With only thirteen months since the previous deployment, HIGGINS commenced its second deployment on May 6, 2005 in company with the NIMITZ Strike Group. A brief stop at the North Island Naval Weapons Station provided HIGGINS with several new combat capabilities, particularly the new Tactical Tomahawk Cruise Missiles and the High Explosive Electronically Timed (HE-ET) and Kinetic Energy Electronically Timed (KE-ET) 5” projectiles. While the TACTOM missiles significantly enhance HIGGINS’ Strike warfare capabilities, the HE-ET and KE-ET rounds provide the ship more capable defense against an asymmetric surface threat.