.gif)
USS Kidd (DDG-993)
Encyclopedia
USS Kidd (DDG-993) was the lead ship in her class
of destroyer
s operated by the U.S. Navy
. Derived from the Spruance class
, these vessels were designed for air defense in hot weather. The vessel was the second named after Medal of Honor
recipient Rear Admiral
Isaac C. Kidd
, who was aboard the during the attack on Pearl Harbor
, and was the first American flag officer
to die in World War II.
Originally named Kouroush, the ship was ordered by the Shah of Iran
, but was undelivered when the 1979 Iranian Revolution
occurred. Subsequent to this, the U.S. Navy elected to commission the Kidd class for service in the Persian Gulf
and Mediterranean, as they were equipped with heavy-duty air conditioning
and were also well suited to filtering sand and the results from NBC warfare. Kidd-class ships were known in the fleet informally as the "Ayatollah" or "dead admiral" class.
.
8 December 1982: Deployed to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean under the command of Commander William J. Flanagan. While in the Mediterranean Sea, the USS Kidd visited the ports of Palma
, Spain; Beirut
, Lebanon; and Catania
, Italy. She visited the ports of Trincomalee
, Sri Lanka, and Mombasa
, Kenya, while on station in the Indian Ocean before returning to the Mediterranean and calling on Benidorm
, Spain. The deployment ended with her return to Norfolk
on 2 June 1983. In September 1983, the Kidd was awarded the Battle Efficiency "E".
16 February 1984: The USS Kidd left Norfolk, Virginia
, to participate in battle-readiness maneuvers as part of Operation United Effort. She returned home to Norfolk on 29 April.
12 March 1985: READEX 1–85, with Commander Fred Moosally
in command. She conducted Caribbean operations from 28 March to 6 April, before anchoring at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
. Following a transit of the Atlantic Ocean, she passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on 17 April. While in the Mediterranean, the USS Kidd called on the ports of Taormina
, Sicily, and Gaeta
and Naples
, Italy.
30 May 1985: U.S. Sixth Fleet operations in the Black Sea
through 3 June. The USS Kidd cut short a port visit to Haifa
, Israel, on 16 June in response to the TWA Flight 847
aircraft hijacking
. She returned to Haifa on 15 July before visiting Alexandria
, Egypt, and Constanța
, Romania. Black Sea operations continued with the Sixth Fleet in August. The Kidd called on Istanbul
, Turkey, before returning to Naples, Italy. She conducted operations in the Western Mediterranean with the through September. Calling on Benidorm, Spain, she then passed through the Straits of Gibraltar again on 20 September. After visiting Rota, Spain
, the Kidd crossed the Atlantic under the power of her gas-turbine engines, arriving in Norfolk. and ending her deployment on 2 October 1985.
September 1987: The USS Kidd was awarded her third Battle Efficiency "E" award while deployed as part of the Middle East Force 3–87. She departed Norfolk on 6 June 1987, returning to port on 4 December 1987. During the operations in the Persian Gulf
, from about 4 July to 2 October, the Kidd led the first ten convoys of Kuwaiti tankers which were reflagged with American flags. This reflagging was in response to Iranian threats to close the Persian Gulf shipping lanes, through which more than 50% of the world's oil ourput passes.
9 January 1991: The USS Kidd departed from Norfolk, bound for the Persian Gulf
, along with the , in support of Operation Desert Storm. The Kidd faced several roles while operating in the Persian Gulf, among them the location and destruction of naval mine
s and maritime interdiction force operations. To assist in these duties, a detachment from Anti-Submarine Light Helicopter Squadron 34 (HSL-34) was embarked. The "Green Checkers" came aboard with two SH-2 helicopter
s which were used early on in SSSC missions – flying beyond the visual horizon of this warship to visually observe all radar contacts on the surface. In early April, two U.S. Army OH-58 AHIPS helicopters were embarked, giving a total of four helicopters embarked on board the Kidd at one time.
