Know More About US Navy Aircraft Destroyers
The US navy is an important part of the US defense. The navy needs various weapons to fulfill its purpose of offering defense to the nation. There are several weapons that are used by the US navy, the aircraft carriers being the most important of them. Second in line to US aircraft carriers are the US navy destroyers. Let us know more about this weapon used by the US navy in detail.

Put in simple words, the primary purpose of US navy destroyers is to offer protection to larger water craft. Since the US navy destroyers are meant to be quick, they do not contain the bulky armor that is present in other navy warfare and aircrafts. While the absence of bulky armor makes the US navy destroyers quick, they also take away the protection that would have otherwise been offered as a result of the armor.

The first US destroyer came into being on December 23, 1903. It was known as USS Brainbridge. This was developed in response to the Spanish destroyers that the US navy had to deal with during the Spanish American war. However, the real destroyers actually came into being during the First World War.

Though they do not offer as much protection as other US navy aircraft, they do serve a wide range of defense purposes. Typically, they are equipped with a wide range of armaments. A 5 inch gun coupled with some of the best anti-submarine weapons is usually included in a destroyer. Some of the weapons used include tartar missiles, anti submarine rockets, terrier and torpedoes. To add on, they are also equipped with Aegis combat system, anti submarine warfare system, Tomhawk missiles, SPY 1 radar and several other such features.

This makes the US navy destroyers apt for dealing with attacks from aircraft, surface ships and other submarines. They can also be used to launch attacks both against sea as well as land enemies. It is for this reason that US navy destroyers are used as integral part of sea warfare. Besides defense and attack, US navy destroyers are also used for search and rescue mission. They are often used to patrol waters.

In the contemporary scenario, the US navy possesses more than 50 US navy destroyers. They are made of steel and make use of gas for propulsion. They resemble the USS Arleigh to a great extent. A length of 5 feet and a height of 59 feet add to their stature. The ideal weight of the US navy destroyers varies from 8,400 to 9,200 tons. They can deliver an ideal speed of 35 miles per hour.

It is needless to say the US navy destroyers serve an important purpose for the US navy.