USS Hopper participated in RIMPAC 98 and in August 1998 through February 1999 deployed to WestPac.

From January 11, 2000 thru February 17, 2000 DDG 70 took park in MEFEX 00-2. The ship deployed again to the WestPac in April 2000, returning to port in September 2000.

April 30, 2002 USS Hopper visited Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a brief refueling stop, the first time in more than seven years a U.S. Navy warship has visited this island nation near India. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is currently on a regularly scheduled deployment to the 7th Fleet and 5th Fleet areas of operation.

October 2, DDG 70, commanded by Cmdr. Ken Auten, returned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, after a six-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During the deployment, Hopper sailed over 41,000 nautical miles, qualified 139 Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialists, and served as the "flagship" for the Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) Commanders, conducting numerous queries and boarding procedures in support of United Nations Sanctions. Although the liberty was slim, the crew of USS Hopper did make it to Singapore, Guam, Bahrain, Darwin and Townsville.

November 19, 2003 The guided missile destroyer USS Hopperr arrived at Kiribati for a port visit to this tiny island near Fiji.

June 28, 2004 USS Hopper departed Naval station Pearl Harbor along with the San Diego-based guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) for a six-month deployment to the western Pacific and Central Command areas of responsibility. The ships are is part of the USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3.

Sailors from USS Hopper enjoyed four days of liberty in Hong Kong, July 11-15. The guided-missile destroyer also visited the East African nation of Eritrea Oct. 7-9, while deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), becoming the first U.S. Navy ship to have a port of call in Masawa, Eritrea, since 1997.

December 9, DDG 70 returned to Pearl Harbor after a nearly six-month deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

February 28, 2006 USS Hopper participated in the successful “Sky Hunter” Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) test event off the coast of southern California Feb. 15. Using a recent upgrade to its Aegis weapons system, she was tasked with detecting and tracking a Minuteman III Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., during the boost and initial ballistic portions of flight, and providing cueing data to SPAWAR (Space and Naval Warfare) Space Systems Center (SSC) in San Diego and the Joint National Test Center in Colorado Springs for analysis. In a role known as long range surveillance and track (LRS&T), Hopper has the capability to detect and track ICBMs and report track data to shore-based components of the missile defense system. It can further provide fire control data to the ground-based ICBM interceptors located at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Pearl Harbor-based destroyer has participated in three successful BMD missions. “Sky Hunter” and “Glory Trip-189” tracked ICBMs launched from Vandenberg. During “Stellar Valkyrie” in November, she provided cueing and track data on a medium range ballistic missile, which USS Lake Erie (CG 70) acquired and engaged with the newest variant of Standard Missile (SM-3). Thirteen Aegis destroyers are currently equipped with the LRS&T capability.

May 5, USS Hopper departed Pearl Harbor for a four-month cruise to the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet area of operation. The ship will travel to various locations in the western Pacific to take part in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2006 exercise. CARAT is a regularly scheduled series of military training exercises with Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, designed to enhance interoperability of the respective sea services.

May 20, U.S. Navy task group, including USS Hopper (DDG 70), departed Okinawa to begin the fifth annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism maritime security exercise.

May 29, The Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) maritime security exercise ended when the exercise task group arrived in Singapore.

June 14, DDG 70 departed Changi Naval Base, Singapore, after completing the first phase of exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT).

June 18, USS Hopper arrived in Sattahip, Thailand, to participate in the Thailand phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training.

June 27, The guided missile destroyer departed Sattahip, Thailand, concluding the second phase of bilateral exercise.

July 9, DDG 70 is currently in Indian Ocean, assigned to USS Enterprise Carrier Strike Group.

July 20, USS Hopper is currently in Singapore for a scheduled port visit.

July 24, The Pearl Harbor-based destroyer arrived in Kemaman, Malaysia, for the 4th phase of CARAT exercise.

August 3, DDG 70 departed Kemaman, Malaysia, ending the fourth phase of exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training.