December 1991: The USS Kidd was again awarded the Battle Efficiency "E", this time for excellence during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
October 1992: Counter-narcotic
s operations off the South American coast. The USS Kidd transited the Panama Canal
on 8 November 1992. During this mission, she patrolled Latin American waters as a deterrent to smugglers of illegal contraband. A detachment from the Anti-Submarine Light Helicopter Squadron 34 (HSL-34) was carried on this cruise.
December 1992: The USS Kidd was awarded her sixth Battle Efficiency "E". Admiral Isaac Kidd, Jr., USN(Ret.) presented this award to the crew at a pierside ceremony.
October 1994: The USS Kidd is assigned to Carrier Task Force 60 (CTF-60), forming around the . During this period, the task force provided support of the naval weapons and ammunition embargo
of the war-torn republics of the former Yugoslavia
("Operation Sharpguard"), the enforced no-fly zone
over the area (Operation Deny Flight
), and air drops of humanitarian aid to the residents of the city of Sarajevo
("Operation Provide Promise
").
1996: The USS Kidd was in the Caribbean on counter-narcotics patrols, under the command of Commander John J. Decavage. During this deployment,
16 April 1997: Port visit three-day port visit to Boston, Massachusetts, to coincide with the 100th running of the Boston Marathon
. From there, she moved southward to Port-au-Prince
, Haiti, for a community relations project before assuming drug interdiction duties in the Caribbean. She transited the Panama Canal
to the Eastern Pacific on 30 April. Following another transit of the Canal and a brief stop in Charleston, South Carolina
, the USS Kidd ended her final deployment in Norfolk on 1 June 1997.
12 March 1998: The USS Kidd was decommissioned for placement into storage as a reserve warship on 12 March 1998, at Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia
. Present at this decommissioning ceremony were several of Admiral Isaac Kidd's surviving family members, including his son, Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, Jr.
, USN (Ret.). The USS Kidd's last American Commanding Officer was Commander Thomas R. Andress, USN.
, a Kee Lung-class guided-missile destroyer currently in active service of Republic of China Navy
. She was formally commissioned at the Su-ao
Naval Base in northeastern Taiwan on 2006-11-03, along with her sister ship, the ROCS Ma Kong
. Due to her somewhat run-down condition from her storage, she was the third former USS Kidd-class vessel commissioned by ROCN.
The Tso Ying is named after the largest naval base in Taiwan, the Tso Ying Naval Base in the Tsoying District, Kaohsiung
, of southern Taiwan. The Tso Ying Naval Base is also the location of the Republic of China's naval academy and fleet headquarters.
Kidd class destroyer
The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role...
of 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...
s operated by the U.S. 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...
. Derived from the Spruance class
Spruance class destroyer
The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s....
, these vessels were designed for air defense in hot weather. The vessel was the second named after Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Isaac C. Kidd
Isaac C. Kidd
Isaac Campbell Kidd was an American Rear Admiral in the United States Navy who was killed on the bridge of the during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was the father of Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, Jr.. He was a posthumous recipient of his nation's highest military honor — the Medal of...
, who was aboard the during the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, and was the first American flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
to die in World War II.
Originally named Kouroush, the ship was ordered by the Shah of Iran
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
, but was undelivered when the 1979 Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
occurred. Subsequent to this, the U.S. Navy elected to commission the Kidd class for service in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and Mediterranean, as they were equipped with heavy-duty air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
and were also well suited to filtering sand and the results from NBC warfare. Kidd-class ships were known in the fleet informally as the "Ayatollah" or "dead admiral" class.
History
Warship 27 June 1981: Commissioned in Pascagoula, MississippiPascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
.
8 December 1982: Deployed to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean under the command of Commander William J. Flanagan. While in the Mediterranean Sea, the USS Kidd visited the ports of Palma
Palma
Palma, La Palma, Palmas, or Las Palmas may refer to:- Africa :* Palma, Mozambique, city* La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, Spain* Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, city and capital of Canary Islands, Spain...
