The guided missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) departed Naval Station Everett March 21 for the first time since July 2014 to complete type commander (TYCOM) sea trials.
Following a ten and a half month deployment in 2013 and an eight-month maintenance availability period in 2014-2015, the crew was both eager and anxious to head back out to sea.
For the sea trials underway period, Shoup embarked staff from Commander Naval Surface Forces U.S. Pacific Fleet and Destroyer Squadron 9 to observe a multitude of events.
In order to certify that Shoup was ready to enter the basic phase of training, a variety of checks were demonstrated during the one week underway period off the coast of Washington. TYCOM sea trials provided the opportunity for a large portion of the crew to participate in and observe events they had not seen or done yet.
These events included a full power run followed by a crash back, crew-served weapons qualification shoots, calibration firing for the Mk 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, and testing Shoup’s multi-function towed array.
Following sea trials, Shoup now enters the basic phase of its training cycle which is a strenuous period of training to prepare the ship and crew for deployed operations.
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Image: US Navy