USS Donald Cook
{{Short description|Arleigh Burke-class destroyer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = 160523-N-TC720-274 (27165537571).jpg | Ship image size = | Ship caption = USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), on 23 May 2016 }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship country = United States | Ship flag = {{USN flag}} | Ship name = Donald Cook | Ship namesake = Donald Cook | Ship ordered = 19 January 1993 | Ship builder = Bath Iron Works | Ship laid down = 9 July 1996 | Ship launched = 3 May 1997 | Ship acquired = 21 August 1998 | Ship commissioned = 4 December 1998 | Ship decommissioned = | Ship struck = | Ship homeport = Mayport | Ship motto = Faith Without Fear | Ship status = {{Ship in active service}} | Ship identification = *{{MMSI Number|368895000}}
| Ship honours = | Ship crest = 150px }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship class = {{sclass|Arleigh Burke|destroyer}} | Ship displacement = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer displacement II}} | Ship length = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer length I}} | Ship beam = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer beam}} | Ship draft = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer draft}} | Ship power = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer power}} | Ship propulsion = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer propulsion}} | Ship speed = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer speed}} | Ship range = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer range}} | Ship complement = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer complement}} | Ship sensors = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer sensors}} | Ship EW = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer EW}} | Ship armament = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer armament I (BMD, SeaRAM)}} | Ship armor = | Ship aircraft = {{Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Flight I/II aircraft}} | Ship notes = }} |
USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) is an Arleigh Burke-class (Flight II) Aegis guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy named for Medal of Honor recipient Donald Cook, a colonel in the United States Marine Corps. She is the 14th of the class to be built at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Construction began on 9 July 1996, she was launched and christened on 3 May 1997, and on 4 December 1998, she was commissioned at Penn's Landing Pier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On 16 February 2012, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Donald Cook was to be one of four ships to be homeported at Naval Station Rota, Spain.{{cite press release |url= http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=65393 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120821003608/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=65393 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 21 August 2012 |title= Navy Names Forward Deployed Ships to Rota, Spain |publisher= United States Navy |number= NNS120216-15 |date= 16 February 2012 }} In January 2014, the Navy announced that the ship would arrive there in mid-February 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=78889|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219031422/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=78889|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 February 2014|title=USS Donald Cook Departs Norfolk for Permanent Station in Rota, Spain|work=navy.mil|access-date=18 February 2017}} In Rota she forms part of Destroyer Squadron 60.
Upgrade
On 12 November 2009, the Missile Defense Agency announced that Donald Cook would be upgraded during fiscal 2012 to RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) capability to function as part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.{{cite news |url= http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/11/navy_aegisbmd_111209w/ |title= MDA announces next 6 BMD ships |newspaper= Navy Times |date= 12 November 2009 |last=Ewing |first=Philip |url-access=subscription }}
In 2016, four destroyers patrolling with the U.S. 6th Fleet based in Naval Station Rota, Spain, including Donald Cook received self-protection upgrades, replacing the aft Phalanx CIWS 20 mm Vulcan cannon with the SeaRAM 11-cell RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launcher. The SeaRam uses the same sensor dome as the Phalanx. This was the first time the close-range ship defense system was paired with an Aegis ship. All four ships to receive the upgrade were either Flight I or II, meaning they originally had two Phalanx CIWS systems when launched.{{cite web |url=http://news.usni.org/2015/09/15/navy-integrating-searam-on-rota-based-ddgs-first-installation-complete-in-November |title=Navy Integrating SeaRAM on Rota-Based DDGs; First Installation Complete In November |last=Eckstein |first=Megan |website=usni.org |publisher=U.S. Naval Institute |date=15 September 2015 |access-date=20 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008160945/https://news.usni.org/2015/09/15/navy-integrating-searam-on-rota-based-ddgs-first-installation-complete-in-November |archive-date=8 October 2016 |url-status=live }}
Service history
=2010s=
File:USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) in Batumi in 2021.jpg, February 2021.]]
