USS Vincennes (CG-49)
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223539264
2008-07-04T14:49:05Z
Dual Freq
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/89.165.68.16|89.165.68.16]] ([[User talk:89.165.68.16|talk]]) to last version by Dual Freq
{{otherships|USS Vincennes}}
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|Ship ordered=[[28 August]] [[1981]]
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|Ship builder=[[Ingalls Shipbuilding]], [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]]
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|Ship struck=[[29 June]] [[2005]]
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|Ship homeport=[[Yokosuka, Japan]]
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|Ship motto=Freedom's Fortress
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The fourth '''USS ''Vincennes'' (CG-49)''' is a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] [[Ticonderoga class cruiser|''Ticonderoga'' class]] [[Aegis combat system|AEGIS]] [[guided missile]] [[cruiser]]. In 1988, the ship shot down [[Iran Air Flight 655]] over the [[Persian Gulf]], killing 290 people onboard including 38 non-Iranians and 66 children.
The ship was launched [[14 April]] [[1984]] and sponsored by [[Marilyn Quayle]], wife of Indiana Senator [[Dan Quayle]]. The ''Vincennes'' was named for the [[Battle of Vincennes]] during the [[Revolutionary War]], while the previous ''Vincennes'' heavy cruiser and ''Vincennes'' light cruiser were named for the city of [[Vincennes, Indiana]]. She was commissioned at Pascagoula [[6 July]], [[1985]], Captain George N. Gee in command. The ship carries guided missiles, rapid-fire cannons, and two [[SH-60 Sea Hawk|Seahawk]] [[Light airborne multi-purpose system|LAMPS]] helicopters for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, personnel transfers, and other purposes.
== History ==
=== 1980s ===
The ''Vincennes'' was the first of the ''Ticonderoga''-class cruisers to enter the [[U.S. Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]]. Upon commissioning in 1985, ''Vincennes'' helped test the [[RIM-66 Standard|SM-2 Block II]] surface-to-air missile. In May 1986, ''Vincennes'' participated in the multinational exercise [[RIMPAC]] 86, coordinating the anti-aircraft warfare efforts of two [[aircraft carrier]]s and more than 40 ships from five nations.
[[Image:USS Vincennes CG-49 at commissioning.jpg|thumb|''Vincennes'' at commissioning on a rainy [[6 July]], [[1985]] in Pascagoula.]]
The ''Vincennes'' was deployed in August 1986 to the Western Pacific and [[Indian Ocean]]s, a first for a Tico cruiser. The ship served as anti-air warfare commander with the [[USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)|''Carl Vinson'']] and [[USS New Jersey (BB-62)|''New Jersey'']] battle groups, operated with the [[Japan Self-Defense Forces|Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]] and the [[Royal Australian Navy]], and steamed more than 46,000 miles (74,000 km) in waters from the [[Bering Sea]] to the Indian Ocean.
=== Persian Gulf ===
During the [[Iran]] and [[Iraq]] [[Iran-Iraq War#The Tanker War and direct U.S. support for Iraq| war]] the United States took active measures in the Gulf to protect shipping, mainly oil tankers, that were being threatened by both countries.
On [[14 April]] [[1988]], the guided missile frigate [[USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58)]] hit a mine in the Persian Gulf during [[Operation Earnest Will]]. Six days later, ''Vincennes'' was yanked from Fleet Exercise 88-1, sent back to [[San Diego, California]] and told to prepare for a six-month deployment. The reason for the haste: Navy leaders decided that they needed an Aegis ship to protect the exit of the damaged ''Roberts'' through the [[Strait of Hormuz]]. One month later, the cruiser entered the Gulf, and in early July, stood guard in the Strait as the damaged frigate was borne out on the [[Mighty Servant 2]] heavy-lift ship. The ship made 14 Hormuz transits during its Earnest Will operations.
==== Civilian airliner shot down ====
{{ main|Iran Air Flight 655 }}
On [[3 July]] [[1988]], ''Vincennes'', under the command of Captain [[William C. Rogers III]], shot down an [[Iran Air]] [[Airbus]] [[Airbus A300|A300B2]] over the [[Strait of Hormuz]], killing all 290 aboard. According to the US government, an inexperienced crew mistakenly identified the Iranian airbus as an attacking [[F-14 Tomcat]] [[fighter aircraft|fighter]]. However, the Iranian government has maintained that the ''Vincennes'' knowingly shot down a civilian aircraft.<ref>Butterfield, Fox [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEED91731F936A25754C0A96E948260 ''Iran Falls Short in Drive at U.N. To Condemn U.S. in Airbus Case''].''New York Times''[[July 15]], [[1988]]. Retrieved [[2008-01-10]]</ref>
=== 1990s ===
[[Image:USS Vincennes returns to San Diego Oct 1988.jpg|thumb|''Vincennes'' returns to San Diego in October, 1988.]]
