The warships built for a Shah, then reclaimed by the United States

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Originally commissioned for the Imperial Iranian Navy, these advanced destroyers were left adrift by revolution. Instead of being scrapped, they became a vital component of the U.S. Navy's fleet, eventually finding a second life protecting the waters of Taiwan.

The Kidd-class destroyers were born from a cancelled geopolitical ambition. In the early 1970s, the last Shah of Iran ordered six advanced, multi-purpose ships designed to provide air defence in the Persian Gulf. However, the 1979 Iranian Revolution halted the contracts. Following official cancellations in March 1979, the United States Navy integrated the remaining four vessels into its own fleet between 1981 and 1982. The original order for these vessels was reduced from six to four ships after the U.S. Congress decided not to stop the broader Spruance production run. The initial hull numbers for the fleet were tentatively set as DD 993 through DD 998.

While based on the Spruance class, the Kidds were specifically engineered for harsh, hot climates. To operate effectively in the Middle East, engineers added extra dust separators to the gas turbine air intakes, increased water distillation capacity, and installed four air conditioning plants instead of the Spruance's three. These modifications, combined with their enhanced anti-aircraft capabilities via two Tartar-D missile launchers, earned them the nickname 'Ayatollah' class during their U.S. service. The ships also featured the Mark 26/Standard anti-aircraft missile system. This capability allowed for cooperative engagement with Aegis Ticonderoga-class cruisers during the New Threat Upgrade period between 1988 and 1990.

After being decommissioned by the U.S. in the late 1990s, the ships were offered to Australia and Greece, but both nations declined. In 2001, the U.S. authorized their sale to Taiwan. Under the Kuang Hua VII program, the ships were overhauled in South Carolina and transferred to the Republic of China Navy. Now operating as the Kee Lung class, these vessels—renamed after Taiwanese military ports like Kee Lung and Su Ao—continue to serve as a significant pillar of regional maritime defence. The acquisition cost for the fleet, which included hardware upgrades and training, totaled US$732 million. A diminished armament of 32 RGM-84L Block II Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 148 SM-2 Block IIIA is presently held by the ships.

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