USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) is a 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...

 guided-missile 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...

 serving in the United States Navy

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...

. She is named for the naval Battle of Mobile Bay

Battle of Mobile Bay

The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was an engagement of the American Civil War in which a Federal fleet commanded by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Adm...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 in 1864. She is currently on deployment to 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...

, providing support for the John C. Stennis Strikegroup.

Design and construction

The ship was ordered from Ingalls Shipbuilding

Ingalls Shipbuilding

Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...

 on 15 January 1982. She was laid down on 6 June 1984, launched on 22 August 1985, and commissioned into the USN on 21 February 1987.

With guided missiles and rapid-fire cannons, she is capable of defeating threats in the air, on the sea, on shore, and undersea. She carries the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile which played an integral part in the strikes on Iraqi targets during the opening stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. She also carries 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...

 multi-purpose helicopters, but mainly for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). She is also capable of conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations, and carries a fully trained boarding team.

Operational history

After commissioning, MOBILE BAY joined the U. S. Atlantic Fleet, arriving at its Mayport, Florida, homeport in March 1987. Following a year of crew qualifications, tests and systems trials, MOBILE BAY embarked on its maiden deployment on 11 May 1989. During this cruise, MOBILE BAY earned its first two awards: the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Services Expeditionary Medal, for operations conducted in the Gulf of Oman.

In June of 1990, MOBILE BAY shifted homeports from Mayport, Florida to Yokosuka, Japan. Shortly thereafter, MOBILE BAY deployed in August 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield and Storm, becoming the first Aegis cruiser to circumnavigate the globe. In 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...

, the ship distinguished itself by becoming the first Battle Force Anti-Air Warfare Commander to control a four-carrier Task Force. MOBILE BAY launched 22 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile strikes, and controlling carrier-launched attack aircraft that contributed to the complete destruction of the Iraqi Navy.

In May of 1991, MOBILE BAY was ordered to Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, to participate in Operation Fiery Vigil, the evacuation of thousands of people displaced by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. In December 1991, MOBILE BAY began work-ups for a spring 1992 Persian Gulf deployment.

On 15 April 1992, MOBILE BAY once again set sail for the Persian Gulf. En route, the ship and crew visited Sydney, Australia, to represent the U. S. Navy at the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Battle of Coral Sea. Sailing through the Straits of Hormuz in late May 1992, the ship began duties as the Persian Gulf Anti-Air Warfare Commander. MOBILE BAY also played a vital role in Operation Southern Watch, the enforcement of the U. N.-mandated "No Fly Zone" over Southern Iraq. Returning to Japan in October, MOBILE BAY participated in ANNUALEX-92, a major naval exercise involving units of the U. S. Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. MOBILE BAY served as the Anti-Air Warfare Commander for a joint U. S. - Japanese flotilla.

After participating in SPRING TRAINING-93 off the coast of Australia, she made an historic visit to the Russian seaport of Vladivostok

Vladivostok

The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...

 in September 1993. Accompanying her was the .

Mobile Bay was deployed to East Timor

East Timor

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

 as part of the Australian-led INTERFET

INTERFET

The International Force for East Timor was a multinational peacekeeping taskforce, mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security crisis which took place in East Timor from 1999–2000 until the arrival of United Nations peacekeepers...

 peacekeeping taskforce from 20 September to 5 October 1999. As the most capable air defense vessel available, the ship was placed in charge of air defence, although the U.S. requests for screening Mobile Bay necessitated a considerable degree of effort by other ships of the force.

Mobile Bay operated in support of the U.S. invasion of Iraq from 17 June to 17 December 2004. The ship was later awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal

Iraq Campaign Medal

The Iraq Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004. The Iraq Campaign Medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry....

.

In 2006, the cruiser was deployed to the Western Pacific, where she served as the Air Defense Commander for the Carrier Strike Group.

On 16 February 2007, Mobile Bay was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award. The ship completed a 10-month overhaul in early 2010.

On 8 April 2011, the ship was given a failing grade of "unsatisfactory" in its INSURV

Board of Inspection and Survey

The Board of Inspection and Survey is a U.S. Navy organization whose purpose is to inspect and assess material condition of Naval vessels.The Board is currently headquartered at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia.- INSURV teams :...

 inspection, mainly for problems with the ship's propulsion, operations, aviation, and communication. A remedial inspection was scheduled for late April 2011.

External links

• Official Navy web site
• USS Mobile Bay webpage
• USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) command histories – Naval History & Heritage Command