In February 1990, ''Vincennes'' was deployed on a third six-month tour of the western Pacific and Indian oceans, with [[SH-60 Seahawk|SH-60]] helicopters from [[HSL-45]] Det 13. The ship coordinated all battle group air events and 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).
In August 1991, ''Vincennes'' departed for a fourth western Pacific deployment. Steaming with [[USS Independence (CV-62)|''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 [[Republic of Singapore Navy|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 [[21 December]] [[1991]].
In June 1994, ''Vincennes'' departed on a fifth western Pacific deployment with the [[USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)|''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 [[Malaysia]]n 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 this deployment on [[22 December]] [[1994]].
In August 1997, ''Vincennes'' changed homeport from San Diego to [[Yokosuka, Japan]], then steamed to the South Pacific and took part in Exercise Valiant Usher 98-1 with the [[USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3)|''Belleau Wood'']] amphibious ready group and the Royal Australian Navy destroyer [[HMAS Perth (DDG-38)|''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 was the fourth in a series of experiments that tested new combat systems and procedures at sea.
=== 2000s ===
On [[12 August]] [[2000]], ''Vincennes'' completed Sharem 134, a bilateral exercise with several Japanese ships and other U.S. participants. The exercise included a week of undersea warfare training and data collection in the [[South China Sea]]. The ship tested its submarine detection, sonar range testing, and sonobuoy employment and developed new submarine prosecution procedures. The final Sharem events included a "freeplay", which allowed the cruiser to detect and prosecute other submarines, combining many of the tactics and systems tested during Sharem.
In mid-November 2000, the cruiser fired missile batteries at remote-controlled aerial drones provided by Fleet Activities Okinawa during MISSILEX 01-1.
[[Image:USS Vincennes at Pearl Harbor.JPG|thumb|right|USS ''Vincennes'' enters Pearl Harbor. [[USS Missouri (BB-63)|USS ''Missouri'']] is visible in the background.]]
On [[23 March]] [[2001]], ''Vincennes'', as part of the ''Kitty Hawk'' [[aircraft carrier battle group|Battle Group]], cruised into [[Changi Naval Base]], the first time a U.S. carrier had moored pierside in Singapore. The ''Vincennes'' took part in a [[23 August]]-27, 2001, military training exercise called Multi-Sail, which was designed to provide U.S. and Japanese forces interoperability training in multiple warfare areas.
The ''Vincennes'' departed from Yokosuka on [[17 September]] [[2001]], to conduct operations in support of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]], and the ship returned on [[18 December]] [[2001]] after more than three months at sea.
== Decommissioning ==
The ''Vincennes'' was decommissioned on [[29 June]] [[2005]] at San Diego and stricken the same date. She is presently [[mothballed]] at the [[Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility]] in [[Naval Base Kitsap]], which is located in [[Bremerton]], [[Washington]]. As of 2008 she is slated to be dismantled in the next five years along with her sisters [[USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51)|''Thomas S. Gates'']] and [[USS Yorktown (CG-48)|''Yorktown'']].{{Fact|date=April 2008}}
== Awards ==
[[Image:USS Vincennes (CG-49) marker.jpg|thumb |right |Marker in [[Vincennes, Indiana]] ]]
The ''Vincennes'' has been awarded the [[Meritorious Unit Commendation|Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation]], the Battle Efficiency "E" three times, the [[Combat Action Ribbon]], the [[National Defense Medal]], and the [[Sea Service Deployment Ribbon]] with four stars.
== In fiction ==
* In the [[Tom Clancy]] novel ''[[Red Storm Rising]]'', ''Vincennes'' is one of three missile cruisers sent to protect U.S. forces fighting to liberate [[Iceland]] from Soviet occupation. When Soviet aircraft fire anti-ship missiles at U.S. [[amphibious assault ship]]s, ''Vincennes'' unleashes anti-missile missiles at the incoming "vampires".
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/v3/vincennes-iv.htm}}
{{NVR}}
== External links ==
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/CG49.htm Naval Vessel Register CG-49]
* [http://www.vincennes.navy.mil/ Official web site]
* [http://www.navysite.de/cg/cg49.html USS ''Vincennes'' webpage]
== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|
author=Rogers, Will and Sharon Rogers|
title=Storm Center: The USS Vincennes and Iran Air Flight 655 : A Personal Account of Tragedy and Terrorism |
location=Annapolis | publisher=Naval Institute Press|
year=1992|
id=ISBN 1-55750-727-9}}
*{{cite book|
author=Wise, Harold Lee|
title=[http://www.insidethedangerzone.com Inside the Danger Zone: The U.S. Military in the Persian Gulf 1987-88] |
location=Annapolis | publisher=Naval Institute Press|
year=2007|
id=ISBN 1-59114-970-3}}
{{Ticonderoga class cruiser}}
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[[Category:History of Iran]]
[[Category:Ticonderoga class cruisers]]
[[Category:Cruisers of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Military history of the United States]]
[[Category:Cold War cruisers of the United States]]
[[Category:United States Navy Indiana-related ships]]
[[Category:History of the United States Navy]]
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