Lütjens was the lead ship of the namesake subclass of three Charles F. Adams-class destroyers built for the Bundesmarine (West German Navy), ordered in 1966 to provide anti-air defence. Compared to their American counterparts, the Lütjens-class was nearly identical, with the main difference being changes in communications and radar equipment to meet German standards, as well as using the more compact Mk.13 missile launcher to launch the RIM-24A Tartar missile.

As for Lütjens, she was laid down on 1 March 1966 at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine, launched on 11 August 1967, and commissioned on 22 March 1969. During her 34-year service, Lütjens served largely uneventfully, with the exception of 14 September 2001 – three days after the September 11 attacks – when her crew paid tribute to the crews of USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) and USS Gonzalez (DDG-66), and to those who lost their lives during the attacks. Lütjens was decommissioned on 18 December 2003 and later sold for scrap in 2012. With her decommissioning, she held the distinction of being the last steam-powered vessel and the last destroyer in service with the German Navy.

Lütjens was introduced in Update 2.53 "Line of Contact" in her original 1969 configuration. She is identical to her American sister ship, USS Charles F. Adams, with the ace up her sleeve being the RIM-24A Tartar SAM launcher at the stern. While designed as anti-air missiles, the Tartar's SACLOS guidance and large warhead allow them to be used as ad hoc anti-ship missiles against surface targets. With good aim, they can even detonate the magazines of enemy cruisers. However, Lütjens' hull is very large and devoid of any armour. This, along with the downtime while guiding the missiles and the vulnerable missile racks located above the waterline, leaves her highly vulnerable to return fire.