The USS Spruance (DD-963), named after Admiral Raymond Spruance,
was the lead ship of the Spruance-class of destroyers. This class
of vessel was designed as an anti-submarine warfare destroyer, and
they were the first U.S. Navy ships to be powered by gas turbines.
DD-963 was commissioned on 20 September 1975 and it had a
displacement of 8040 tons. The USS Spruance ranged far and wide,
and some of its many duties included observing the Iran-Iraq War, a
maritime blockade of Iraq, a UN mission in Haiti, and hurricane
relief in Florida. The USS Spruance was decommissioned in 2005,
before being sunk as a target for air-launched Harpoon missiles in
December 2006.
Dragon has previously released a 1/700 scale kit of the USS
Spruance class, but the kit has now been completely overhauled and
refitted. After intensive work, it has been relaunched as a Premium
Edition kit. This means all the accuracy and detail of the original
kit has been retained, while new photo-etched parts to replicate
the deck railings, radars, masts and etc. Dragon’s engineers have
been careful to ensure the kit remains convenient to assemble, all
the time maximizing the amount of detail on offer to discerning
modelers. This enhanced Premium Edition kit is ready again to
commence any mission assigned to it by modelers!
