USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55)
.jpg) Leyte Gulf in the Arabian Sea, 2001 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Order | June 20, 1983 |
| Keel laying | March 18, 1985 |
| Launch | June 20, 1986 |
| 1. Period of service |
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|
| Commissioning | September 26, 1987 |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
9750 tons |
| length |
173 meters |
| width |
16.80 meters |
| Draft |
10.2 meters |
| crew |
approx. 390 |
| drive |
Four gas turbines, two shafts with a total of 80,000 hp |
| speed |
30+ knots |
| Armament |
2 launchers for anti-ship missiles, 2 triple torpedo launchers, 2 guns 127 mm, 122 VLS cells |
The USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55) is a guided missile cruiser of the Ticonderoga-class cruiser .
history
The Leyte Gulf was commissioned by Ingalls Shipbuilding in 1983 and laid down at the Group's shipyard in March 1985. After a 14-month construction period, the ship was launched and was officially put into service in September 1987. The ship was named after the sea and air battle in the Gulf of Leyte .
The Leyte Gulf drove missions in the Persian Gulf in the Second Gulf War , it was also involved in the shelling of Iraq with cruise missiles . Their main task, however, was the air defense for the porters who were in the Gulf. After a brief overhaul in 1993/1994, the cruiser moved to the Red Sea in July 94, where she took part in Operation Southern Watch . When Iraqi troops marched on the Kuwait border in October, the Leyte Gulf began a top speed voyage (3,600 nautical miles in five days) and was the first American warship to sail off the coast of Kuwait to fly the flag.
In 1996 the Leyte Gulf collided with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during a training exercise when it suddenly slowed down. The rear of the aircraft carrier and the bow of the cruiser were badly damaged, and the repairs were worth $ 16 million.
In 1999 the Leyte Gulf took part in the Operation Allied Force in the Mediterranean, and in 2001 with the combat group around the USS Theodore Roosevelt in Operation Enduring Freedom .
In 2004 the cruiser moved as part of the combat group around the USS Wasp to a mission that in turn led to the Mediterranean. In May 2008, the Leyte Gulf took part in Fleet Week in New York City under the leadership of the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) . In early 2011, the cruiser moved alongside the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in European waters and further into the Indian Ocean, where the group was used to keep the sea lanes clear. In the second half of 2019, the USS Leyte Gulf took part in surveillance trips in the Strait of Hormuz within the aircraft carrier combat group around the USS Abraham Lincoln in order to ensure free navigation there. This mission ended on January 4, 2020 with the return to homeport Norfolk, Virginia .
Web links
- Entry in the Naval Vessel Register (Engl.)
- Official Homepage (Engl.)