Robert Smalls is equipped with guided missiles and rapid-fire cannons, with anti-air, anti-surface and anti-subsurface capabilities. She also carries two MH-60R SeahawkLight Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) helicopters, focused on anti-submarine warfare.
History
Chancellorsville sailors pose in 2004 above the gold "Battle E" that shows the ship earned the Navy's prestigious Battle Effectiveness Award for five consecutive years.
Chancellorsville was next deployed from February to August 1993, to the Persian Gulf as part of the Nimitz Battle Group. On 26 June 1993, Chancellorsville launched strikes on the Iraqi Intelligence Center in Baghdad with nine Tomahawk missiles in retaliation for the aborted assassination attempt on former President Bush. She deployed again to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf from April to October 1995.
Following a Fifth Fleet deployment to the North Persian Gulf in 1995, Chancellorsville was awarded the Spokane Trophy in 1996. The Spokane Trophy is awarded by Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet to the surface combatant ship considered to be the most proficient in overall combat systems readiness and warfare operations.
Chancellorsville deployed to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific in support of joint counter-narcotics operations in November 1997. During this deployment, she rescued the crew of an Ecuadorian fishing vessel which had been adrift for ten days. Upon her return home, Chancellorsville underwent her first major nine-month overhaul in San Diego, California.
On 7 July 1998, Chancellorsville changed homeport from San Diego, to Yokosuka, Japan, joining Task Force 70/Battle Force Seventh Fleet, and probably, Carrier Group Five. After arriving in Yokosuka, Chancellorsville participated in multinational operations in the Sea of Japan, including the International Fleet Review. Chancellorsville took part in exercises with the Kitty Hawk Battle Group in the spring of 1999.
On 6 April 1999, Chancellorsville deployed to the Persian Gulf in company with Kitty Hawk and Curtis Wilbur in support of Operation Southern Watch, and returned to Yokosuka on 5 January 2000. In May 2000, Chancellorsville participated in exercises with the Thai and Singaporean navies.
2000s
Following a visit to Qingdao, China, in August 2000, Chancellorsville took part in ANNUALEX 12G, a joint U.S.-Japanese naval exercise. In November, Chancellorsville fired guns and SM-2 missiles as part of MISSILEX 01-1. In March through June 2001, she visited Singapore, Thailand, Saipan and Sydney, Australia, as part of an extended Spring Cruise. Chancellorsville then entered dry dock for an upkeep period in the fall. In September 2001, Chancellorsville deployed with the Kitty Hawk Battle Group in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, operating in the theater for several months. Chancellorsville paid her first visit to Vladivostok, Russia, in July 2002, celebrating Independence Day in Russia along with Fort McHenry. In March 2003, the ship was assigned to Carrier Group Five.[5] On 22 October 2003, Chancellorsville played host in Guam to two warships of the People's Republic of China, which made the first-ever visit of the Chinese navy to Guam. By May 2004, she was back in the Southwest Asian region, where she lent aid to a disabled Indonesian fishing boat.
On 19 July 2004, Chancellorsville departed Yokosuka to participate in Exercise Summer Pulse 2004 and Joint Air and Sea Exercises (JASEX) 2004, with the Kitty Hawk Battle Group. Summer Pulse was the Navy's first implementation of the new Fleet Response Plan (FRP). She returned to homeport 7 September. Chancellorsville entered a nine-week dry dock availability in February 2005. Following the maintenance period, she immediately returned to sea to participate in the exercises Talisman Saber 2005, the third annual Orange Crush and the Joint Air and Sea Exercise (JASEX) 2005. She returned to Yokosuka in August. ANNUALEX 2005 commenced in November with Chancellorsville participating, along with other U.S. and Japanese assets. The exercise saw a total of 61 naval vessels, including two U.S. submarines, 10 U.S. Navy ships and 49 Japanese ships. Chancellorsville visited Hong Kong at the end of November and returned to Yokosuka 12 December. Chancellorsville swapped with Shiloh based in San Diego. Chancellorsville's homeport was changed to San Diego, with Shiloh moving to Yokosuka. The crews remained in their respective locations.