, Spain; Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon; and Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, Italy. She visited the ports of Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, Sri Lanka, and Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, Kenya, while on station in the Indian Ocean before returning to the Mediterranean and calling on Benidorm
Benidorm
Benidorm is a coastal town and municipality located in the comarca of Marina Baixa, in the province of Alicante, Valencian community, Spain, by the Western Mediterranean....
, Spain. The deployment ended with her return to Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
on 2 June 1983. In September 1983, the Kidd was awarded the Battle Efficiency "E".
16 February 1984: The USS Kidd left Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, to participate in battle-readiness maneuvers as part of Operation United Effort. She returned home to Norfolk on 29 April.
12 March 1985: READEX 1–85, with Commander Fred Moosally
Fred Moosally
Fred P. Moosally is a former Captain in the United States Navy. During his naval career, Moosally served in many different assignments, including commander of a destroyer and the battleship USS Iowa...
in command. She conducted Caribbean operations from 28 March to 6 April, before anchoring at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Following a transit of the Atlantic Ocean, she passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on 17 April. While in the Mediterranean, the USS Kidd called on the ports of Taormina
Taormina
Taormina is a comune and small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy, in the Province of Messina, about midway between Messina and Catania. Taormina has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th century...
, Sicily, and Gaeta
Gaeta
Gaeta is a city and comune in the province of Latina, in Lazio, central Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is 120 km from Rome and 80 km from Naples....
and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy.
30 May 1985: U.S. Sixth Fleet operations in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
through 3 June. The USS Kidd cut short a port visit to Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Israel, on 16 June in response to the TWA Flight 847
TWA Flight 847
TWA Flight 847 was an international Trans World Airlines flight which was hijacked by Lebanese Shia extremists, later identified as members of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, on Friday morning, June 14, 1985, after originally taking off from Cairo. The flight was en route from Athens to Rome and then...
aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
. She returned to Haifa on 15 July before visiting Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt, and Constanța
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, Romania. Black Sea operations continued with the Sixth Fleet in August. The Kidd called on Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey, before returning to Naples, Italy. She conducted operations in the Western Mediterranean with the through September. Calling on Benidorm, Spain, she then passed through the Straits of Gibraltar again on 20 September. After visiting Rota, Spain
Rota, Spain
-External references:*, official website * On-line since 1999! News, premiere information, pictures, weather, etc. Into Spanish, English... ****- External links :...
, the Kidd crossed the Atlantic under the power of her gas-turbine engines, arriving in Norfolk. and ending her deployment on 2 October 1985.
September 1987: The USS Kidd was awarded her third Battle Efficiency "E" award while deployed as part of the Middle East Force 3–87. She departed Norfolk on 6 June 1987, returning to port on 4 December 1987. During the operations in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, from about 4 July to 2 October, the Kidd led the first ten convoys of Kuwaiti tankers which were reflagged with American flags. This reflagging was in response to Iranian threats to close the Persian Gulf shipping lanes, through which more than 50% of the world's oil ourput passes.
9 January 1991: The USS Kidd departed from Norfolk, bound for the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, along with the , in support of Operation Desert Storm. The Kidd faced several roles while operating in the Persian Gulf, among them the location and destruction of naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s and maritime interdiction force operations. To assist in these duties, a detachment from Anti-Submarine Light Helicopter Squadron 34 (HSL-34) was embarked. The "Green Checkers" came aboard with two SH-2 helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s which were used early on in SSSC missions – flying beyond the visual horizon of this warship to visually observe all radar contacts on the surface. In early April, two U.S. Army OH-58 AHIPS helicopters were embarked, giving a total of four helicopters embarked on board the Kidd at one time.
