Black Sea operations continued with the Sixth Fleet in August. Kidd called on Istanbul, Turkey, before returning to Naples, Italy. Through September, she conducted operations in the Western Mediterranean with . Calling on Benidorm, Spain, she then passed through the Straits of Gibraltar again on 20 September. After visiting Rota, Spain, Kidd crossed the Atlantic under the power of her gas-turbine engines, arriving in Norfolk and ending her deployment on 2 October 1985. In September 1987, under Commander Daniel Murphy, USS Kidd was awarded her third Battle Efficiency "E" award while deployed as part of the Middle East Force 3–87. She departed Norfolk on 6 June 1987, returning to port on 4 December 1987. During the Persian Gulf operations from 4 July to 2 October, Kidd led the first ten convoys of Kuwaiti tankers, reflagged with American flags. This reflagging was in response to Iranian threats to close the Persian Gulf shipping lanes, through which more than 50% of the world's oil output passes. During this deployment, Kidd also participated in Operation Nimble Archer in October. On 9 January 1991 USS Kidd departed from Norfolk, bound for the Persian Gulf, along with , in support of Operation Desert Storm. Kidd faced several roles while operating in the Persian Gulf, among them the location and destruction of naval mines and maritime interdiction force operations. To assist in these duties, a detachment from Anti-Submarine Light Helicopter Squadron 34 (HSL-34) was embarked. The "Green Checkers" came aboard with two SH-2 helicopters which were used early on in SSSC missions – flying beyond the visual horizon of this warship to visually observe all radar contacts on the surface. In early April, two U.S. Army OH-58 AHIPS helicopters were embarked, giving a total of four helicopters embarked on board Kidd at one time. In December 1991, USS Kidd was again awarded the Battle Efficiency "E" for excellence during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In October 1992, Kidd was deployed in counter-narcotics operations off the South American coast. USS Kidd transited the Panama Canal on 8 November 1992. During this mission, she patrolled Latin American waters as a deterrent to smugglers of illegal contraband. A detachment from the Anti-Submarine Light Helicopter Squadron 34 (HSL-34) was carried on this cruise. In December 1992, USS Kidd was awarded her sixth Battle Efficiency "E". Admiral Isaac Kidd, Jr., USN(Ret.), presented this award to the crew at a pierside ceremony.