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USS Vincennes (CG-49)
Encyclopedia
The fourth USS Vincennes (CG-49) is a U.S. Navy
Ticonderoga class
Aegis
guided missile
cruiser
. On July 3, 1988, the ship shot down Iran Air Flight 655
over the Persian Gulf
, killing all 290 civilian passengers on board, 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 normally carries guided missiles, rapid-fire cannons, and two Seahawk LAMPS
helicopters for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, personnel transfers, and other purposes.
She was sold for scrapping to International Shipbreaking in 2010.
The Vincennes was the first of the Ticonderoga-class cruisers to enter the Pacific Fleet. Upon commissioning in 1985, Vincennes helped test 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 efforts of two aircraft carrier
s and more than 40 ships from five nations. 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 Carl Vinson
and New Jersey
battle groups, operated with the 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.
and Iraq
war the United States took active measures in the Persian Gulf to protect shipping, mainly oil tankers, that were being threatened by both countries.
On 14 April 1988, the guided missile frigate hit a mine in the Persian Gulf during Operation Earnest Will
. Six days later, Vincennes was re-deployed 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 Persian 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.
, fired two radar-guided missiles and shot down an Iran Air
Airbus A300
civilian airliner over the Strait of Hormuz
, killing all 290 passengers and crew on board. According to Captain Rogers, there had earlier been an attack on the Vincennes by Iranian motor boats. Crucially, the Vincennes then misidentified the Iranian Airbus as an attacking F-14 Tomcat
fighter
. A radio warning had been sent to the aircraft on military wavelength.
The Iranian government has maintained that the Vincennes knowingly shot down the civilian aircraft. Iran Air flight IR655 flew every day out of Bandar Abbas—a civil as well as military airport—on a scheduled passenger flight to Dubai using established air lanes. The Italian navy and another US warship, the frigate Sides, confirmed that the plane was climbing—not diving to attack—at the time of the missile strike. The US radio warnings were only broadcast on emergency radio frequencies, not air traffic control frequencies, so the Airbus crew could have misinterpreted the warnings as referring to another aircraft. Captain David Carlson of the USS Sides later said that the destruction of the airliner "marked the horrifying climax to Rogers' aggressiveness".
The shooting down of the plane has continued to be the subject of fierce debate.
In February 1990, Vincennes was deployed on a third six-month tour of the western Pacific and Indian oceans, with 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 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 21 December 1991.
In June 1994, Vincennes departed on a fifth western Pacific deployment 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 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 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 was the fourth in a series of experiments that tested new combat systems and procedures at 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.
On 23 March 2001, Vincennes, as part of the Kitty Hawk 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 23–27 August 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.
in Naval Base Kitsap
, which is located in Bremerton, Washington. As of 2008 she was slated for scrapping within the next five years along with her sisters Thomas S. Gates
and Yorktown
.http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/navy_shipdisposal_080223w/
On 9 July 2010, a contract to scrap Vincennes was issued to International Shipbreaking, Brownsville, Tx.
As of 21 Nov 2010, Ex-Vincennes arrived via Panama Canal to International Shipbreaking in Brownsville, Texas. The Vincennes was shown in pictures taken in May, 2011 to be nearly completed in scrapping.
_marker.jpg)
The Vincennes has been awarded the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
, the Battle Efficiency "E" three times, the Combat Action Ribbon
, the National Defense Service Medal
, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with four stars.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Ticonderoga class
Ticonderoga class cruiser
The Ticonderoga class of missile cruisers is a class of warships in the United States Navy, first ordered and authorized in FY 1978. The class uses phased-array radar and was originally planned as a class of destroyers...
Aegis
Aegis combat system
The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
guided missile
Guided Missile
Guided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
. On July 3, 1988, the ship shot down Iran Air Flight 655
Iran Air Flight 655
Iran Air Flight 655 was a civilian jet airliner shot down by U.S. missiles on 3 July 1988, over the Strait of Hormuz, toward the end of the Iran–Iraq War...
over the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, killing all 290 civilian passengers on board, including 38 non-Iranians and 66 children.
The ship was launched 14 April 1984 and sponsored by Marilyn Quayle
Marilyn Quayle
Marilyn Tucker Quayle is an American lawyer, novelist, and political figure who is the wife of former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle and held the unofficial title of Second Lady of the United States from 1989 until 1993....
, wife of Indiana Senator Dan Quayle
Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
. The Vincennes was named for the Battle of Vincennes
Battle of Vincennes
The Illinois campaign was a series of events in the American Revolutionary War in which a small force of Virginia militiamen led by George Rogers Clark seized control of several British posts in the Illinois country, in what is now the Midwestern United States...
during the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, while the previous Vincennes heavy cruiser and Vincennes light cruiser were named for the city of Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
. She was commissioned at Pascagoula 6 July 1985, Captain George N. Gee in command. The ship normally carries guided missiles, rapid-fire cannons, and two Seahawk LAMPS
Light airborne multi-purpose system
Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System is the United States Navy's program that developed manned helicopters that assist the surface fleet in anti-submarine warfare.*SH-2 Seasprite *SH-60 Seahawk...
helicopters for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, personnel transfers, and other purposes.