In winter of 2006, Chancellorsville deployed again into the Western Pacific, visiting Singapore and Pattaya, Thailand, in February. In April, she joined forces of the Republic of Korea for Reception, Staging, Onward-movement, & Integration and Foal Eagle 2006 (RSOI/Foal Eagle 06), exercises utilizing more than 70 U.S. and Korean ships. Chancellorsville returned to Yokosuka in August in preparation for a hull swap with Shiloh. Chancellorsville was scheduled to return to San Diego, in October 2006, making it her homeport once again.
2010s
Chancellorsville transits alongside the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan for a fueling at sea. (2011)
In March 2011, in company with the carrier Ronald Reagan, Chancellorsville was deployed off northeastern Honshu, Japan, to assist with relief efforts after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[6] During that time, helicopter crews from Ronald Reagan were exposed to leaking radiation from the nuclear accidents and ships from the carrier strike group were moved to avoid being downwind from the facility.[7]
During the latter half of 2012, Chancellorsville underwent equipment upgrades as part of the Aegis Modernization effort ACB-12. In January 2013, the ship spent five days[8] under way off the coast of California to perform a series of tests of the updated ACB-12 equipment and software.
In November 2013, while testing combat weapons systems off the coast of Point Mugu, California, a BQM-74E unmanned drone being used in the exercise failed to respond to commands to turn away from the ship and collided with Chancellorsville. Since it was a tracking exercise and not a live fire exercise, the crew did not engage the drone with the Phalanx CIWS.[9] Two sailors received treatment for minor burns and the ship suffered some damage and returned to San Diego for assessment.[10][11] The damage later proved to be more severe than initially assessed. Citing Navy sources, the U.S. Naval Institute reported that repairs to the ship would cost $30 million and take six months to complete.[12]
A photo released by the USN showing a near collision between Chancellorsville (right) and the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov (2019)
On 7 June 2019 Chancellorsville came close to a collision with the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov. Each side blamed the other for the near collision.[13] Russian sources stated that the incident occurred in the southeast of the East China Sea while US sources named the location as in the Philippine Sea.[13] According to retired US Navy captain Carl Schuster, the Russian ship's wake shows that it "didn't adhere to either the rules of the road or the incidents at sea agreement."[14] United States Seventh Fleet spokesman Commander Clayton Doss said the Russian destroyer came within 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30m) of Chancellorsville, "putting the safety of her crew and ship at risk."[15] The Russian Navy released a statement claiming that Chancellorsville had "suddenly changed its course and crossed the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer's course some 50 meters away from the ship."[16] According to the same statement, this caused Admiral Vinogradov to take an "emergency maneuver" in order to avoid a collision with the American ship. In November 2019 and again on 15 February 2020, the ship transited the Taiwan Strait.[17]
2020s
During the 2020 George Floyd protests, the name of the ship came into question because it honors a victory of the Confederate Army fighting against the United States for southern independence and in defense of slavery.[18] In December 2020, the U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that the ship was planned to be placed Out of Commission in Reserve in 2026.[19]
USS Robert Smalls arrives for a port visit in Da Nang, Vietnam. (2023)
In May 2022, Chancellorsville was homeported out of Yokosuka, Japan. She was as part of Carrier Strike Group 5 led by the carrier Ronald Reagan.[20] On 28 August 2022, Chancellorsville along with sister ship Antietam conducted a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait. This was the first such transit to occur since the 2022 visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.[21]
Ship renaming
The crest of ex-USS Chancellorsville, which included an inverted wreath that commemorated the death of Confederate general Stonewall Jackson
In September 2022, the Naming Commission recommended that the US Navy rename two shore installations, USNS Maury (T-AGS-66) (named for Matthew Fontaine Maury, who chose to fight for the Confederates), and Chancellorsville. The choice of what to rename them to was left to the Secretary of the Navy.[23] As part of its report, the Commission judged that the ship celebrated the Confederacy.[27]
On 27 February 2023, the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that the US Navy would rename Chancellorsville after Robert Smalls, a slave who commandeered the Confederate ship CSS Planter in 1862.[27][28][29] The name change was made effective on 1 March 2023,[2] The Navy held a ceremony to mark the change that was designed to not disrupt the ship's activities.[30] and deployed with the Ronald Reagan carrier strike group in May 2023.[31]Robert Smalls made a port visit to Da Nang, Vietnam in June 2023.[32]Robert Smalls participated in exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 in July 2023.[33]
Awards and decorations
Navy E Ribbon - (1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is a Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered supercarrier in the service of the United States Navy. The ninth ship of her class, she is named in honor of Ronald W. Reagan, President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, and was commissioned on 12 July 2003.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. One of the largest warships in the world, she was laid down, launched, and commissioned as CVAN-68, "aircraft carrier, attack, nuclear powered", but she was later redesignated as CVN-68, "aircraft carrier, multi-mission, nuclear-powered", on 30 June 1975, as part of a fleet-wide realignment that year.
