USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53)

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Career (US)	Image:Naval Jack of the United States.svg <tr valign=top><td>Ordered:</td><td>25 September 1987</td></tr>
Image:USS John Paul Jones DDG-53.jpg USS John Paul Jones in the Persian Gulf
Laid down:	8 August 1990
Launched:	26 October 1991 <tr valign=top><td>Commissioned:</td><td>18 December 1993</td></tr>
Status:	Active in service as of 2006. <tr valign=top><td>Homeport:</td><td>San Diego, California</td></tr>
General Characteristics
Displacement:	Light: approx. 6,794.38 tons Full: approx. 8,885.66 tons
Length:	505 ft (153.9 m)
Beam:	66 ft (20.1 m) <tr valign=top><td>Draught:</td><td>31 ft (9.4 m)</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Propulsion:</td><td>4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, two shafts, 100,000 total shaft horsepower (75 MW)</td></tr>
Speed:	30+ knots (56+ km/h) <tr valign=top><td>Range:</td><td>4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots (8,100 km at 37 km/h)</td></tr>
Complement:	23 officers, 300 enlisted <tr valign=top><td>Armament:</td><td>1 × 32 cell, 1 × 64 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems with 90 × RIM-67 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc missiles 1 × 5/54 in (127/54 mm) 2 × 25 mm 4 × 12.7 mm guns 2 × 20mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × Mk 46 triple torpedo tubes </td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Aircraft carried:</td><td>1 SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter can be embarked</td></tr><tr valign=top><td>Motto:</td><td>In Harm's Way</td></tr>

USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) is the third Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer and the first ship of the class homeported on the west coast. The mission of John Paul Jones is to conduct prompt and sustained operations at sea in support of U.S. national interests. John Paul Jones is capable of operating independently, as an element of a coordinated force, or as the nucleus of a surface action group, and to direct and coordinate anti-air, surface, undersea, and strike warfare operations. The ship is named in honor of Naval hero, John Paul Jones, and derives her motto from a famous quote of his, "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm's way."

In order to successfully conduct this mission, John Paul Jones has been fitted with the latest weapons, engineering, and damage control systems. The AEGIS Weapons system is the most advanced air defense network in the world. John Paul Jones is capable of conducting both offensive and defensive operations using Tomahawk and Harpoon cruise missiles, standard missiles, CIWS, and 5 inch (127 mm) gun. The ARLEIGH BURKE Class is the first class of U.S. warships to be fitted with an integrated Chemical, Biological and Radiological defense system.

USS John Paul Jones was selected as the Shock Trial platform for the DDG-51 Class. The ship was subjected to a series of close range explosions in order for the Navy to obtain critical information concerning the survivability of the DDG-51 class in a shock environment. The crew prepared the ship for the most demanding and complex surface ship shock trial test in the history of the Navy. The ship has completed four deployments to the Persian Gulf.

On March 13th, 2006, the John Paul Jones was named an honorary flagship for the upcoming search for the remains of the original Bonhomme Richard. The current amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard was also named an honorary flagship.

See USS John Paul Jones for other ships of this name.