USS Spruance

Spruance was the first of a highly successful class of anti-submarine warfare destroyers and the first gas turbine powered destroyer in the US Navy. Initially armed with an 8-cell NATO Sea Sparrow missile launcher for nominal air defense she received the VLS (Vertical Launch System) in the late 1980s; replacing the old Mk 16 ASROC launcher. Scale: 1:144
Size of Model: 1200mm x 116mm x 416mm
Material: Fiberglass Hull, resin & metal parts
Drive System: 2 x 480 motors, 2 x shaft & brass propellers
R/C system: 2 channel Radio Controller with one Servo, ESC (80A) Spruance's first operational deployment was in October of 1979 to the Mediterranean Sea, with Saratoga Battle Group. Other ships she sailed with included Biddle, Conyngham, Milwaukee, and Mount Baker. During this cruise, Spruance made a transit into the Black Sea to conduct surveillance on the new Soviet helicopter carrier, Moskva, as it sailed from its building shipyard to the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet. Spruance suffered a casualty to one of her LM-2500 Gas Turbine Main Engines and had to replace the engine while deployed. This was done successfully in port.

Spruance, being the first gas turbine powered ship in the operational fleet, had a underway replenishment breakaway flag (flown while pulling away from receiving supplies and fuel from a logistics ship at sea) that was a replication of the large yellow warning seen on the side of aircraft carrier superstructures, with red block letters saying "BEWARE JET BLAST" on a large yellow background. Upon "breaking" (unfurling) the flag on the halyards, they would play the "Star Wars" theme music as they increased speed and sailed ahead of the logistics vessel.Spruance deployed for a six month period on January 1983 to the Arabian Sea where she spent over four and a half months conducting observations during the Iraq-Iran War.