USS Russell: Arleigh Burke-Class Guided-Missile Destroyer

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]The USS [music] Russell, DDG 59, is a Flight I Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer commissioned in 1993.

[00:00:12]It is 505 ft long, displaces over [music] 8,300 tons, and can reach speeds above 30 knots.

[00:00:20]The Russell is heavily armed for multi-mission [music] operations.

[00:00:24]It carries a 5-in/54-calibre Mark 45 lightweight gun for surface and shore bombardment, two [music] Phalanx close-in weapon systems for point defense against missiles and aircraft, and two 25-mm [music] Mark 38 machine guns.

[00:00:43]For anti-ship capability, it has two Mark 141 Harpoon missile [music] launchers.

[00:00:50]Its primary offensive and defensive punch comes from 90 vertical launch system [music] cells that can fire standard surface-to-air missiles, Tomahawk land-attack missiles, and ASROC anti-submarine rockets.

[00:01:04]It also carries two triple Mark 32 torpedo [music] tubes for Mark 46 torpedoes.

[00:01:11]The ship features a helicopter landing pad and LAMPS III electronics, allowing it to operate [music] the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter for anti-submarine warfare, >> [music] >> search and rescue, and over-the-horizon targeting.

[00:01:27]While Flight I destroyers [music] originally did not have a hangar, the Russell's flight deck enables coordinated helicopter operations that greatly extend its sensor and weapon reach.

[00:01:39]As part of the US Pacific Fleet, the Russell has conducted numerous deployments [music] supporting freedom of navigation, maritime security, and strike operations [music] throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

[00:01:52]Its combination of Aegis Combat System, layered air defense, long-range strike capability, and helicopter [music] operations makes it one of the most versatile and powerful surface combatants in the world.

[00:02:06]The Russell plays [music] a critical role in protecting sea lanes, deterring aggression, and supporting carrier strike groups, or operating independently when needed.

[00:02:17]>> [music] >> Its proven reliability and multi-mission flexibility continue to make [music] it a vital asset for US naval operations across the Pacific.

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