Officially, the three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are anchored off Venezuela on a “counter-narcotics” mission—but that mission set could be a catch-all term for other military activities.
During his election campaign in 2024, President Donald Trump made it clear that he intended to refocus US foreign and national security policy away from America’s more peripheral interest—namely the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East—and towards the Western Hemisphere. In keeping with this claim, Trump has worked assiduously to reset trade relations with Canada, has spoken openly about acquiring Greenland, and has speculated about returning control of the Panama Canal Zone to the United States.
Whatever one thinks of these ideas, it is clear that there is one strategic bugaboo in the Western Hemisphere that ought to take precedence: the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, led by the tyrannical regime of socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro.
How Far Venezuela Has Fallen
Under the leadership of Hugo Chavez—the namesake of “Chavismo,” the political ideology that has governed the country since the late president won control of Venezuela in 2002—and right hand man-turned-successor Maduro, Venezuela has collapsed from a prosperous and oil-rich nation into a failed state. As the country’s fortunes have plunged, the Maduro regime has resorted to narco-terrorism in order to keep itself afloat. Accordingly, Venezuela, once a Cuba-esque minor irritant for the United States, has become the greatest destabilizer in the Western Hemisphere. With concerns about the insecurity of America’s southwestern border, as illicit narcotics, human trafficking, and illegal arms flow northward from Latin America into the United States through that broken border, the Trump administration is rightly blaming Caracas for many of these issues.
Venezuela is not going to reform itself—not so long as the Chavismo regime dominates there. So the Trump administration is pouring massive military resources into the United States’ Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of operation. US Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance planes, thousands of US Marines, an amphibious landing ship, the USS Iwo Jima are reportedly underway, along with three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (the USS Gravely, DDG-107, USS Jason Dunham, DDG-109, and USS Sampson, DDG-102) set to join these forces deployed to coast of Venezuela.
While officially framed as an anti-narcotics effort, the presence of these advanced warships near Venezuelan shores has prompted responses from Maduro, including militia mobilization, raising questions about the specter of broader US military operations directed against the regime in Caracas.
The Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer: The Backbone of the US Navy
- Year Introduced: 1991
- Number Built: 74
- Length: 505-510 ft, depending on variant
- Beam (Width): 66 ft
- Displacement: 9,000 tons
- Engines: Four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines (26,250 bhp each)
- Top Speed: ~30 knots (35 mph)
- Range: ~4,400 nmi (5,100 mi)
- Armaments: 5-inch Mk 45 gun; Harpoon anti-ship missiles; Aegis Combat System; Mk 45 or 46 torpedoes; Tomahawk cruise missiles (96 VLS cells)
- Crew: 303-323, depending on variant
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are one of the most important platforms in the US Navy’s surface warfare fleet. With 74 ships in service since the first was commissioned in 1991, these warships are named after legendary US Navy Admiral Arleigh Burke and were designed for multi-mission operations. In fact, these ships excel in anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and ballistic missile defense (BMD).
The Aegis Combat System, this is probably the most important feature of this warship class. It features an integrated radar and weapons control platform that provides 360-degree surveillance and engagement capabilities. The AN/SPY-1D(V) radar can track literally hundreds of targets at once from over 200 miles away, making these ships perfect vessels for providing the outer ring of protection around a US Navy’s aircraft carrier strike group…or, perhaps, for amphibious forces needing defense against aerial threats
For offensive strikes, the Arleigh Burke-class comes equipped with up to 96 VLS cells, capable of firing Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles with a range of over 1,000 miles. These missiles enable precision strikes on ground targets, such as command centers or airfields, without risking aircraft.
Defending the warship is an impressive Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) for point defense against missiles and drones, as well as EW suites like the SLQ-32 for jamming enemy radars. Advanced variants, like those in Flight IIA—which includes the warships recently deployed to Venezuela—feature improved ballistic missile defense (BMD) with SM-3 missiles that can intercept ballistic missile threats in mid-course flight.
These capabilities make Arleigh Burke-class destroyers extremely versatile assets in modern naval warfare. In the context of Venezuela, where the Maduro regime maintains alliances with Russia, China, and Iran, and possesses Russian-supplied S-300 air defense systems and Sukhoi fighters, these destroyers provide a formidable deterrent. Venezuela’s military, though weakened by sanctions, includes submarines and coastal defenses, posing risks to US operations. Although, the risks that Venezuela’s paltry military offers are almost comical—which is why three destroyers pose such a threat to the country’s armed forces.
What Might a War with Venezuela Look Like?
If the Trump administration decided to launch a military incursion into Venezuela, what would the Arleigh Burke-class’s role actually look like? One hypothetical scenario could go as follows.
First, the destroyers’ Aegis systems would establish air superiority by neutralizing the few Venezuelan warplanes still airworthy, as well as targeting any missiles that would threaten the ships or friendly forces operating nearby. These actions by the warships would be the main step toward establishing overall dominance and protecting amphibious landings by US forces onto Venezuela’s shores.
Next, the destroyers’ Tomahawk cruise missiles would target key infrastructure, like oil facilities or military bases—disrupting Maduro’s command and control without a full invasion.
Following that, the destroyers would easily counter Venezuela’s miniscule submarine force by using helicopters and torpedoes to secure sea lanes for those amphibious assaults on Venezuelan territory. The warships’ speed and endurance—of up to 4,400 nautical miles at 20 knots—allow for sustained patrols, intercepting drug shipments or blocking Venezuelan reinforcements.
As part of a larger force, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, these destroyers would provide escort and fire support for Marine landings, using their guns and missiles to suppress shore defenses. In a non-kinetic scenario, their presence alone enhances intelligence gathering via radars and signals intelligence, while deterring aggression through constant shows of force.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers deployed to Venezuela are not just going for a show of force. At the very least, they will be used as part of a massive counter-narcotics operation. But it is quite possible that the “counter-narcotics” mission set is a catch-all term, also perhaps including military action against the Venezuelan regime itself.
There has been much talk about the need to replace the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with newer systems, given the growing threat that near-peer competitors like China and Russia are posing to the US military. In the case of Venezuela, however, if Trump authorized military action against the Maduro regime, these boats would annihilate the impoverished Venezuelan military.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock.
