History
1990s
Vicksburg was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, at Pascagoula, Mississippi. Her keel was laid down on 30 May 1990, and she was launched on 7 September 1991. Vicksburg was sponsored by Tricia Lott, wife of United States Senator, Trent Lott. On 12 October 1991, Mrs. Lott christened CG-69 as Vicksburg. She was commissioned on 14 November 1992. [2] [5]
On her maiden cruise in 1994, Vicksburg was assigned to the USS Saratoga battle group, which was stationed off the coast of Montenegro. Vicksburg participated in Operation Deny Flight and Operation Provide Promise, serving as an airspace command and control platform. In May 1994, Vicksburg participated in NATO's "Dynamic Impact 94" exercise in the western Mediterranean, and in August 1994 Vicksburg joined Operation Able Vigil, helping to intercept Cuban migrants crossing the Florida Straits. [2]
Vicksburg returned from a 6 month deployment in March 1996. During the deployment, Vicksburg participated in Operation Southern Watch in the Persian Gulf. Vicksburg also performed Maritime Interception Operations to enforce UN sanctions that prohibited exports from Iraq. Vicksburg conducted over 85 boardings. At that time, the primary contraband was dates carried by 70–100 feet (21–30 m) dhows. Vicksburg visited Italy, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates during the deployment. [6] [7]
In 1997, Vicksburg deployed to the Mediterranean Sea with the USS John F. Kennedy carrier battle group (CVBG). [8] [9]
In 1998, Vicksburg and Hué City had problems integrating AEGIS Baseline 6 and Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), rendering the ships unavailable for service. [10] The USS John F. Kennedy CVBG deployed in September 1999 without Vicksburg and Hué City. [8]
In 1999, Vicksburg participated in BALTOPS '99 and UNITAS 40-99. [11]
2000s
In May 2000, Lockheed Martin announced that Vicksburg and Hué City completed a series of live missile firing exercises. The tests came after two years of integration and testing and paved the way for further test efforts with the entire battlegroup. Five test targets were engaged including low and high altitude threats and severe electronic countermeasures. The test also included a demonstration of engage on remote (EOR) which allowed one ship to complete an engagement against a target solely using data from a second ship. [12] In 2001, Vicksburg and the rest of the John F. Kennedy CVBG extensively tested the CEC system. [8] Following the September 11 attacks, the battle group supported Operation Noble Eagle. [8]
In February 2002, Vicksburg deployed with the John F. Kennedy carrier battlegroup (CVBG), initially to the Mediterranean Sea. In March 2002, Vicksburg was part of the John F. Kennedy CVBG as she relieved the USS Theodore Roosevelt CVBG, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. [8] On 16 June 2002, off the coast of Oman, Vicksburg launched an SH-60B helicopter from HSL-42, Det 7, to assist Stolt Spray. The tanker was standing by to assist the foundering motor vessel al Murthada, but monsoon conditions prevented its assistance. Vicksburg’s helicopter transferred al Murthada’s distressed mariners, who had been adrift for eight days, to Stolt Spray for further transportation. [8]
In March 2003, she was assigned to Naval Surface Group Two. [13] In December 2004, Vicksburg and the John F. Kennedy battlegroup returned from a six month deployment to the Middle East. [14]
Vicksburg departed on a surge deployment to the middle east on 26 January 2006. In February, Vicksburg became the first US Navy ship to refuel from a new Defense Fuel Supply Point in Djibouti. [15] Vicksburg returned in June 2006. [16] On 16 February 2007, Vicksburg was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award. [17] She was part of Carrier Strike Group Twelve, which was led by USS Enterprise (CVN-65) until December 2012.
