The USS Cole is returning to Norfolk Naval Station after supporting a strike group off the coast of Lebanon.

The Navy says the guided missile destroyer is scheduled to come home Friday.

During the Cole's six-month deployment, it provided support for a strike group that included ships from England, France and Spain.

The Navy says it was the first time that a U.S. warship participated in another countrys battle group.

The Cole made international headlines on October 12, 2000, when a small boat filled with explosives attacked the ship while in the waters of Aden, Yemen. The blast killed 17 sailors and ripped a large hole in the ship's hull. Repairs to the ship were completed in Pascagoula, Mississippi in April 2002.