The Kidd class destroyers are a series of vessels based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role.
The vessels were not able to be delivered before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, so they were instead commissioned in the U.S. Navy. Because they were equipped with heavy-duty air conditioning and other features that made them suitable in hot climates, they tended to be used in the Middle East, specifically the Persian Gulf itself.
They were eventually decommissioned from the U.S. Navy and are in the process of being transferred to the Republic of China. It is not known if all three vessels will enter service, or if one is to be used as spares.