25 January 2008, Vicksburg returned to Mayport following a six month deployment to the Persian Gulf. [18] In February 2009, she deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group. [19]
2010s
In 2010, Vicksburg deployed for a three month Theater Security Cooperation Surge deployment to Northern Europe. [20] The ship conducted exercises with the Norwegian Navy and then participated in the Joint Warrior 10-1 multinational exercise. [11] [21]
Vicksburg deployed with the Enterprise CVBG in March 2012 on the carrier's final deployment. [22] Vicksburg visited Piraeus, Greece in late March 2012. [11] [23] Vicksburg conducted operations with FS Cassard (D 614) April 16–24, 2012. [24] Vicksburg visited Bahrain at the end of May [25] [26] and again in August. [27] Vicksburg visited Lisbon, Portugal on October 17, 2012. [28] Vicksburg returned to Mayport in November 2012. [29]
The US Navy was planning to retire Vicksburg along with eight other Ticonderoga class cruisers in fiscal year 2013 in line with US Defense Department budget reductions. [30] The ship was scheduled to be decommissioned on 31 March 2013. [31] Language inserted into the FY13 House of Representatives Defense Bill retained Vicksburg and two other of her sister ships that were slated for decommissioning. Retaining the ships in the active fleet was not supported by the United States Secretary of Defense, but the outcome was determined by the final FY13 Defense Bill negotiated with the United States Senate. [32] Vicksburg and two other Ticonderoga-class cruisers were retained under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. [33]
In 2014, the cruiser participated in Joint Warrior 14-2, a United Kingdom-led multinational exercise in British coastal waters. The training was designed to provide allied forces a multiwarfare environment to prepare for global operations. On 4 December 2014, Vicksburg departed Naval Station Mayport to relieve USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55) as the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) flagship and to support theater security cooperation efforts in Europe. [34] Vicksburg relieved Leyte Gulf as SNMG2 Flagship in Naples on 20 December 2014. [35] Vicksburg and SNMG2 deployed to the Black Sea 4 March 2015. [36] Vicksburg and SNMG2 visited Varna, Bulgaria 7–8 March and Constanta, Romania around 16 March 2015. [37] [38] Vicksburg and SNMG2 left the Black sea around 20 March. [39] In April, Vicksburg and SNMG2 visited Faslane, Scotland along with Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Groups One and Two for Joint Warrior 15-1. [40] [41] In May, Vicksburg and SNMG2 participated in the anti-submarine exercise Dynamic Mongoose. [42] The ship returned to Mayport on 11 July 2015. [43]
On 1 July 2016, Vicksburg was transferred from Carrier Strike Group Twelve to the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and entered the Navy's Cruiser Modernization program. The ship's homeport was changed to Norfolk and the crew was reduced from 350 to less than 50. [44] In 2017, BAE Systems announced it was awarded a special selected restricted availability (SSRA) contract for up to $42.9 million. The work was planned for April to September 2017 at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair and was part of Vicksburg's modernization. [45]
2020s
In January 2020, Vicksburg was sent to BAE Systems for an $175 million, 18-month Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). [46] In May 2022, Vicksburg was reported to be 85% completed with its modernization and was expected to be complete by summer 2023. According to Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), "Since 2020, the Navy has awarded nearly $500 million in contracts to upgrade the cruiser." [47]
The Navy requested to decommission Vicksburg in its FY23 and FY24 budgets. [48] Navy Undersecretary Erik Raven stated that this was due to the ship's "material condition, life remaining, cost, ... time to upgrade ... and the warfighting value." [49]
In March 2023, the Navy submitted to Congress a list of 11 ships it sought to retire, including Vicksburg which has been in the modernization program since 2016. [50] According to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro in April 2023, Vicksburg and Cowpens “will never see another deployment, regardless of how much money we put into them.” The Navy reported that costs of the modernization have increased to $500 million. [51]
In March 2024, the Navy announced plans to inactivate Vicksburg on 29 June 2024. [52]
USS Port Royal (CG-73) was a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser that served in the United States Navy. She was commissioned on 9 July 1994, as the 27th and final ship of the class. Port Royal was named in honor of the two naval battles of Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, one during the American Revolutionary War, the other during the American Civil War. She was decommissioned on 29 September 2022. The ship is the second to bear the name, with the first being a steam-powered, side-wheel gunboat, from New York City, in commission from 1862 to 1866.
USS Dale (DLG-19/CG-19) was a Leahy-class cruiser in service with the United States Navy from 1963 to 1994. She was sunk as a target in 2000 off the East Coast of the United States near Maryland.
USS Ticonderoga (DDG/CG-47), nicknamed "Tico", was a guided-missile cruiser built for the United States Navy. She was the lead ship of the Ticonderoga class and the first U.S. Navy combatant to incorporate the Aegis combat system. Originally ordered as a guided-missile destroyer, she was redesignated as a cruiser after capabilities from the cancelled Strike cruiser program were implemented into the ship's design. The new AEGIS system allowed Ticonderoga to track and engage many aerial targets more effectively than any previous U.S. Navy warship.
USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) was a 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 is 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 Cape St. George (CG-71) is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser laid down by the Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation at Pascagoula, Mississippi, on 19 November 1990, launched on 10 January 1992, and commissioned on 12 June 1993. Cape St. George operates out of San Diego, California, and administratively reports to the Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific.
USS Spruance (DD-963) was the lead ship of the United States Navy's Spruance class of destroyers and was named after Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. Spruance was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at Pascagoula, Mississippi, and launched by Mrs. Raymond A. Spruance. Spruance served in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, assigned to Destroyer Squadron 24 and operating out of Naval Station Mayport, Florida. Spruance was decommissioned on 23 March 2005 and then was sunk as a target on 8 December 2006.
USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser that served with the United States Navy. She was the second ship named for the Battle of Vella Gulf, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II, the first being USS Vella Gulf (CVE-111), an escort carrier commissioned in 1945. The ship's keel was laid down on 22 April 1991 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding, then a division of Litton Industries. She was launched on 13 June 1992, sponsored by Mary A. McCauley, wife of Vice Admiral William F. McCauley (Ret.), and commissioned on 18 September 1993 at Naval Station Norfolk.
The USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51) was a flight-I Ticonderoga-class cruiser that was used by the United States Navy. The warship was named after Thomas S. Gates, Secretary of Defense in the last years of the Eisenhower Administration (1959–1961).
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 Leyte Gulf (CG-55) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser in the United States Navy. She was named in memory of the World War II Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Pacific. She is powered by four large gas-turbine engines, and she has a large complement of guided missiles for air defense, attack of surface targets at sea and ashore, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). In addition, she carries two "Seahawk" LAMPS multi-purpose helicopters, whose primary mission is ASW.
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 Robert Smalls (CG-62) is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser built during the Cold War for the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1989, the warship was originally named USS Chancellorsville for the American Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville. In March 2023, she was renamed for Robert Smalls, a former slave who freed himself and others by commandeering a Confederate transport ship.
USS Gettysburg (CG-64) is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser in the United States Navy. She is named for the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.
USS Hué City (CG-66) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser serving in the United States Navy. She was ordered 16 April 1987, and laid down 20 February 1989, at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi. Hué City was in active service from 14 September 1991 to 23 September 2022. She is named for the Battle of Huế, fought in the city during the Tet Offensive of 1968 by the 1st Marine Regiment during the Vietnam War. The three battalion commanders were the honored guests at her 1991 commissioning.
USS John Hancock (DD-981), a Spruance-class destroyer, was the second ship of that name, and the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Founding Father John Hancock (1737–1793), the President of the Continental Congress and first signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing whose operational history spans from the middle of World War II to the end of the Cold War. Established in 1943 as Carrier Air Group Seventeen (CVG-17), it would be re-designated several times during its establishment, including Carrier Air Group Six (CVG-6) as the second unit to be so designated. The first Carrier Air Group Six served for just over two years during World War II, but drew on the history of the Enterprise Air Group established in 1938 and active in the early battles of the Pacific War, being disestablished after the first year of the conflict. During its time in USS Enterprise (CV-6), it was the Navy's only carrier-based air group to carry out three complete tours of duty during World War II.
BALTOPS is an annual military exercise, held and sponsored by the Commander, United States Naval Forces Europe, since 1971, in the Baltic Sea and the regions surrounding it.
Carrier Strike Group 14 was a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. The group was for some time the only U.S. carrier strike group that did not have an assigned aircraft carrier or carrier air wing. As of December 2010, it directed the cruisers USS Gettysburg (CG-64) and USS Philippine Sea (CG-58). Carrier Strike Group 14 was seemingly last based at Naval Station Mayport. Without a carrier flagship, it did not conduct the typical deployments of other carrier strike groups; instead, its two cruisers made independent voyages.
Carrier Strike Group Twelve is one of four U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the United States Fleet Forces Command. USS Gerald R. Ford is the aircraft carrier assigned as the strike group's flagship. Units currently assigned to Carrier Strike Group Twelve included Carrier Air Wing Eight; the Ticonderoga-class cruisersVicksburg and Normandy; and Destroyer Squadron 2.
United States
