It is uncommon to stand beside an operational missile launcher on a commissioned warship. USS Farragut, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that entered service in 2006, joined the largest maritime gathering in American history for the nation's 250th birthday and granted select visitors an inside view of its extensive weapons and sensors.

Arleigh Burke-class ships function as versatile multimission platforms equipped with sophisticated radars, missiles, and cannons capable of striking targets on land, in the air, and across the sea. In 2023 former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro described these destroyers as the core of the surface fleet and one of the Navy's most enduring shipbuilding successes.

The Farragut has sailed with carrier strike groups safeguarding vessels such as USS George H.W. Bush, USS Harry S. Truman, and USS Theodore Roosevelt. During 2024 counter-narcotics patrols in the Caribbean the ship seized more than 44 million dollars worth of cocaine, according to US Naval Forces Southern Command.

I joined the Farragut in New York during July's Sail4th 250 events to examine how the vessel fulfills its motto of being prepared for battle. The following sections describe the areas opened to visitors.

The Farragut acted as the official reviewing warship for the International Naval Review honoring America's 250th birthday. Named after Civil War admiral David Glasgow Farragut, the first officer to hold that rank in the US Navy, the ship recalls his famous command at the 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay. The destroyer stretches 509 feet and six inches in length, carries a crew of roughly 350, and was constructed by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine. It is based at Naval Station Mayport near Jacksonville, Florida. The Pentagon continues ordering these adaptable warships and has requested funding for another valued at 2.5 billion dollars in the next fiscal year. Vice President JD Vance sailed aboard during the July 4 parade of ships in New York Harbor.

After the parade the Farragut tied up at Pier 88 in Manhattan. Although the ship has welcomed the public during Fleet Week in other ports, it did not offer general tours at Sail4th 250. I participated in a private visit arranged for Navy veterans and their families.

The tour opened on the flight deck with a safety and security briefing. The command duty officer cautioned visitors to watch for pipes, cables, junction boxes, and other equipment rising from the deck. He noted that the vessel is built to defend the nation yet remains unforgiving to people. Photography was permitted only on weather decks, and crew members avoided discussing classified equipment.

Next the group moved to the boat deck, where two rigid-hull inflatable boats rest in cradles ready for launch by davits. These craft support man-overboard rescues, personnel transfers, resupply, and boarding operations against other vessels.

On the forecastle the party examined the ship's 5-inch gun. The Mark 45 weapon can deliver up to 20 rounds per minute and fires high-explosive projectiles five inches in diameter. A red-painted circle on the deck marks the danger zone that sailors must avoid when the turret swings during firing or upkeep. The barrel measures 22.5 feet long and can traverse quickly to engage targets.

Light-gray panels mounted on the superstructure behind the gun house the SPY-1 radar, a central component of the Aegis missile-defense system. The radar steers its beams electronically to detect and follow targets at high speed. The Aegis suite, named for the shield of Zeus, can track more than 100 contacts simultaneously and assign weapons to engage them.

Visitors also received a close look at the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System. The cells can fire surface-to-air missiles, rocket-assisted torpedoes for submarine attacks, and Tomahawk cruise missiles for strikes at extended range. Missiles remain sealed in canisters beneath armored deck plates for added protection.

A 2022 training photograph illustrated the forecastle during a live missile launch when the Farragut fired a Standard Missile-2 as part of Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training.

The final stop was the aft missile deck, reached by climbing a steep ladder. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers stand 153 feet tall, so numerous ladders connect the various levels. The aft launcher contains 64 cells compared with the forward module's 32 cells. Warning signs reading Danger Missile Blast Area covered the deck, reminding everyone that the ship carries lethal ordnance. Weather decks are cleared during missile firings for safety.

The Close-In Weapon System, pronounced see-whiz, provides the final layer of protection against incoming threats that evade outer defenses. It mounts a 20-millimeter cannon capable of firing 4,500 rounds per minute and automatically detects, tracks, and engages nearby targets. The guide remarked that activation of the system usually signals a difficult day.

From the aft deck the group enjoyed an improved view of the flight deck where the tour had begun. The Farragut can embark two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, known as Romeo aircraft, for submarine hunting or transport of crew and supplies. Each helicopter can carry up to five passengers besides its flight crew.

Despite steady rain the decks offered broad views of Manhattan and neighboring international warships. A German Navy frigate, FGS Sachsen, lay alongside and used its own flight deck as a walkway, illustrating the close cooperation among allied navies that the gathering was meant to celebrate.