On 24 February 2012, Donald Cook was awarded the 2011 Battle Efficiency "E" award.{{cite web |url= http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/NavalSurfaceForcesAnnounces2011BattleEAwardees.aspx#.UYkno8o5r9V |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120312071627/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/NavalSurfaceForcesAnnounces2011BattleEAwardees.aspx#.UYkno8o5r9V |url-status= dead |archive-date= 12 March 2012 |title= Naval Surface Forces Announces 2011 Battle E Awardees |publisher= United States Navy |last=Garcia |first=Rosalie |date= 1 March 2012 }} On 9 April 2014, U.S. military officials confirmed the deployment of Donald Cook to the Black Sea,{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/08/politics/us-navy-ship-ukraine/index.html?hpt=hp_t1|title=U.S. Navy ship to arrive in Black Sea by Thursday|first=Barbara |last=Starr|date=9 April 2014|publisher=CNN}} shortly after Russia's annexation of Crimea and amid the pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The U.S. Department of Defense's official statement said that the vessel's mission was "to reassure NATO allies and Black Sea partners of America’s commitment to strengthen and improve interoperability, while working towards mutual goals in the region".{{cite news|last1= Marshall |first1= Tyrone C. |title=USS Donald Cook Heads for Reassurance Mission in Black Sea|url=http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926054202/http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122023 |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 September 2015 |access-date=15 December 2015|agency=American Forces Press Service|date=9 April 2014}} On 10 April 2014, the warship was reported to have entered the Black Sea.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} On 12 April 2014, an unarmed Russian Su-24 "Fencer" strike aircraft made 12 close-range passes of Donald Cook during a patrol of the western Black Sea.{{cite news|last1=Ryan|first1=Missy|title=Russian jet's passes near U.S. ship in Black Sea 'provocative' -Pentagon|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-russia-blacksea-idUSL2N0N60V520140414#TmlqFb14qYOCTCUy.97|access-date=20 November 2015|work=Reuters|date=14 April 2014}}{{cite news |url= http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/2014/0415/Russian-aircraft-buzz-US-Navy-destroyer-How-big-a-deal |title= Russian aircraft buzz US Navy destroyer: How big a deal? |first= Anna |last= Mulrine |newspaper= The Christian Science Monitor|date= 15 April 2014 }} According to an allegation by a Pentagon spokesman, "The aircraft did not respond to multiple queries and warnings from Donald Cook, and the event ended without incident after approximately 90 minutes." Further, Donald Cook is more than capable of defending herself against a pair of Su-24s.{{cite news|last1=Garamone|first1=Jim|title=Russian Aircraft Flies Near U.S. Navy Ship in Black Sea|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=80360|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417021658/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=80360|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2014|access-date=20 November 2015|agency=American Forces Press Service|date=14 April 2014}} In 2014, Russia's state-run news-media outlets ran a series of reports that falsely asserted that during that incident, the Su-24, equipped with the Khibiny electronic warfare system, had disabled the ship's Aegis combat systems. The misinformation was later picked up by British tabloid The Sun and by Fox News, and later reported as Russian propaganda by The New York Times.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/07/world/europe/anatomy-of-fake-news-russian-propaganda.html|title=How Russian Propaganda Spread From a Parody Website to Fox News|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 June 2017|first1=Neil|last1=MacFarQuhar|first2=Andrew|last2=Rossback}}
