Self Defense Test Ship

The Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) is one of the assets of the US Navy. It is a refurbished ship that is in some cases operated by remote control; that capability is designed to support self-defense engineering, testing, and evaluation.

USS Decatur (DDG-31) as Self Defense Test Ship, in 2003.

The US Navy Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) - Formerly the USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964) moored at Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme, CA in 2014

When unmanned, it can avoid the safety constraints and other problems associated with manned ships. During typical operations, launched threats attack the ship, and the combat or weapon system being tested responds to these threats, defending the ship. The pre-arranged attack is, in practice, aimed at a decoy barge pulled 150 feet behind the SDTS in case of damage. Systems installed on the SDTS include MK 57 NATO Sea Sparrow, MK 23 Target Acquisition system, Rolling Airframe Missile, AN/SLQ-32(V) 3 ESM, and Phalanx Close-in Weapon System.[1]

The current SDTS is the former USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964), now known as Ex-Paul F. Foster. In addition to being a remote-controlled ship, she is a test-bed for numerous systems, technologies, and weapons, ranging from bio-fuels to lasers. She replaced the former USS Decatur (DDG-31) in 2003.[2]

References

1. Global Security information
2. NSWC Port Hueneme Welcomes New Self Defense Test Ship
   - New SDTS