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The following was released by the Office of the Assistant to the
Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs):

                                           No. 421-94
                                           (703)697-5342(media)
                                           (703)697-3189(copies)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE      July 14, 1994       (703)697-
                                           5737(public/industry)

   NAVY TO CHRISTEN GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER STETHEM (DDG 63)

     A christening ceremony will be held for the U.S. Navy's
newest guided missile destroyer Stethem (DDG 63) on Saturday,
July 16, 1994, at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi,
commencing at 10 a.m.

     Stethem (DDG 63) is named in honor of Petty Officer Second
Class Robert Dean Stethem (1961-1985), awarded a posthumous
Bronze Star for heroism exhibited when he and the passengers and
crew of Trans World Airlines Flight 847 were taken hostage at
Athens, Greece, on June 14, 1985.

     Patricia Stethem, mother of the ship's namesake, is the
ship's sponsor.  She will break a bottle of champagne over the
bow and formally name the ship, in the age old Navy tradition.

     Former Ambassador Robert Oakley will be the ceremony's
principal speaker.  Oakley served as the President's Special
Envoy for Somalia from December 1992 until March 1993.

      Stethem is the 13th of 29 Arleigh Burke Class ships
currently authorized by Congress.   These multi-mission ships are
equipped with the Navy's modern Aegis combat weapons system,
which combines space-age communication, radar and weapons
technologies in a single platform for unlimited flexibility.
These new destroyers will replace older, less capable ships that
are being taken out of service as the Navy reduces spending while
maintaining quality as part of our overall plan to recapitalize
the fleet.  These versatile ships are designed to operate
independently or in support of aircraft carrier and amphibious
operations.

     Stethem is equipped to carry Standard surface-to-air
missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from forward and
aft vertical launching systems; two fully automated, radar
controlled Phalanx close-in weapon systems; Harpoon anti-ship
missiles; one five-inch gun and electronic warfare systems.  The
ship is 505 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 66 feet and
displaces approximately 8,422 tons fully loaded.  The ship will
have a crew of 26 officers, 24 chief petty officers, and 291
enlisted personnel.
                               -USN-