USS Cole (DDG-67) is a modern American missile destroyer, the keel of which was laid in 1994, the launch took place in February 1995, and entry into service with the US Navy took place in 1996. The total length of the ship is 154 meters and 20 meters wide. Full displacement is around 9,000 tons and the maximum speed is just over 30 knots. The destroyer is armed with: 2 VLS Mk. 41 - one 29-rail and one 61-rail, 2 quad Harpoon rocket launchers, a single 127mm Mark 45 cannon or two 20mm Vulcan Phalanx kits. The ship may operate with the use of in-flight helicopters, eg the Sikorsky MH-60R.
USS Cole (DDG-67) is one of 65 active service destroyers belonging to the Arleigh Burke class. Units of this type were designed, were and are being built as multi-role destroyers, in which, however, special emphasis was placed on countering air targets. In the construction of these ships, the British experience from the Falklands war was used, and as a result, Kevlar armor was added to the most viable parts of ships of this class. At the same time, the Arleigh Burke-class ships have the revolutionary AEGIS network combat system, cooperating with the AN / SPY-1 radar, which provides them with unprecedented possibilities to control the airspace and counter air targets. This is the same system used on the Ticonderoga-class cruisers. One of the units of this class is the USS Cole (DDG-67). The ship was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The unit was built to the Flight I standard. The USS Cole, shortly after entering service, was subjected to a terrorist attack on October 12, 2000 in Yemen. The attack was organized by al-Qaeda and resulted in the deaths of 17 US Navy sailors. The attack damaged the destroyer so seriously that repairs lasted for several months. The unit only returned to the line in 2002. After the attack, the unit took part in many sea maneuvers, for example as part of COMPUTEX or BALTOPS exercises. In 2017, the unit operated in the Yemen region. USS Cole remains on active duty.