She was sold for scrapping to International Shipbreaking in 2010.
1980s
RIM-66 Standard
The RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
surface-to-air missile. In May 1986, Vincennes participated in the multinational exercise RIMPAC
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime exercise. Conducted biennially , it is hosted and administered by the United States Navy, with the United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, and Hawaii National Guard forces under the leadership of...
86, coordinating the anti-aircraft warfare efforts of two aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s and more than 40 ships from five nations. The Vincennes was deployed in August 1986 to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
s, a first for a Tico cruiser. The ship served as anti-air warfare commander with the Carl Vinson
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
The USS Carl Vinson is the third United States Navy Nimitz class supercarrier and is named after Carl Vinson, a Congressman from Georgia. Carl Vinson's callsign is "Gold Eagle". It played host to the first NCAA basketball game on an aircraft carrier on 11/11/11 between the University of North...
and New Jersey
USS New Jersey (BB-62)
USS New Jersey , is an , and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of New Jersey. New Jersey earned more battle stars for combat actions than the other three completed Iowa-class battleships, and is the only U.S...
battle groups, operated with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
and the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, and steamed more than 46,000 miles (74,000 km) in waters from the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
to the Indian Ocean.
Persian Gulf
During the IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
war the United States took active measures in the Persian Gulf to protect shipping, mainly oil tankers, that were being threatened by both countries.
On 14 April 1988, the guided missile frigate hit a mine in the Persian Gulf during Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...
. Six days later, Vincennes was re-deployed from Fleet Exercise 88-1, sent back to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
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
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important waterway between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf. On the north coast is Iran and on the south coast is the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman....
. One month later, the cruiser entered the Persian Gulf, and in early July, stood guard in the Strait as the damaged frigate was borne out on the Mighty Servant 2
Mighty Servant 2
Mighty Servant 2 was a 29,000-ton heavy-lift ship operated by Dockwise, noted for transporting from Dubai to Newport, Rhode Island, in 1988.The ship was built in 1983 by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd...
heavy-lift ship. The ship made 14 Hormuz transits during its Earnest Will operations.
Civilian airliner shot down
On 3 July 1988, Vincennes, under the command of Captain Will Rogers IIIWilliam C. Rogers III
William C. Rogers III, is a former officer in the United States Navy, most notable as the captain of USS Vincennes, a Ticonderoga class Aegis cruiser...
, fired two radar-guided missiles and shot down an Iran Air
Iran Air
Iran Air , formally Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the flag carrier airline of Iran, operating services to 60 destinations, 35 international and 25 domestic. The cargo fleet operates services to 20 scheduled and 5 charter destinations...
Airbus A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
civilian airliner over the Strait of Hormuz
Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow, strategically important waterway between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf. On the north coast is Iran and on the south coast is the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman....
, killing all 290 passengers and crew on board. According to Captain Rogers, there had earlier been an attack on the Vincennes by Iranian motor boats. Crucially, the Vincennes then misidentified the Iranian Airbus as an attacking F-14 Tomcat
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
. A radio warning had been sent to the aircraft on military wavelength.
The Iranian government has maintained that the Vincennes knowingly shot down the civilian aircraft. Iran Air flight IR655 flew every day out of Bandar Abbas—a civil as well as military airport—on a scheduled passenger flight to Dubai using established air lanes. The Italian navy and another US warship, the frigate Sides, confirmed that the plane was climbing—not diving to attack—at the time of the missile strike. The US radio warnings were only broadcast on emergency radio frequencies, not air traffic control frequencies, so the Airbus crew could have misinterpreted the warnings as referring to another aircraft. Captain David Carlson of the USS Sides later said that the destruction of the airliner "marked the horrifying climax to Rogers' aggressiveness".
The shooting down of the plane has continued to be the subject of fierce debate.
1990s
SH-60 Seahawk
The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.The...
helicopters from HSL-45 Det 13. The ship coordinated all battle group air events and served as the command-and-control flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
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 Independence
USS Independence (CV-62)
The fifth USS Independence is a of the United States Navy. It was the fourth and final member of the Forrestal-class conventional-powered Supercarrier...
, 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
Republic of Singapore Navy
The Republic of Singapore Navy is the naval component of the Singapore Armed Forces , responsible for the defence of Singapore against sea-borne threats and protection of its sea lines of communications. Operating within the crowded littoral waters of the Singapore Strait, the RSN is regarded as...
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
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
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 Kitty Hawk
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
The supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk , formerly CVA-63, was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight...
