USS Winston S. Churchill pictured passing Dover White Cliffs

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) was photographed transiting the English Channel past the White Cliffs of Dover on 17 August 2025.

The U.S. Navy confirmed that the destroyer, part of Carrier Strike Group Twelve, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

The mission is focused on supporting “the warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and defending U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region.”

The passage follows the earlier transit of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the world’s largest aircraft carrier, which serves as the deployed flagship of Carrier Strike Group Twelve. Both vessels entered the North Sea after navigating the Strait of Dover.

The striking image of USS Winston S. Churchill passing one of Britain’s most recognisable landmarks highlighted the ship’s namesake ties to the UK.

The ship

The USS Winston S. Churchill is an Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA Aegis guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy. Built at Bath Iron Works in Maine, construction began in May 1998, and the ship was launched in April 1999 before being commissioned in March 2001 at Norfolk, Virginia. She is named after Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, and is the 18th vessel of her class produced at Bath.

The decision to name the ship was announced by President Bill Clinton in 1995 during a visit to the United Kingdom. Winston S. Churchill became the first destroyer and only the fourth American warship named after a British citizen. She was also the first U.S. ship since 1976 to bear the name of a non-American, though Churchill himself held honorary U.S. citizenship and had American heritage through his mother. Other U.S. warships named for Britons include Alfred, Raleigh, and Effingham, while the frigate Harold E. Holt carried the name of an Australian Prime Minister.

The ship has a unique relationship with the Royal Navy. A Royal Navy officer, usually serving as Navigation Officer, is permanently assigned to her crew. Until 2005 the reciprocal arrangement placed a U.S. officer on HMS Marlborough. In recognition of her namesake, Winston S. Churchill is also the only U.S. Navy vessel permitted to fly a foreign ensign. On ceremonial occasions the Royal Navy’s White Ensign is flown on the port side, with the U.S. flag to starboard, while in normal operations only the U.S. flag is displayed.

Displacing 9,496 long tons at full load, the destroyer measures 509.5 feet in length with a beam of 59 feet and a draft of 31 feet. Powered by four General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines producing 100,000 shaft horsepower, she exceeds 30 knots and carries a crew of 380. Her armament includes a 5-inch Mk 45 naval gun, Phalanx CIWS, Mk 38 machine guns, and .50 calibre weapons. She also fields 96 Mk 41 VLS cells capable of launching Standard surface-to-air missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, ASROC anti-submarine weapons, and ESSMs. Additional capability comes from triple torpedo tubes and two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, making her a versatile multi-role combatant.