The USS Cole is a four-year-old ship equipped with the US navy's most advanced radar and computerised air defence system.
The Virginia-based ship was on its way to the Gulf as part a naval battle group led by the aircraft carrier, USS George Washington.
It made what was supposed to be a routine four- or five-hour stop in the port of Aden to refuel before traveling on to Bahrain. The Cole had been scheduled to take part in a maritime interdiction operation in the Gulf aimed at enforcing UN sanctions against Iraq.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is one of the most sophisticated warships in the US fleet.
It is equipped with a computerised Aegis air defence system and phased array radars that enable it to track and target 100 targets simultaneously. It also is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles for strikes over long distances.
The ship is 170 metres (505 ft) long, weighs 8,300 tonnes, and carries a crew of about 320 sailors.