USS Vincennes (CG-49)
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| Missing image USSVincennesCG-49.jpg USS Vincennes | |
| Career | 
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|---|---|
| Ordered: | 28 August 1981 |
| Laid down: | 19 October 1982 |
| Launched: | 14 January 1984 |
| Commissioned: | 3 June 1985 |
| Decommissioned: | July 1, 2005 (planned) |
| Status: | Template:Active in service |
| Struck: | |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 9,600 tons |
| Length: | 567 ft (173 m) |
| Beam: | 55 ft (16.8 m) |
| Draft: | 33 ft (10.1 m) |
| Propulsion: | 4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 80,000 shp (60 MW) |
| Speed: | 30+ knots (56 km/h) |
| Range: | |
| Complement: | 387 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: | 2 × Mk 26 missile launchers, 88 × RIM-67 SM-2, 8 × AGM-84 Harpoon missiles 2 × 5 in (127 mm), 2–4 × 12.7 mm guns, 2 × Phalanx CIWS 2 × Mk 46 triple torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft: | 2 × SH-60B Seahawk helicopters |
| Motto: | |
The fourth USS Vincennes (CG-49) is a U.S. Navy Ticonderoga class AEGIS guided missile cruiser. She is most well-known for shooting down Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988.
Vincennes was the first of the Ticonderoga-class cruisers to enter the Pacific Fleet. Upon commissioning in 1985, Vincennes entered the Pacific Fleet via the Panama Canal and participated in the testing and development of the SM-2 Block II surface-to-air missile. In May 1986, Vincennes participated in the multinational exercise RIMPAC 86, coordinating the anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) efforts of two aircraft carriers and over forty ships from five nations.
Vincennes deployed in August 1986 to the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the "first ever" Pacific deployment of an Aegis cruiser, Vincennes served as anti-air warfare commander with both Carl Vinson and New Jersey battle groups. She also operated jointly with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Royal Australian Navy. Vincennes steamed over 46,000 miles (74,000 km) in waters from the Bering Sea to the Indian Ocean.
On 20 April 1988, during Fleet Exercise 88-1, Vincennes was given unexpected orders to proceed back to San Diego, California and make preparations to leave on a six month deployment. One month later, the ship entered the Persian Gulf, to become part of the joint task force there. During the course of this assignment it made fourteen transits of the Straits of Hormuz in support of Operation Earnest Will.
Vincennes shot down an Iran Air Airbus A300B2 on July 3, 1988. The incident occurred in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in 290 fatalities. This controversial topic is discussed in an article specifically covering Iran Air Flight 655.
In February of 1990, Vincennes deployed on her third six month tour of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, In addition to coordination of all battle group air events, Vincennes served as the command and control flagship during Harpoon-Ex-90. In July 1990. Vincennes returned home after steaming nearly 100,000 miles (160,000 km). She deployed with SH-60S LAMPS MK III anti-submarine helicopters from HSL-45 Det 13.
In August 1991, Vincennes departed for her fourth Western Pacific deployment. Transiting with Independence, Vincennes performed duties as the anti-air warfare commander for Battle Group Delta until detaching to participate as the United States representative in MERCUBEX 91, a joint United States and Singaporean exercise. Over the next three months, Vincennes participated in the bilateral exercise Valiant Blitz with the South Korean Navy, the bilateral exercise Annualex 03G with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, and ASWEX 92-1K with the South Korean Navy before reaching Hong Kong to act as the U.S. representative for the Navy Days ceremonies. Vincennes returned from deployment on the 21st of December 1991.
In June 1994, Vincennes departed on her fifth Western Pacific deployment transiting with the Kitty Hawk Battle Group, Vincennes performed duties as anti-air warfare commander for the battle group. During deployment, Vincennes conducted an anti-submarine exercise, PASSEX 94-2, with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the bilateral exercise MERCUB 94-2, a joint U.S. and Singaporean Navy exercise of the Malaysian peninsula, the bilateral exercise Keen Edge, with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Tandem Thrust, a larger scale joint exercise which Vincennes participated as the area air defense coordinator for the entire joint operating area. Vincennes returned from deployment on the 22nd of December 1994.
Vincennes changed home port in August 1997 from San Diego to Yokosuka, Japan, after which she took part in Exercise Valiant Usher 98-1 with Belleau Wood amphibious ready group and the Royal Australian Navy destroyer Perth. The combined exercise took place near Townsend Island, Australia.
Vincennes also took part in the U.S. Seventh Fleet's Fleet Battle Experiment Delta (FBE-D) from 24 October to 2 November 1998, in conjunction with exercise Foal Eagle, a regularly scheduled exercise that simulates the defense of the Republic of Korea. Sponsored by the Navy Warfare Development Command, FBE-D is the fourth in a series of experiments that test newly emerging combat systems and procedures in an operational environment.
Vincennes completed Sharem 134, a bilateral exercise conducted with several Japanese ships and other U.S. participants, on 12 August 2000. The exercise included a week of undersea warfare training and data collection in the South China Sea. The ship’s submarine detection capabilities were tested during the five-day event, and new submarine prosecution procedures were developed. Events included sonar range testing, sonobuoy employment methods and submarine engagement tactics using Vincennes' embarked LAMPs helo detachment, HSL-51 Det. 6. The final Sharem events included a freeplay, which allowed the cruiser to detect and prosecute other submarines within the operations area, combining many of the tactics and systems tested during Sharem.
In mid-November 2000, the vessel took part in MISSILEX 01-1 during which it test fired various missile batteries at remote controlled aerial drones provided by Fleet Activities Okinawa.
On 23 March 2001, Vincennes, as part of the Kitty Hawk Battle Group, cruised into Changi Naval Base, marking the first time a U.S. carrier has moored pierside in Singapore. Vincennes took part from 23 August-27, 2001, in a military training exercise called Multi-Sail, featuring U.S. Navy ships and aircraft and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force units. Multi-Sail is designed to provide U.S. and Japanese forces interoperability training in multiple warfare areas. The training exercises the units' skill in surface, air defense and undersea warfare required to jointly defend Japan against external aggression.
Vincennes departed Yokosuka on 17 September 2001, to conduct operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and returned on 18 December 2001 after more than three months at sea.
In addition to performing duties as the battle group anti-air warfare commander during her Western Pacific deployments, Vincennes has been awarded the Navy Meritorious Unit Citation, the Battle "E" three times, the Combat Action Ribbon, the National Defense Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with four stars.
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register.
This page includes information from an official navy website which is in the public domain.
External links
- Official web site (http://www.vincennes.navy.mil/)
- USS Vincennes webpage (http://www.navysite.de/cg/cg49.html)
| Ticonderoga-class cruiser |
| Ticonderoga | Yorktown | Vincennes | Valley Forge | Thomas S. Gates | Bunker Hill | Mobile Bay | Antietam | Leyte Gulf | San Jacinto | Lake Champlain | Philippine Sea | Princeton | Normandy | Monterey | Chancellorsville | Cowpens | Gettysburg | Chosin | Hue City | Shiloh | Anzio | Vicksburg | Lake Erie | Cape St. George | Vella Gulf | Port Royal |
| List of cruisers of the United States Navy |