American guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut steams into Portsmouth

United States Navy, Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer 'USS Farragut' arriving in Portsmouth Harbour at lunchtime on Monday.
Picture: Tony Weaver — United States Navy, Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer 'USS Farragut' arriving in Portsmouth Harbour at lunchtime on Monday. Picture: Tony Weaver

USS Farragut steamed into the city’s harbour earlier today.

The guided-missile destroyer and her 290-strong crew are expected to remain in Portsmouth for a few days.

She is currently part of the The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group which is due to begin operations in the Mediterranean.

Commissioned into the US Navy almost 12 years ago, the 9,200-tonne Arleigh Burke-class has deployed across the globe, including the Gulf, north Atlantic and Mediterranean.

As well as carrying guided missiles, the destroyer is also armed with one five-inch gun, two 25mm Mk 38 machine guns, four .50 cal machine funs, two Mk46 triple torpedo tubes and one 20mm Phalanx close-in weapons system – a weapons system capable of spewing out thousands of rounds a minute to obliterate incoming missiles.

She is fractionally longer than the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers but displaces almost 2,000 extra tonnes.