On 14 April 2014, Donald Cook visited Constanta, Romania, where President Traian Băsescu had a tour of the ship. Donald Cook then conducted various exercises in concert with the Romanian Navy before departing the Black Sea on 24 April 2014.{{cite web |url= http://cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil/uss-donald-cook-departs-black-sea/ |title= USS Donald Cook Departs Black Sea |website= cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil |date= 24 April 2014 |access-date= 21 March 2015 |archive-date= 3 April 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150403033335/http://cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil/uss-donald-cook-departs-black-sea/ |url-status= dead }} On 26 December 2014, for the second time, according to the U.S. Navy, the destroyer entered the Black Sea to reassure and demonstrate U.S. commitment to work closely with NATO allies.{{cite web|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/us-naval-forces-europe-africaus-6th-fleet-uss-donald-cook-to-enter-black-sea-376189.html|title=US Naval Forces Europe – Africa/US 6th fleet: USS Donald Cook to enter Black Sea |work=KyivPost |date=26 December 2014}} Donald Cook participated in exercises with the Turkish Navy, including an underway replenishment and other exercises with the {{sclass|Yavuz|frigate}} TCG Fatih on 28 December 2014. The ship visited Constanta, Romania, on 30 December and Varna, Bulgaria, on 8 January 2015. She also participated in exercises with Ukrainian Navy ship {{ship|Ukrainian frigate|Hetman Sahaydachniy|U130|2}} on 11 January 2015, and then departed the Black Sea on 14 January 2015.{{cite web |url= http://cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil/uss-donald-cook-departs-black-sea-2/ |title= USS Donald Cook Departs Black Sea |website= cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil |first= Daniel |last= Schumacher |date= 14 January 2015 |access-date= 21 March 2015 |archive-date= 19 May 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150519064231/http://cne-cna-c6f.dodlive.mil/uss-donald-cook-departs-black-sea-2/ |url-status= dead }}
File:A Russian Sukhoi Su-24 makes a very-low altitude pass by the USS Donald Cook (DDG 75).jpg attack aircraft makes a very-low-altitude pass by USS Donald Cook on 12 April 2016.]]
File:USS Donald Cook Russian Fly-By DOD 103206879.webm]]
On 11 and 12 April 2016, two Russian Su-24s performed several low-altitude passes on Donald Cook while the ship was conducting exercises with a Polish helicopter in international waters in the Baltic Sea, {{convert|70|nmi}} off Kaliningrad. A Russian Ka-27 "Helix" antisubmarine helicopter also circled the destroyer seven times. The U.S. Navy released photos and videos of the incident on 14 April, and the U.S. government lodged a complaint with the Russian government.{{cite news|last1=Vincent|first1=Michael|title=Russian jets conduct 'aggressive' passes of US warship in Baltic Sea, defence official says|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/russia-jets-make-simulated-attack-passes-near-us-destroyer/7324994|access-date=14 April 2016|work=ABC News|date=14 April 2016}}{{cite web|last1=United States European Command|title=US Navy Ship Encounters Aggressive Russian Aircraft in Baltic Sea|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=94170|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160414054409/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=94170|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 April 2016|publisher=United States Navy|access-date=14 April 2016}} In response to the U.S. Secretary of State commenting on the incident and saying that "under the rules of engagement, that could have been a shoot-down",{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36050689|title=Kerry: Shooting down Russia jets 'would have been justified'|work=BBC News |date=14 April 2016|access-date=18 February 2017|via=bbc.com}} the Russian Federation Council's official Igor Morozov said that the U.S. likewise "ought to know that Donald Cook approached our borders and may already be unable to depart those."{{cn|date=May 2023}} On 26 February 2019, the ship hosted U.S. diplomats Gordon Sondland, Marie Yovanovitch, Kurt Volker, the EU's Jean Christophe-Belliard, and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, among others.{{Cite web
| title = Opening Statement before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
| author = Gordon Sondland
| access-date = 17 October 2019
| url = https://games-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/8397891d-d1bf-4a05-93e0-795f6d1b7048/note/5cd6785f-4de2-42d4-937d-39224c08bc2d.pdf#page=1
}}
=2020s=