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 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 Belleau Wood
USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3)
USS Belleau Wood , nicknamed "Devil Dog", was the second ship named after the battle of Belleau Wood in World War I. Her keel was laid down on 5 March 1973 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding. She was launched on 11 April 1977, and commissioned on 23 September 1978, with Captain T.C...
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
Foal Eagle
Foal Eagle is an annual combined Field Training Exercise conducted between the Republic of Korea and United States armed forces under the auspices of Combined Forces Command within the Korean Theater of Operations . It is one of the largest military exercises conducted annually in the world...
, a regularly scheduled exercise that simulates the defense of the Republic of Korea. Sponsored by the Navy Warfare Development Command
Navy Warfare Development Command
The mission of the United States Navy Navy Warfare Development Command is stated thus: "NWDC serves as the Navy’s champion for the rapid generation and development of innovative, game changing solutions in concepts and doctrine to enhance maritime capability at the operational level across the...
, 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 SeaSouth China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. 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.
On 23 March 2001, Vincennes, as part of the Kitty Hawk Battle Group, cruised into Changi Naval Base
Changi Naval Base
Changi Naval Base is the latest naval facility of the Republic of Singapore Navy and was built to replace Brani Naval Base. Located about 1.5 kilometres east of Changi Air Base and 3.5 kilometres east of Singapore Changi Airport, the base was built on 1.28 km² of reclaimed land, it was...
, the first time a U.S. carrier had moored pierside in Singapore. The Vincennes took part in a 23–27 August 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 was mothballed at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance FacilityNaval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility
A Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility is a facility owned by the U.S. Navy as a holding facility for decommissioned naval vessels, pending determination of their final fate...
in Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Base Kitsap is a U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. It was created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor...
, which is located in Bremerton, Washington. As of 2008 she was slated for scrapping within the next five years along with her sisters Thomas S. Gates
USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51)
USS Thomas S. Gates is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the United States Navy. The warship is named after Thomas S. Gates, Secretary of Defense in the last years of the Eisenhower Administration . Thomas S. Gates was laid down 31 August 1984 at Bath Iron Works, Maine and sponsored by Anne Gates,...
and Yorktown
USS Yorktown (CG-48)
USS Yorktown was a in the United States Navy from 1984 to 2004, named for the American Revolutionary War Battle of Yorktown.-History:...
.http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/navy_shipdisposal_080223w/
On 9 July 2010, a contract to scrap Vincennes was issued to International Shipbreaking, Brownsville, Tx.
As of 21 Nov 2010, Ex-Vincennes arrived via Panama Canal to International Shipbreaking in Brownsville, Texas. The Vincennes was shown in pictures taken in May, 2011 to be nearly completed in scrapping.
Awards
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
, the Battle Efficiency "E" three times, the Combat Action Ribbon
Combat Action Ribbon
The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy and Coast Guard , have actively participated in ground or...
, the National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with four stars.
Commanding officers
- Captain George N. Gee, 6 July 1985 – 11 April 1987
- Captain Will C. Rogers IIIWilliam C. Rogers IIIWilliam C. Rogers III, is a former officer in the United States Navy, most notable as the captain of USS Vincennes, a Ticonderoga class Aegis cruiser...
, 11 April 1987 – 27 May 1989 - Captain Robert B. Lynch, 27 May 1989 – 26 April 1991
- Captain Thomas C. J. McGinlay, 26 April 1991 – 27 March 1993
- Captain Charles R. Burchell, 27 March 1993 – 6 January 1995
- Captain Craig H. Murray, 27 March 1993 – 21 March 1997
- Commander Alan G. Maiorano, 21 March 1997 – 23 October 1998
- Commander Samuel Perez, Jr.Samuel Perez, Jr.Samuel Perez, Jr., a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, is the current commander, Carrier Strike Group 1.-Early life:Rear Admiral Samuel Perez, Jr., a native of El Paso, Texas, graduated from the United States Naval Academy on May 28, 1980.-Career:...
, 23 October 1998 – 17 April 2000 - Commander Robert A. Shafer, 17 April 2000 – 12 April 2002
- Commander Steven A. Lott, 12 April 2002 – 4 February 2004
- Commander Mark J. Englebert, 4 February 2004 – 1 July 2005
In fiction
- In the Tom ClancyTom ClancyThomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
novel Red Storm RisingRed Storm RisingRed Storm Rising is a 1986 techno-thriller novel by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond about a Third World War in Europe between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces, set around the mid-1980s...
, Vincennes is one of three missile cruisers sent to protect U.S. forces fighting to liberate IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
from Soviet occupation. When Soviet aircraft fire anti-ship missiles at U.S. amphibious assault shipAmphibious assault shipAn amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault...
s, Vincennes unleashes anti-missile missiles at the incoming "vampires".