The USS Winston S Churchill, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer named after British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, has visited Portsmouth.
She’s the only American naval vessel that always includes a Royal Navy officer among her 300-strong crew.
In 1995, during a visit to the United Kingdom, President Bill Clinton announced to Parliament that a new ship would be named after Sir Winston Churchill.
The vessel was the first destroyer and only the fourth United States Navy warship named after a British citizen, and the first since 1975 named after a non-American citizen, though Churchill was an honorary U. citizen and his mother was American.
Since the ship commissioned, five of the Royal Navy’s top young navigators have had the privilege of taking the ship around the world.
White Ensign flies proudly from USS Winston S Churchill. Welcome back to your other homeport #Portsmouth #USNavy @NavyLookout @VAdmJWoodcock pic.twitter.com/4CUSvv5r6g
— Proud of Portsmouth (@PortsmouthProud) October 19, 2017
A wonderful symbol of the ‘special relationship’ although it must be remembered that Churchills mother was an American and on the subject of British PM’s and the US connection, Harold McMillan’s mother was also born in the States-USS Harold McMillan? 🙂
ps If Boris becomes PM then we should remember he was born in the USA as well!!
Boris renounced his US citizenship this year. America rejoiced.
A great ship with a great name.
I wish we had six of these in the UK
Yep.
Absolutely. Unlike Y45 they work and are £250m cheaper
The Aegis system needs a lot more radars than a T45 to do an engagement.
SPY1 to track and mid course guide the missiles .
SPG 62s to target illuminate so the missile can home on the target.
T45 with Sampson does it all in one radar with active terminal homing on the missile.
So you take your choice on which is better…
Aegis has proven it works. Sampson hasn’t
The ASM attack on the USS Mason last October saw the ship launch two Standard Missile-2s (SM-2s) and a single Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) which all missed. So I accept that Sampson is unproven but is Aegis really proven?
The only ASM interception in combat is HMS Gloucester hitting that Silkworm in 1991 which also saw the nearby USS Jarret hit the USS Missouri with three 20mm shells from its Phalanx unit.
HMS Marlborough had a bridge officer swap scheme with USS Winston Churchill. An RN and USN officer was always aboard each others respective vessels.
Had an excellent time in Norfolk with their Chiefs Mess when we visited across the pond in early 2000s.