August 6, USS Hopper arrived in Maura, Brunei Darussalam, for the fifth phase of CARAT exercise begining here Aug. 8 at the Royal Brunei Navy's (RBN) headquarters. The RBN task group is comprised of the Waspada-class fast attack craft KDB Pejuang (P03) and KDB Seteria (P04), and the Perwira-class coastal patrol craft KDB Perwira (P14) and KDB Pemburu (P15).

August 15, The Philippines phase of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise began in Subic Bay, Philippines, with an opening ceremony at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Philippine Navy CARAT task group ships include BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS 36), BRP Heracleo Alano (PG 376), BRP Teotimo Figuracion (PG 389) and BRP Bacolod City (LC 550).

September 6, USS Hopper departed Guam after a scheduled port visit.

September 15, DDG 70 returned to Naval Station Pearl Harbor after more than four-month underway period.

June 29, 2007 The guided missile destroyer departed homeport for a daylong Friends and Family Day Cruise.

September 26, USS Hopper participated in San Diego Fleet Week Sept. 22-23.

November 12, USS Hopper, commanded by Cmdr. Jeffrey W. James, departed Pearl Harbor for a scheduled deployment, as part of USS Tarawa (LHA 1) Expeditionary Strike Group.

December 16, DDG 70 recently arrived in Singapore for a brief port call.

January 4, 2008 The search to locate a Sailor discovered missing from USS Hopper was called off at 2:05 p.m. local time after 30 hours of extensive searching. The Sailor was reported missing Jan. 3 at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time while Hopper was conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the Arabian Sea.

January 6, Three U.S. Navy ships: USS Hopper, USS Port Royal (CG 73) and USS Ingraham (FFG 61) were steaming in formation at approximately 8 a.m. as they finished a routine Strait of Hormuz transit to Persian Gulf when five boats, suspected to be from the Islamic Republic of Iran Revolutionary Guard Navy (IRGCN), maneuvered aggressively in close proximity of the Hopper. Following standard procedure, the Hopper issued warnings, attempted to establish communications with the small boats and conducted evasive maneuvering. Iranian boats took 15 British sailors engaged in United Nations-sanctioned operations in the northern Persian Gulf on March 23, 2007.

April 3, The Hopper pulled to Phuket, Thailand, for a scheduled port visit.

April 14, DDG 70 pulled to Koror, Republic of Palau, for a goodwill port call.

May 2, USS Hopper returned to homeport after a six-month underway period in support of the global war on terrorism.

July 3, Cmdr. Timothy J. Kott relieved Cmdr. Jeffrey W. James as commanding officer of the Hopper.

January 12, 2009 USS Hopper departed home to participate in the MIDPAC Surface Combatant Group Sail.

January 20, DDG 70 departed Naval Station Pearl Harbor for a surge western Pacific deployment as part of the Mid-Pacific Surface Combatant Operational Employment program.

February 4, The guided-missile destroyer recently arrived in Okinawa, Japan, for a scheduled port call.

April 2, The Hopper recently pulled to Yokosuka, Japan, for a routine port visit.

April 23, USS Hopper returned to homeport after a three-month underway period. The ship also visited Republic of Korea and Guam.

July 30, USS Hopper fired and guided an SM-3 Block IA missile that intercepted the short-range ballistic missile, fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at 11.40 p.m. EDT, about 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean. This marked the nineteenth successful intercept in 23 flight tests for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program.

September 14, USS Hopper departed Pearl Harbor for a surge Middle East deployment.

October 4, USS Hopper arrived in Phuket, Thailand, for a goodwill port visit.

December 3, DDG 70 is currently in the North Persian Gulf, attached to Commander, Task Force Iraqi Maritime, providing security for Al Basra and the Khawr Al Amaya oil terminals.

January 20, 2010 Singaporean Navy Rear Adm. Bernard Miranda relieved Rear Adm. Scott E. Sanders as Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, in a change-of-command ceremony held on board the Hopper in Manama, Bahrain. Rear Adm. Miranda will join his flagship, the USS Farragut (DDG 99), in Djibouti next week.