About this Unit
USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964) was a Spruance-class destroyer commissioned into the United States Navy on February 21, 1976. Named in honor of Vice Admiral Paul F. Foster, a Medal of Honor recipient, the ship served in numerous operations, including deployments to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. Throughout its career, Paul F. Foster participated in key missions such as Operation Praying Mantis in 1988, where it engaged Iranian naval forces. After nearly three decades of service, the destroyer was decommissioned on March 27, 2003, and later repurposed as the Navy's Self Defense Test Ship.
Historical Facts
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Namesake Hero: USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964) was named after Vice Admiral Paul Frederick Foster, a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the U.S. intervention at Veracruz, Mexico, in 1914.
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Sprey Class Leader: She was the lead ship of the Spruance-class of destroyers, a revolutionary class built for anti-submarine warfare and general fleet escort duties during the Cold War.
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Innovative Gas Turbine Power: Among the first major U.S. Navy surface warships powered by gas turbine engines, she could accelerate quickly and required fewer crew for engineering.
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Commissioned in 1976: USS Paul F. Foster was commissioned on 21 February 1976 at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in California.
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First Female Surface Warfare Officer: In 1998, Lieutenant Commander Susan Tant became the first woman to command a U.S. Navy combatant ship when she took command of USS Paul F. Foster.
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Operation Praying Mantis: She participated in the 1988 Operation Praying Mantis, the largest surface naval battle for the U.S. since World War II, retaliating against Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf.
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Missile Launch Platform: She was among the first destroyers equipped to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, enhancing her long-range strike capability.
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Decommissioned and Reborn: Decommissioned in March 2003, she wasn't sent for scrap; instead, she was converted into the Navy's Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) for advanced weapons testing.
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Remote-Controlled Ship: As the SDTS, the Paul F. Foster operated unmanned, remotely controlled from ashore or by a skeleton crew, allowing live-fire tests of modern naval defense systems.
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Green Fuel Pioneer: In 2011, she became the first U.S. Navy vessel to run on alternative biofuel as part of the Navy's Great Green Fleet initiative, demonstrating the use of algae-based fuel at sea.