December 1991: The USS Kidd was again awarded the Battle Efficiency "E", this time for excellence during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
October 1992: Counter-narcotic
Narcotic
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...
s operations off the South American coast. The USS Kidd transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
on 8 November 1992. During this mission, she patrolled Latin American waters as a deterrent to smugglers of illegal contraband. A detachment from the Anti-Submarine Light Helicopter Squadron 34 (HSL-34) was carried on this cruise.
December 1992: The USS Kidd was awarded her sixth Battle Efficiency "E". Admiral Isaac Kidd, Jr., USN(Ret.) presented this award to the crew at a pierside ceremony.
October 1994: The USS Kidd is assigned to Carrier Task Force 60 (CTF-60), forming around the . During this period, the task force provided support of the naval weapons and ammunition embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
of the war-torn republics of the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
("Operation Sharpguard"), the enforced no-fly zone
No-fly zone
A no-fly zone is a territory or an area over which aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in a military context, somewhat like a demilitarized zone in the sky, and usually prohibit military aircraft of a belligerent nation from operating in the region.-Iraq,...
over the area (Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
), and air drops of humanitarian aid to the residents of the city of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
("Operation Provide Promise
Operation Provide Promise
Operation Provide Promise was a humanitarian relief operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav Wars, from 2 July 1992, to 9 January 1996, which made it the longest running humanitarian airlift in history....
").
1996: The USS Kidd was in the Caribbean on counter-narcotics patrols, under the command of Commander John J. Decavage. During this deployment,
16 April 1997: Port visit three-day port visit to Boston, Massachusetts, to coincide with the 100th running of the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
. From there, she moved southward to Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti, for a community relations project before assuming drug interdiction duties in the Caribbean. She transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
to the Eastern Pacific on 30 April. Following another transit of the Canal and a brief stop in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, the USS Kidd ended her final deployment in Norfolk on 1 June 1997.
12 March 1998: The USS Kidd was decommissioned for placement into storage as a reserve warship on 12 March 1998, at Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Present at this decommissioning ceremony were several of Admiral Isaac Kidd's surviving family members, including his son, Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, Jr.
Isaac C. Kidd, Jr.
Isaac Campbell Kidd, Jr. was an American Admiral in the United States Navy who served as the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO's Atlantic Fleet, and also as commander in chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet from 1975 to 1978. He was the son of Rear Admiral Isaac C...
, USN (Ret.). The USS Kidd's last American Commanding Officer was Commander Thomas R. Andress, USN.
Current status
The vessel has been renamed the ROCS Tso YingROCS Tso Ying (DDG-1803)
ROCS Tso Ying is a guided-missile destroyer currently in active service of Republic of China Navy. It was formally commissioned at Suao Naval Base in northeastern Taiwan on 3 November 2006 along with sister ship . Tso Ying is named after the largest naval base in Taiwan, the Tso Ying Naval Base...
, a Kee Lung-class guided-missile destroyer currently in active service of Republic of China Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...
. She was formally commissioned at the Su-ao
Su-ao, Yilan
Su-ao , located in southern Yilan County, Taiwan, is an urban township that is famous for its seafood restaurants and cold springs. It is the destination of National Highway No. 5, Su-ao-Hualian Express Way, and North-Link Line of Taiwan Railway Administration...
Naval Base in northeastern Taiwan on 2006-11-03, along with her sister ship, the ROCS Ma Kong
ROCS Ma Kong (DDG-1805)
ROCS Ma Kong is a guided-missile destroyer currently in active service of Republic of China Navy.She was formerly the American which was decommissioned from the United States Navy in September 1999 and sold to the Republic of China Navy on 30 May 2003.- External links :*...
. Due to her somewhat run-down condition from her storage, she was the third former USS Kidd-class vessel commissioned by ROCN.
The Tso Ying is named after the largest naval base in Taiwan, the Tso Ying Naval Base in the Tsoying District, Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, of southern Taiwan. The Tso Ying Naval Base is also the location of the Republic of China's naval academy and fleet headquarters.