The modern American Navy is second to none, boasting a broad collection of surface and undersea units complemented by over-water helicopters and combat aircraft. One key component of the service is its Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer group, numbering sixty-seven total vessels as of July 2020 and one of this number is USS Ramage (DDG-61). The warship, named after World War 2 veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Vice Admiral Lawson Ramage, was ordered on February 21st, 1990 and laid down by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi on January 4th, 1993. She was launched on February 1st, 1994 and formally commissioned on July 22nd, 1995. The vessel maintains an active status in the United States Navy (USN) fleet as of July 2020 and homeports out of Norfolk, Virginia - fighting under the motto of "Par Excellence".
The guided-missile destroyer is a potent surface combatant capable of engaging aerial, land, and undersea targets with equal lethality to a primary weapons suite of smart missiles. Hull designs allow such warships to operate independently or as part of a task force / main fighting fleet. Some guided-missile platforms are used as air deterrence solutions while others are equipped to engage enemy naval components at range. Beyond their obvious missile armament, these warships continue to rely on ballistic weapons as a more conventional means.
USS Ramage (DDG-61) displaces 6,900 tons under light loads and up to 8,900 tons under full loads. Overall length reaches 505 feet with a beam measuring 66 feet and a draught down to 31 feet. Power is from 4 x General Electric LM2500-30 series gas turbines developing 100,000 horsepower to 2 x Shafts astern. Speeds under ideal conditions can reach just over 30 knots with a range out to 4,400 nautical miles.
Aboard is a complement of 281 made up of offices and enlisted. Installed systems include 3D combat radar, surface-search radar, fire control support, sonar (towed and hull-mounted), and the LAMPS III Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) suite. Electronic Warfare (EW) is handled through the AN/SLQ032(V)2 suite while AN/SLQ-25 "Nixie" is the torpedo countermeasures solution. The Mk 36 Mod 12 serves as a decoy-launching system and AN/SLQ-39 is used to dispense radar-disrupting chaff.
Armament includes 1 x 127mm /54 caliber Mark 45 turreted main gun over the forecastle, 1 x 61-cell and 1 x 29-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launching Systems (VLSs) supporting up to 90 x RIM-156 SM-2 Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs), BGM-109 "Tomahawk" cruise missiles, and RUM-139 Vertically-Launched, Anti-Submarine ROCket (VL-ASROC) missiles. There are also 2 x Mk 141 launchers for the "Harpoon" anti-ship missile. More traditional weaponry consists of 2 x Mk.32 triple torpedo tubes, 2 x 25mm chain guns, 2 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWSs), and up to 4 x 12.7mm Browning Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs).
To better handle the ASW role, the warship can take on a stock of 2 x Sikorsky MH-60R naval combat helicopters. These rotary-wing systems provide a much-needed eye in the sky, over-the-horizon capability and works closely with the vessel to spot potential enemies before they can become lethal.
The ship's profile includes a largely unobstructed forecastle mounting the turreted main gun. The bridge sits atop a superstructure aft of the gun and is identified through its tripod main mast works seating all manner of sensors, radar, and communications equipment. The smoke funnels are divided into two low-profile structures at midships, resulting in a noticeable gap. The aft section of the hull superstructure is stepped and houses a full-service hangar and helicopter pad.
USS Ramage began her first deployment in November of 1996 when sent to Mediterranean waters and various port-of-calls and exercises followed. After the events of 9/11 (September 2001), the ship was used off the coast of the eastern United States as a deterrent and then later deployed to the Middle East to take part in actions related to Operation Enduring Freedom - the invasion of Afghanistan. More recently, she has been stationed in Mediterranean waters in response to chemical weapons used by the Assad Regime during the ongoing Syrian Civil War. In 2014, the warship operated as security during the Sochi Olympics. She was given a mid-life upgrade during 2016-2017. In October of 2018, she, again, provided security, this time for the G-20 summit held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51); USS Barry (DDG-52); USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53); USS Curtis Wilber (DDG-54); USS Stout (DDG-55); USS John S. McCain (DDG-56); USS Mitscher (DDG-57); USS Laboon (DDG-58); USS Russell (DDG-59); USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60); USS Ramage (DDG-61); USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62); USS Stethem (DDG-63); USS Carney (DDG-64); USS Benfold (DDG-65); USS Gonzalez (DDG-66); USS Cole (DDG-67); USS The Sullivans (DDG-68); USS Milius (DDG-69); USS Hopper (DDG-70); USS Ross (DDG-71); USS Mahan (DDG-72); USS Decatur (DDG-73); USS McFaul (DDG-74); USS Donald Cook (DDG-75); USS Higgins (DDG-76); USS O'Kane (DDG-77); USS Porter (DDG-78); USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79); USS Roosevelt (DDG-80); USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81); USS Lassen (DDG-82); USS Howard (DDG-83); USS Bulkeley (DDG-84); USS McCampbell (DDG-85); USS Shoup (DDG-86); USS Mason (DDG-87); USS Preble (DDG-88); USS Mustin (DDG-89); USS Chafee (DDG-90); USS Pinkney (DDG-91); USS Momsen (DDG-92); USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93); USS Nitze (DDG-94); USS James E. Williams (DDG-95); USS Bainbridge (DDG-96); USS Halsey (DDG-97); USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98); USS Farragut (DDG-99); USS Kidd (DDG-100); USS Gridley (DDG-101); USS Sampson (DDG-102); USS Truxtun (DDG-103); USS Sterett (DDG-104); USS Dewey (DDG-105); USS Stockdale (DDG-106); USS Gravely (DDG-107); USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108); USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109); USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110); USS Spruance (DDG-111); USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112); USS John Finn (DDG-113); USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114); USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115); USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116); USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117); Daniel Inouye (DDG-118); Delbert D. Black (DDG-119); Unnamed (DDG-120); Unnamed (DDG-121); Unnamed (DDG-122; Unnamed (DDG-122); Unnamed (DDG-123); Unnamed (DDG-124); Unnamed (DDG-125); Unnamed (DDG-126) Ships-in-Class
Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.
Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.
Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.
Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.
505.0 feet (153.92 meters) Length
66.0 feet (20.12 meters) Beam
31.0 feet (9.45 meters) Draught
7,850 tons Displacement
4 x General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines developing 100,000 horsepower driving 2 x Shafts astern. Propulsion
1 x 127mm /54 caliber Mark 45 turreted deck gun.
1 x 61-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) supporting RIM-156, RUM-139, and BGM-109 missiles.
1 x 29-cell Mk 41 VLS.
2 x 25mm chain guns.
2 x 20mm Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWSs).
2 x Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes.
4 x 12.7mm Browning Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs).
2 x Sikorsky MH-60R "Seahawk" navy helicopters equipped for the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) role.
Images
1 / 2
Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery database.
2 / 2
Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery database.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.
