USS Vicksburg (CG-69)

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For other ships with the same name, see USS Vicksburg.

USS Vicksburg (CG 69) June 2007.jpg
USS Vicksburg in June 2007
History
United States
NameVicksburg
NamesakeBattle of Vicksburg
Ordered25 February 1988
BuilderIngalls Shipbuilding
Laid down30 May 1990
Launched7 September 1991
Acquired21 September 1992
Commissioned14 November 1992
Renamedfrom Port Royal
HomeportNorfolk
Identification
MottoKey to Victory
StatusSLEP (Service Life Extension Program)
BadgeUSS Vicksburg CG-69 Crest.png
General characteristics
Class and type Ticonderoga-class cruiser
DisplacementApprox. 9,600 long tons (9,800 t) full load
Length567 feet (173 m)
Beam55 feet (16.8 meters)
Draft34 feet (10.2 meters)
Propulsion
Speed32.5 knots (60 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Complement30 officers and 300 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
  • AN/SPY-1A/B multi-function radar
  • AN/SPS-49 air search radar
  • AN/SPG-62 fire control radar
  • surface search radar
  • AN/SPQ-9 gun fire control radar
  • AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite
  • AN/SQQ-89(V)1/3 - A(V)15 Sonar suite, consisting of:
    • AN/SQS-53B/C/D active sonar
    • AN/SQR-19 TACTAS, AN/SQR-19B ITASS, & MFTA passive sonar
    • AN/SQQ-28 light airborne multi-purpose system
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × Sikorsky SH-60B or MH-60R Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters.

USS Vicksburg (CG-69) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser serving in the United States Navy. She is named for both the land Battle of Vicksburg fought during the American Civil War, and the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

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.[1]

With her guided missiles and rapid-fire cannons, Vicksburg is capable of facing threats in the air, on the sea, ashore, and underneath the sea. She is also capable of carrying two SH-60 Sea Hawk Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS III) helicopters.

Vicksburg was originally named Port Royal, but was changed during construction. She is the only Ticonderoga-class vessel to have a formal name change. CG-73 was later named Port Royal.[2]

The previous Vicksburg was a Cleveland-class light cruiser during and after World War II. Vicksburg's crest has two stars on the streamer in the eagle's beak representing the two battle stars awarded to her predecessor.

History[]

On her maiden cruise, 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 , helping to intercept Cuban migrants crossing the Florida Straits.[1]

In March 2003, she was assigned to Naval Surface Group Two.[3] On 16 February 2007, Vicksburg was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award. [1]. She was part of Carrier Strike Group Twelve, which was led until December 2012 by USS Enterprise (CVN-65).

The U.S. Navy was planning to retire Vicksburg along with eight other Ticonderoga class cruisers in fiscal year 2013 in line with U.S. Defense Department budget reductions.[4] The ship was scheduled to be decommissioned on 31 March 2013.[5] Language inserted into the FY13 House of Representatives Defense Bill retains 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, and final outcome will be determined by the final FY13 Defense Bill negotiated with the United States Senate.[6] Vicksburg and two other Ticonderoga-class cruisers were retained under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013.[7]

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 flagship and to support theater security cooperation efforts in Europe.[8]

In popular culture[]

See also[]

  • Aegis combat system

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b National Park Service, United States Navy Ships Named After National Parks or Associated with National Park Sites, Accessed 9 March 2006.
  2. ^ http://www.nvr.navy.mil/SHIPDETAILS/SHIPSDETAIL_CG_69.HTML
  3. ^ accessed May 2012
  4. ^ "Defence Security Report". Archived from the original on 7 November 2011.
  5. ^ 11 Ships to be decommissioned in fiscal 2013
  6. ^ "US Navy to retain four Ticonderoga-class cruisers in service". Naval-technology.com. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  7. ^ National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, p. 5.
  8. ^ http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=84721[dead link]

External links[]

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

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