USS Laboon (DDG-58) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named for Father John Francis Laboon (1921–1988), a captain in the Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy, who was awarded the Silver Star during World War II while serving on the submarine USS Peto.

Laboon‘s keel was laid down in 1992 at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine. She was launched in 1993, and commissioned in 1995.

USS Laboon (DDG-58), one of the most decorated destroyers in the U.S. Navy, has a long and distinguished history of service spanning over 30 years. Since its commissioning in 1993, Laboon has been involved in a variety of missions, including:

• Counter-terrorism operations: Laboon has played a key role in the U.S. Navy’s counter-terrorism efforts since the 9/11 attacks. The ship has participated in numerous operations in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. Laboon has also been deployed to the Caribbean to counter drug trafficking and piracy.

• Expeditionary warfare: Laboon has been involved in several expeditionary warfare operations, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. The ship has provided medical assistance, food, and water to people affected by natural disasters in Haiti, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Laboon has also assisted with search and rescue operations and maritime security operations.

• Supporting maritime security: Laboon has played a key role in supporting maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. The ship has conducted freedom of navigation operations, participated in joint exercises with allies and partners, and helped to deter illegal activities such as piracy and smuggling.

• Counter-proliferation: Laboon has been involved in efforts to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The ship has conducted surveillance operations and provided support to other ships and aircraft involved in WMD counter-proliferation missions.

In addition to these specific missions, USS Laboon has also participated in several general operations, including:

• Supporting carrier strike groups: Laboon has served as an escort ship for aircraft carriers on numerous deployments. The ship has provided air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and other support to the carrier strike group.

• Patrolling international waters: Laboon has patrolled international waters to ensure freedom of navigation and to deter aggression. The ship has also conducted exercises with other navies to promote international cooperation.

• Providing support to amphibious operations: Laboon has supported amphibious operations, including landings and resupply missions. The ship has provided gunfire support, medical assistance, and other support to Marines and sailors.

USS Laboon is a versatile and capable warship that has played a vital role in the U.S. Navy’s mission to protect America and its interests around the world. The ship’s long and distinguished history is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of its crew.

Ship’s history

Laboon‘s keel was laid down on 23 March 1992 at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine. She was launched on 20 February 1993. Laboon was commissioned on 18 March 1995.

In the fall of 1996, she fired Tomahawk missiles at targets in Iraq, thus becoming the first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to engage in combat.

In 1998, Laboon took part in NATO Exercise Dynamic Response 98, together with USS Wasp‘s Amphibious Ready Group.

On 12 September 2012, Laboon was ordered to the coast of Libya in what the Pentagon called a “contingency” in case a strike was ordered. This was in response to the 2012 diplomatic missions attacks.

On 21 June 2015, Laboon entered the Black Sea along with the French ship Dupuy de Lôme as part of NATO’s presence missions following the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. While in the Black Sea, Laboon participated in joint maneuvers with a Romanian Navy Rear-Admiral Eustațiu Sebastian-class corvette for two days beginning on 22 June 2015. On 27 June 2015, Laboon began a two-day visit to the Black Sea port of Batumi, Georgia, to participate in training with the Coast Guard of Georgia and offer tours of the ship.

On 14 April 2018, she fired seven Tomahawk missiles from a position in the Red Sea as part of a bombing campaign in retaliation for the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons against people in Douma.

2023 Israel-Hamas war

On 14 October 2023, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin directed Dwight D. Eisenhower and her carrier strike group, which includes the cruiser Philippine Sea, along with Laboon, and sister-destroyers Mason and Gravely, to the eastern Mediterranean in response to Israel’s war with Hamas. This was the second carrier strike group to be sent to the region in response to the conflict, following Gerald R. Ford and her group, which was dispatched only six days earlier.

On 23 December 2023, while patrolling in the southern Red Sea, Laboon shot down four unmanned aerial attack drones that originated from areas controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and were inbound toward Laboon.

Subsequently, on 14 January 2024, an anti-ship missile fired at Laboon from a Houthi-controlled portion of Yemen was shot down by an American fighter aircraft, according to CENTCOM. 

Awards

• Navy Unit Commendation – (2021 (IKE CSG))

88
Builder	Bath Iron Works
Laid down	23 March 1992
Launched	20 February 1993
Commissioned	18 March 1995
Homeport	Norfolk
Identification	MMSI number: 36690000 Callsign: NJFL Hull number: DDG-58
Motto	Without Fear
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement	Light: approx. 6,800 long tons (6,900 t) Full: approx. 8,900 long tons (9,000 t)
Length	505 ft (154 m)
Beam	59 ft (18 m)
Draft	31 ft (9.4 m)
Propulsion	2 × shafts
Speed	Over 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	33 commissioned officers 38 chief petty officers 210 enlisted personnel
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPY-1D PESA 3D radar (Flight I, II, IIA) AN/SPY-6(V)1 AESA 3D radar (Flight III) AN/SPS-67(V)3 or (V)5 surface search radar (DDG-51 – DDG-118) AN/SPQ-9B surface search radar (DDG-119 onwards) AN/SPS-73(V)12 surface search/navigation radar (DDG-51 – DDG-86) BridgeMaster E surface search/navigation radar (DDG-87 onwards) 3 × AN/SPG-62 fire-control radar Mk 46 optical sight system (Flight I, II, IIA)[1] Mk 20 electro-optical sight system (Flight III)[2] AN/SQQ-89 ASW combat system: AN/SQS-53C sonar array AN/SQR-19 tactical towed array sonar (Flight I, II, IIA) TB-37U multi-function towed array sonar (DDG-113 onwards) AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III shipboard system
Electronic warfare & decoys	AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare suite AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo countermeasures Mk 36 Mod 12 decoy launching systems Mk 53 Nulka decoy launching systems Mk 59 decoy launching systems
Armament	Guns: 1 × 5-inch (127 mm)/54 mk 45 mod 1/2 (lightweight gun) 2 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Phalanx CIWS 2 × 25 mm (0.98 in) Mk 38 machine gun system 4 × 0.50 inches (12.7 mm) caliber guns Missiles: 2 × Mk 141 Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher 1 × 29-cell, 1 × 61-cell (90 total cells) Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS): RIM-66M surface-to-air missile RIM-156 surface-to-air missile BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile RUM-139 vertical launch ASROC Torpedoes: 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes: Mark 46 lightweight torpedo Mark 50 lightweight torpedo Mark 54 lightweight torpedo

References

• This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.