On 23 February 2020, the ship entered the Black Sea, marking the seventh time a U.S. ship had entered the sea in 2020. While in the Black Sea, the ship conducted routine maritime security operations.{{Cite web|title=U.S. Navy Warship USS Donald Cook Enters the Black Sea|url=https://www.c6f.navy.mil/Press-Room/News/News-Display/Article/2424135/us-navy-warship-uss-donald-cook-enters-the-black-sea/|access-date=2020-11-24|website=U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa / U.S. 6th Fleet|language=en-US}} {{USS|Arleigh Burke|DDG-51}} departed Naval Station Norfolk on 26 March, to replace Donald Cook as one of the forward destroyers located in Rota, Spain. Donald Cook
File:DDG 75 20241116 082902.jpg
On 25 April 2022, the ship returned to Mayport after a three-month deployment.{{cite web | url=https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/3009234/donald-cook-returns-to-mayport/utm_source/twitter/utm_medium/social/utm_content/100003060296054/utm_campaign/Misc/linkId/donald-cook-returns-to-mayport/ | title=Donald Cook Returns to Mayport }}
On June 12th, 2024, USS Donald Cook along with USS Truxtun, USS Delbert D. Black, Coast Guard Cutter, the Stone, and a Boeing P-8 maritime patrol aircraft were deployed to track a Russian naval flotilla sailing less than 30 miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. The flotilla was expected to arrive the same day in Havana, Cuba for naval and air exercises.{{cite web |title=Navy deploys warships as Russian fleet makes close pass to Florida |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2024/06/11/navy-deploys-warships-russian-fleet-makes-close-pass-florida/ |website=tampabay.com |access-date=12 June 2024}}
Coat of arms
= Shield =
The shield has background of dark blue with a light-blue trim. A reversed star hangs above a gauntlet hoisting a broken chain and crossing sword. Missiles surround the shield.The traditional Navy colors were chosen for the shield because dark blue and gold represent the sea and excellence, respectively. Red is also included to signify valor and sacrifice. The armoured gauntlet holding a broken chain represents Colonel Cook's gallantry and indomitable spirit in captivity as a prisoner of war to the Viet Cong. He put the interests of his comrades before his own life. The crossed swords denote spirit and teamwork, as well as U.S. Navy and Marine Corps heritage. The U.S. Marine Corps officers' Mameluke sword is representative of Colonel Cook's Marine service. The light-blue upside-down star symbolizes the Medal of Honor Cook earned for his spirit, sacrifice, and heroism.
= Crest =
The crest consists of an eagle surrounded by red tridents.The eagle is symbolic to the principles of freedom which our country was founded, highlighting military vigilance and national defense. The trident represents sea power and her AEGIS firepower which brings the capability of conducting operations in multi threat environments.
= Motto =
The motto is written on a scroll of gold that has a red reverse side.The ships motto is "Faith without Fear". The motto is a reference to both the honorable feats of Colonel Cook and the Medal of Honor he received.
= Seal =
The coat of arms in full color as in the blazon, upon a white background enclosed within a dark blue oval border edged on the outside with a gold rope and bearing the inscription "USS DONALD COOK" at the top and "DDG 75" in the base all gold.
References
{{reflist|colwidth=27em}}
Further reading
- {{cite book| author=Sanders, Michael S.| title=The Yard: Building a Destroyer at the Bath Iron Works| location=New York| publisher=HarperCollins| year=1999| isbn=0-06-019246-1| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/yard00mich}} (Describes the construction of Donald Cook at Bath Iron Works.)
External links
{{Commons category|USS Donald Cook (DDG-75)}}
- [http://www.cook.navy.mil/ "USS Donald Cook Official Web-Site"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709002126/http://www.cook.navy.mil/ |date=9 July 2015 }}
- [https://archive.today/20150310020241/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives/command-operations-reports/ships/d/donald-cook-ddg-75-i.html USS Donald Cook Command History Reports]
- [http://www.navysite.de/dd/ddg75.htm USS Donald Cook webpage]
- {{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=ddg75|title=Naval Vessel Register DDG-75}}
{{Arleigh Burke class destroyer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donald Cook (DDG-75)}}
Category:Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
Category:Destroyers of the United States