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USS Arthur W. Radford Decommissions to Become DD(X) Test Platform

NAVSEA News

By Lt. j.g. Kelley Anderson, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. -The Norfolk-based Spruance-class destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford (DD 968) decommissioned on March 18 at Naval Station Norfolk. The ship will now serve as the test platform for the U.S. Navy's future destroyer, DD(X).

"This is great, because it's not really an end, but a beginning of something new and better for the Navy," said Cmdr. Henry Smith, Radford's commanding officer. "The ship is not going to become razor blades, and the crew is happy about that."

This will not be the first time Radford has been used as a test platform. The ship used the newest and most robust cryptologic system during its last deployment, according to Lt. Ann Casey, the ship's electronic warfare officer. Although many ships now use this new cryptology system, Radford was the first to deploy with it.

Radford also introduced the Advanced Enclosed Mast System (AEM/S) to the Fleet in 1998. The ship's unique, enclosed superstructure, which literally stands out among the masts of other ships, protects major antennas and other sensitive equipment. It also reduces maintenance and significantly reduces radar signature.

"We in the Navy are committed to developing -- and introducing into the Fleet -- highly sophisticated technology with advanced war-fighting capabilities," said Jeffrey Benson, the AEM/S program manager from Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division in Maryland.

Testing innovations such as the AEM/S is instrumental in developing new technologies required for the Navy's next generation of stealthy ships. This successful effort helped pave the way for Radford to be slated as the DD(X) test platform.

The ship will now be towed to Philadelphia where the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Inactive Ships Maintenance Office (NISMO) will oversee its inactivation. Eventually, the ship will be towed to Pascagoula, Miss. where Northrop Grumman Ship Systems will equip it with three DD(X) Engineering Development Models, including the Integrated Power System (IPS), the Composite Deckhouse, and the Dual Band Radar. The IPS will allow rapid reconfiguration of power, reduced acoustic noise, and greater flexibility in ship design, according to David Caskey, a NAVSEA spokesperson.

The conversion, scheduled to begin in the fall of 2004, will take approximately one year.

Once Radford is converted, at-sea testing will begin in the Gulf of Mexico and Virginia Capes Operating Areas, including Lambert's Point Range in Norfolk, and Wallops Island Range near the eastern Virginia shore. The Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center Range in the Bahamas will also be used for the ship's testing.