She was authorized on 13 September 2002 and was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. The keel was laid down on 4 October 2006 at the company's shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. On 26 January 2008, Dewey was christened in a ceremony in Pascagoula, by Deborah Mullen, the wife of AdmiralMike Mullen.[3]Dewey was commissioned in Seal Beach, California on 6 March 2010, as the 55th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.[3] This is the first ship commissioning for the City of Seal Beach.[4]
2013 documentary short film showing daily life as a sailor aboard USS Dewey.
In April 2013, Dewey was outfitted with a Laser Weapon System (LaWS). This is an experimental weapon which can be used to disable small boats and drones.
On 26 May 2017, Dewey carried out a "freedom of navigation operation" (FONOP) in waters claimed by China in the South China Sea. According to Chinese sources, Dewey was "warned and expelled" from Chinese waters near the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea.[5] According to the US Navy, the FONOP proceeded as planned by peacefully transiting the area, despite verbal challenges and approaches by Chinese vessels.[6]
On 16 June 2017, Dewey got underway to assist USS Fitzgerald after a collision with the Japanese-owned (NYK Line) Philippine-flagged container ship ACX Crystal.[7] On 4 September 2017, she deployed to the Port of Los Angeles as part of the 2017 fleet week activities. In October 2017, Dewey spilled oil near the Tijuana River.[8]
In early 2020 the Optical Dazzling Interdictor laser weapon was installed on Dewey.[9] She was the first ship to receive the new weapons system.[10]
The ship participated in Exercise Malabar 2024 which was held from 8 to 18 October.[11]
Deployments
29 July 2011 – 27 February 2012 Maiden deployment
22 August 2014 – 4 June 2015 West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
^Affairs, by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Richard L. J. Gourley, USS Sterett Public. "USS Dewey Returns to San Diego After Deployment". public.navy.mil. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
