USS Sterett DLG 31 – History of the Belknap-Class Guided Missile Frigate & Navy Decals
USS Sterett (DLG 31): Cold War Guardian of the Fleet
USS Sterett (DLG 31) was one of the U.S. Navy's most capable guided missile escorts of the Cold War era — a sleek, fast warship built to protect carrier battle groups from air, surface, and submarine threats. For the men who served aboard her, she was home, and her hull number is a badge of honor.
Ship History
USS Sterett was commissioned on April 8, 1967, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. She was a Belknap-class guided missile frigate (later reclassified as a cruiser), armed with Terrier surface-to-air missiles, ASROC anti-submarine rockets, and a 5-inch gun.
Sterett compiled an impressive operational record:
- Vietnam War — Deployed to the Gulf of Tonkin, providing naval gunfire support and air defense for carrier operations. In 1972, she shot down two North Vietnamese MiG aircraft — a rare surface-to-air missile kill in combat.
- Cold War patrols — Operated extensively in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, shadowing Soviet naval forces and protecting U.S. carrier groups.
- Operation Desert Shield/Storm (1990–1991) — Deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of the coalition naval force.
She was decommissioned on November 20, 1994, after 27 years of distinguished service. Her MiG kills in 1972 remain one of the most remarkable combat achievements by a U.S. surface warship in the modern era.
Hull Number Explained
DLG 31 designates:
- DL — Frigate (destroyer leader, in the original Cold War classification)
- G — Guided missile armed
- 31 — Her hull number
In 1975, the Navy reclassified DLGs as cruisers, and Sterett became CG 31 — though many veterans still proudly use her original DLG 31 designation.
Shop USS Sterett (DLG 31 / CG 31) Products
Honor the ship that shot down MiGs: