Page 39: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1980)

FINAL SPRUANCE DD JOINS FLEET —

The 30th and final ship in the original series of jet-powered, multimission Spruance-class destroyers, designed and built by Ingalls

Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries in Pascagoula, Miss., officially entered the

U.S. Navy Fleet in commissioning ceremo- nies July 12. Fletcher (DD-992) will join 14 other ships of the DD-963 class operating with the Pacific Fleet, and will be home- ported in San Diego. Fifteen more of the 7,800-ton, 563-foot-long ships are now oper- ating with the Atlantic Fleet. Comdr. Steven

C. Saulnier accepted command of the Fletch- er. Adm. Harry D. Train II, Commander in

Chief, and Supreme Allied Commander, At- lantic, was the principal speaker. Rear Adm.

Robert B. McClinton, Commandant, Sixth

Naval District, placed the ship in commis- sion. Fletcher is named for Adm. Frank J.

Fletcher, a distinguished World War II car- rier force commander who received the

Navy's three highest awards and acclaim as a brilliant naval strategist in three of the great carrier air and sea battles of World

War II. The Spruance-class ships, largest

U.S. destroyers ever built, are designed pri- marily for antisubmarine warfare. Fast, highly maneuverable and extremely quiet, they are the first major U.S. combat ships to be powered by gas turbine engines. Four marine jet engines produce more than 80,000 shaft horsepower to drive the ships at speeds in excess of 30 knots. $79-Million Jackup Rig

Ordered By Nedlloyd

From Hitachi Zosen

A contract valued at about $79 million for construction of a jackup type drilling rig has been awarded to Hitachi Zosen's Osaka yard by the Dutch shipping group Royal Ned- lloyd. Nedlloyd claims that the rig, which will have four legs for extra stability instead of the usual three, will be the biggest of its type in the world. Much of the design work for the rig was performed by the Nedlloyd group.

The rig will be capable of drilling in water depths up to 164 feet (50 meters), and is designed to withstand waves up to 75 feet (23 meters) high. It will accommodate a crew of about 80 and carry more than 3,000 tons of equipment.

Nederlandse Aardolie Mij, a joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon, will take a 15-year charter on the rig for work in the

Dutch sector of the North Sea up to the 56th parallel.

The rig is scheduled for delivery in late 1981, with operation expected to begin in

May 1982. canalI 57BP

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August 1, 1980 ZIDELL 41