UPDATE April 26, 2021: The USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) successfully completed sea trials and will continue on its mission.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The USS Vella Gulf is back underway for sea trials after undergoing recent repairs at Naval Station Norfolk.
According to U.S. 2nd Fleet public affairs officials say the sea trials will test the ship’s system efficiency and ensure proficiency at sea after “repairs to a recent engineering casualty.”
The guided-missile destroyer has been under repair since February, according to U.S. Naval Institute News. The repairs were done on tanks and the main reduction gear lube oil system.
The ship initially left for deployment with the IKE Strike Group from Naval Station Norfolk on Feb. 19 only to return a week later on Feb. 26 for technical assessment and repair of a leak in one of the ship’s fuel oil tanks. This was the second deployment in six months for the crew.
The Navy said that the reason for the ship initially returning to homeport Norfolk was due to a fuel leak caused by “single tank corrosion.”
The Vella Gulf left homeport Norfolk in mid-March for an assessment of the recent repairs, then returned after one day of being at sea.
