U.S DESTROYER USS MAHAN IN PALMA

PALMA
THE American warship USS Mahan put in to the Port of Palma yesterday for a brief visit.
The USS Mahan (DDG-72) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy, and the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name.
She is homeported in Norfolk, Virginia and part of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
Like her predecessors, she is named after Alfred Thayer Mahan, the famous theorist on seapower and on 16 February 2007, Mahan was awarded the 2006 Battle “E” award.

The Battle Efficiency Award, commonly known as the Battle “E” is awarded annually to the small number of U.S. Navy ships, submarines, aviation and other units that win their battle efficiency competition.

The criterion for the Battle Efficiency Award is the overall readiness of the command to carry out its assigned wartime tasks, and is based on a year-long evaluation. The competition for the award is, and has always been, extremely keen.

To win, a ship or unit must demonstrate the highest state of battle readiness.
The United States Navy considers the newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be its most capable and survivable surface combatant. The DDG 51 was the first U.S. Navy ship designed to incorporate shaping techniques to reduce radar cross-section to reduce their detectability and likelihood of being targeted by enemy weapons and sensors.

Originally designed to defend against Soviet aircraft, cruise missiles, and nuclear attack submarines, this higher capability ship is to be used in high-threat areas to conduct antiair, antisubmarine, antisurface, and strike operations. DDG 51s were constructed in flights, allowing technological advances during construction. Flight II, introduced in FY 1992, incorporates improvements to the SPY radar and the Standard missile, active electronic countermeasures and communications.

The USS Mahan is traveling by itself in the Persian Gulf.
It will be patrolling the high seas and could be working with NATO groups for joint force exercises.
The Mahan may also form part of the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group which set sail from the United States earlier this month.