ARM Netzahualcóyotl (D-102), a Quetzalcóatl-class destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

, is one of two destroyers in the Mexican Navy

Mexican Navy

The Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...

. The Netzahualcóyotl was originally the USS Steinaker

USS Steinaker (DD-863)

The second USS Steinaker was a of the United States Navy, named for Private First Class Donald Baur Steinaker, USMCR who was killed in action on Guadalcanal and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross....

 (DD-863), a Gearing class destroyer

Gearing class destroyer

The Gearing class was a group of 98 destroyers built for the US Navy during and shortly after World War II. The Gearing design was a minor modification of the immediately preceding Allen M. Sumner class...

. Mexico purchased the Steinaker from the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 in 1982, and re-named it after the Acolhua

Acolhua

The Acolhua are a Mesoamerican people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in or around the year 1200 CE. The Acolhua were a sister culture of the Aztecs as well as the Tepanec, Chalca, Xochimilca and others....

 polymath

Polymath

A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...

 Nezahualcoyotl

Nezahualcoyotl

Nezahualcoyotl was a philosopher, warrior, architect, poet and ruler of the city-state of Texcoco in pre-Columbian Mexico...

. In its present configuration it has a helicopter landing pad and an ASROC

ASROC

ASROC is an all-weather, all sea-conditions anti-submarine missile system. Developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s, it was deployed in the 1960s, updated in the 1990s, and eventually installed on over 200 USN surface ships, specifically cruisers, destroyers, and frigates...

 anti-submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...

 missile system. The Netzahualcóyotl is used in drug interdiction and training missions for cadets from the Mexican Naval Academy, sailing annually up to San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

, in the United States.

External links

• Mexican Navy warship list (in Spanish)
• Flickr gallery of ARM Netzahualcoyotl photos
• Quetzalcóatl class specifications (in Spanish)