Ordered 6 March 1998 Commissioned 28 January 2006 Construction started 7 August 2003 Weight 9,348 tons | Laid down 7 August 2003 Length 155 m Launched 2 October 2004 Displacement 8.346 million kg | |
Namesake Admiral Forrest Sherman Sponsored by Ann Sherman Fitzpatrick | ||
Uss forrest sherman ddg 98 leaving portsmouth uk 22 04 11
USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named for Admiral Forrest Percival Sherman, and is the second US Navy ship to bear the name. She is part of Destroyer Squadron 2.
Built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Forrest Sherman was launched on 2 October 2004. Admiral Sherman's daughter, Ann Sherman Fitzpatrick, is the ship's sponsor. She was commissioned on 28 January 2006 at NAS Pensacola, Commander Michael VanDurick in command, and six days later departed for her homeport in Norfolk, Va. to join the Atlantic Fleet.
She departed Norfolk for her maiden deployment in July 2007, visiting various nations around the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. In August 2007, while the ship was visiting Sevastopol to conduct drills with the Ukrainian Navy, a 1,100 pounds (500 kg) naval mine from the Second World War was discovered 500 yards from the vessel. The mine was secured before it could damage the ship. Also during that visit, she became the first US Navy ship to land a Ukrainian Navy helicopter. She also conducted Reliant Mermaid 2007 with the Turkish and Israeli Navies.
On that deployment, she circumnavigated the continent of Africa as part of Task Group 60.5, the US Navy's Southeast Africa task force. She returned home on 19 December that year.
In early June 2008, Forrest Sherman deployed for three months in support of U.S. Southern Command's Partnership of the Americas 2008 (POA 08) operation. She returned home on 29 August 2008.