Self Defense Test Ship prepares to restart test and evaluation

The US Navy expects to begin operations again soon with its Self Defense Test Ship shown here. (US Navy)

The US Navy (USN) is set to resume operations with its one-of-a-kind Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) ex -Paul F Foster (EDD 964) after the vessel completed a 14-month Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) for maintenance, repairs, and modernisation.

Announcing the return of the ship in a 9 September media release, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) said that the SDTS would be ready to support test and evaluation requirements from the start of 2026.

Managed and operated by NSWC PHD at Naval Base Ventura County, California, the SDTS provides an at-sea engineering, test and evaluation asset for conducting advanced live-fire weapons evaluation without risk to personnel. The platform – a former Spruance-class destroyer converted for remote operation – has also been used for testing new systems and technologies, such as biofuels.

NSWC PHD awarded BAE Systems' San Diego Ship Repair business a USD22 million firm-fixed-price contract for the SRA back in December 2023. The overhaul, which commenced in April 2024, was originally planned to last eight months, but it took more than a year for the shipyard to complete the work.

While the ship was docked in the BAE Systems Ship Repair shipyard, Southwest Regional Maintenance Center served as Naval Supervisory Authority and led the project management team.