The Kidd class destroyers (often called the "dead-admiral" class or the "Ayatollah" class) 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 "Dead Admirals" nickname came about because of the USN admirals for whom they are named, all of whom died in combat in the Pacific in World War Two. USS Kidd DDG-993, was named after Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd who died on the bridge of his flagship, USS Arizona on December 7, 1941. USS Callaghan DDG-994, was named after Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan who died at the First Naval Battle of Guadacanal, November 13, 1942, aboard USS San Francisco. USS Scott DDG-995, was named after Rear Admiral Norman Scott, who also died at the First Naval Battle of Guadacanal, aboard USS Atlanta. USS Chandler DDG-996, was named after Rear Admiral Theodore Chandler, who died on January 7, 1945, as a result of burns received from a kamikaze crashing into his flagship, USS Louisville, the previous day.

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 all decommissioned from the U.S. Navy in the late 1990s. They are in the process of being transferred to the Republic of China and expect to be delivered by winter 2005-2006. They were sold for a total price of US$732 million.