I got a rare tour of USS Farragut, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in the US Navy. Take a look.

• USS Farragut, a guided-missile destroyer, docked in New York City for America’s 250th birthday.
• It wasn’t open to the public, but I was able to join a tour of the ship held for US Navy veterans.
• The tour included the flight deck, forecastle, and aft missile deck.

After the Independence Day parade, the Farragut docked at New York City’s Pier 88, where I boarded the ship.

The aft missile deck featured a larger VLS launcher.

The forward VLS features a 32-cell launcher module, while the aft VLS has 64 cells.

Signs reading “Danger: Missile Blast Area” were posted all over the deck.

The signs were a stark reminder that the Farragut is an active warship with lethal firepower. The ship’s weather decks are closed to crew members for safety during missile launches.

The Close-In Weapon System, or CIWS, serves as the last line of defense against airborne threats.

Pronounced “see-whiz,” CIWS “automatically detects, tracks, and engages” close-range threats that penetrate the ship’s other defenses, according to the US Navy. It has a 20mm cannon and can fire 4,500 rounds per minute.

“It’s usually a bad day if we have to use that,” our guide said.

The aft missile deck provided a better view of the flight deck below, where our tour began.

USS Farragut can carry two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, known as “Romeo” aircraft. These aircraft can hunt for submarines or ferry crew and critical supplies to and from the ship. It’s designed to carry up to five passengers in addition to its flight crew.

Even though it was a rainy day, the Farragut’s deck offered sweeping views of the city and the other international naval ships docked in New York Harbor.

A German Navy frigate, FGS Sachsen, was docked right next to the Farragut and used its flight deck as a bridge for its own gangway — an example of the close relationships between the US Navy and its international allies that all of the ships were there to celebrate.