US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) has returned to sea two and a half years after a deadly collision that claimed the lives of seven sailors.
According to the US Navy, the ship is currently underway to conduct comprehensive at-sea testing, marking a significant step in her return to warfighting readiness.
The ship departed Huntington Ingalls Industries-Ingalls Shipbuilding’s Pascagoula shipyard at approximately 6:30 a.m. (CDT), February 3, to conduct a series of demonstrations to evaluate that the ship’s onboard systems meet or exceed navy performance specifications.
Among the systems that will be tested are navigation, damage control, mechanical and electrical systems, combat systems, communications, and propulsion.
The underway reflects nearly two years’ worth of effort in restoring and modernizing one of the navy’s most capable warships after it was damaged during a collision with merchant ship ACX Crystal off the coast of Japan.
The extent of damages USS Fitzgerald sustained was so great that the ship had to be loaded onto a heavy lift ship and transported to HII for repairs. USS John S. McCain, another ship damaged in a collision in the US 7th Fleet two months later, was repaired at the US Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan, and is already underway for testing and evaluation.
“Since we launched the ship this past April our efforts have focused on restoring ship systems, conducting pier side tests and readying the ship for sea,” said Rear Adm. Tom Anderson, NAVSEA director Surface Ship Maintenance and Modernization and commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center. “The government and industry team has been working hand-in-hand on this exceptionally complex effort, with a common purpose of returning Fitzgerald to sea and ultimately back to the Fleet.”
Upon Fitzgerald’s return to the shipyard, crew training and certifications will start as final work items are completed in support of the ship’s sail away later this spring.
“We are excited to take the next step to get Fitzgerald back out to sea where the ship belongs. My crew is looking forward to moving onboard the ship and continuing our training to ensure we are ready to return to the fleet,” said Cmdr. Scott Wilbur, Fitzgerald’s commanding officer.