USS Shiloh (CG-67) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy, named in remembrance of the Battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War. She was built at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.
USS Antietam (CG-54) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy. Antietam was named for the site of the 1862 Battle of Antietam, Maryland, between Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee and Union forces under Major General George McClellan, during the American Civil War. Antietam earned the 2007 and 2008 Battle Efficiency awards, also known as the "Navy E" or "Battle E" award, for the John C. Stennis Strike Group.
USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) is a decommissioned Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser of the United States Navy constructed by Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation at Pascagoula, Mississippi and launched on 11 March 1985. The Ticonderoga-class cruisers are equipped with the Aegis Combat System and Bunker Hill was the first of the class to be equipped with the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) in place of the previous ships' twin-arm Mark 26 missile launchers, which greatly improved the flexibility and firepower of the ships by allowing them to fire BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles for land attack missions. Other missions include ballistic missile defence and capital ship escort for anti-aircraft defense. The ship was commissioned on 20 September 1986 and was homeported at Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, California.
USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer currently in the service of the United States Navy. She is part of the Destroyer Squadron 23 within the Third Fleet, and has her homeport at Naval Station Everett in Everett, Washington.
USS Barry (DDG-52) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, commissioned in 1992. Barry is the fourth United States Navy ship named after the "Father of the American Navy", Commodore John Barry (1745–1803). Her homeport is Naval Station Everett, Washington. Several improvements over Arleigh Burke exist on this ship and all following Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, such as the ability to refuel a helicopter.
USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54) is the fourth Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. Curtis Wilbur was named for Curtis D. Wilbur, forty-third Secretary of the Navy, who served under President Calvin Coolidge. In 2016, she was based at Yokosuka, Japan, as part of Destroyer Squadron 15.
USS Curts (FFG-38) was the twenty-ninth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class of guided-missile frigates. She was named for Admiral Maurice Curts (1898–1976). Curts is the first ship of that name in the US Navy.
USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) was a Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser that served in the United States Navy from 1987 to 2023. She is named for the naval Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War in 1864.
USS San Jacinto (CG-56) was a Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the United States Navy. She is named for the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.
USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) is a Flight II Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser on active service in the United States Navy. She is named for the Battle of the Philippine Sea during World War II and is the second ship to bear the name. She has completed multiple deployments as part of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2001 to 2014.
USS Carney (DDG-64) is the 14th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. The guided-missile destroyer is the first to be named after Admiral Robert Carney, who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower administration.
USS Sampson (DDG-102) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. Funding for the Flight IIA ship was authorized in 2002 and her keel was laid on 20 March 2005. She is the fourth US Navy ship named to honor Rear Admiral William T. Sampson.
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka or Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, Seventh Fleet and other operating forces assigned in the Western Pacific. CFAY is the largest strategically important U.S. naval installation in the western Pacific.
USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), named for United States Navy officer Lieutenant William Charles Fitzgerald, is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the US Navy.
Carrier Strike Group 15, is a training formation of the United States Navy. It trains and certifies Pacific Fleet Carrier Strike Groups, Amphibious Ready Groups, and independently deploying surface ships. It replaced Commander, Strike Force Training Pacific in a title change. Carrier Strike Group Four is the equivalent command for US Fleet Forces ships.
Carrier Strike Group Seven was a U.S. Navy carrier strike group active from October 2004 until 30 December 2011. The strike group's antecendants included two previous aircraft carrier formations, Carrier Division Seven and Carrier Group Seven. Its heritage thus includes the Second World War, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War, as well as the first and the second Persian Gulf wars, encompassing a total of 34 deployments to the Western Pacific Ocean and Persian Gulf.
Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The Strike Group Flagship is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) which also embarks Strike Warfare Commander, Carrier Air Wing Five and its nine squadrons. As of June 2015, CSG 5 includes two Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Destroyer Squadron Fifteen, which serves as the Sea Combat Commander and is responsible for nine assigned Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
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