfare System AN/SLQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures MK 36 MOD 12 Decoy Launching System AN/SLQ-39 CHAFF Buoys
Armament:	1 × 29 cell, 1 × 61 cell Mk 41 vertical launching systems with 90 × RIM-156 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-ASROC missiles 2 x Mk 141 Harpoon Missile Launcher SSM 1 × Mark 45 5/54 in (127/54 mm) 2 × 25 mm chain gun 4 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried:	1 × Sikorsky MH-60R