USS SAN JACINTO CG 56 (Ticonderoga Class Missile Cruiser)

Deployment – Mediterranean Sea & Persian Gulf January – August 2010

Stephanie E. Wilson, ENS USN

USS San Jacinto (CG-56)

 

USS San Jacinto (CG‐56) 

Career (USA)  

Name:  USS San Jacinto 

Namesake:  Battle of San Jacinto 

Operator:   United States Navy 

Ordered:  20 June 1983 

Builder:  Ingalls Shipbuilding 

Laid down:  24 July 1985 

Launched:  14 November 1986 

Commissioned:  23 January 1988 

Homeport:  Norfolk, Virginia 

Motto:  Victory Is Certain 

Nickname:  San Jac 

Status:  in active service, as of 2011 

 

Badge: 

 

General characteristics 

Class and type:  Ticonderoga‐class cruiser 

Displacement:  approx. 9,600 long tons (9,750 

t) full load 

Length:  567 feet (173 m) 

Beam:  55 feet (16.8 meters) 

Draught:  34 feet (10.2 meters) 

Propulsion:  4 × General Electric LM2500 Gas Turbine Engines, 80,000 shaft horsepower (60,000 kW) 2 × Controllable-Reversible Pitch Propellers

2 × Rudders 

Speed:  32.5 knots (60 km/h) 

Complement:  33 Officers, 27 Chief Petty 

Officers, approx. 340 enlisted 

Sensors and 

processing 

systems: 

AN/SPY‐1A/B multi‐function 

radar 

AN/SPS‐49 air search radar 

AN/SPG‐62 fire control radar 

AN/SPS‐73 surface search radar 

AN/SPQ‐9 gun fire control radar 

AN/SQQ‐89(V)3 Sonar suite, 

consisting of  

AN/SQS‐53B/C/D Active sonar 

AN/SQR‐19 TACTAS Passive sonar 

AN/SQQ‐28 Light airborne multi‐purpose system 

AN/SLQ‐32 Electronic Warfare 

Suite 

Armament:  2 × 61 cell Mk 41 vertical launch 

systems 

122 × Mix of RIM‐66M‐5 

Standard SM‐2MR Block IIIB, 

RIM‐156 SM‐2ER Block IV, RIM‐

162A ESSM, RIM‐174A Standard 

ERAM, BGM‐109 Tomahawk, or 

RUM‐139 VL‐Asroc 

8 × RGM‐84 Harpoon missiles 

2 × Mk 45 Mod 2 5 in / 54 cal 

lightweight gun 

2 × 25 mm Mk 38 gun 

2–4 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) gun 

2 × Phalanx CIWS Block 1B 

2 × Mk 32 12.75 in (324 mm) 

triple torpedo tubes 

Aircraft carried:  2 × Sikorsky SH‐60B or MH‐60R 

Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters. 

USS San Jacinto (CG-56) is a Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the United States Navy. She is named for the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.

The "San Jac" was built at Pascagoula, Mississippi and commissioned 23 January 1988 by then Vice President George H. W. Bush in Houston, Texas. She completed her fitting out & work-ups, then deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in late March 1989, returning in October. While San Jacinto' and her sistership Philippine Sea were underway off the Virginia coast performing testing of their Mk 7 AEGIS weapons systems (SPY-1A & Standard Missiles), the Iraqi army invaded and occupied Kuwait. The next day Philippine Sea detached and headed back to Mayport, Florida. The day after that, San Jacinto returned to her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia to prepare for the massive sortie to the Middle East.

After CINCLANT had all their ships provisioned, barely 5 days later, San Jacinto headed for the Mediterranean. Other ships in the battle group included USS America (CV-66), Philippine Sea, and USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67).

She fired the opening shots of Operation Desert Storm with the launch of two BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles, firing a total of 16 missiles during the 43-day war. She was also the first ship of her class to be deployed with a full load of 122 missiles.[1] While stationed in a search area at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in the Red Sea, her VBSS (Visit/Boarding/Search/Seizure) teams inspected several dozen ships for contraband being smuggled for the Iraqi government. The crew came to call that duty station 'San-Jacircles' or 'San-Jac in the Box'.

During the 2000-2001 deployment of Carrier Group Two, San Jacinto had aboard Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light 42 (HSL-42) Det 8 with two SH-60B Seahawks.[2]

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

121-N-5087R-085 NORFOLK (Jan. 21, 2010) The guided missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) leaves Norfolk for a seven month deployment. (U. S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lauren G. Randall)

100718-N-1082Z-073 SUEZ CANAL (July 18, 2010) The guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and the amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) pass under the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge. Mesa Verde is part of the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation operations in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky/Released)

By Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Ja’lon A. Rhinehart, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs

USS SAN JACINTO, At Sea (NNS) -- During the first five months of her deployment, the Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) has interdicted several skiffs, captured pirates and played a key role in keeping sea lanes safe. USS San Jacinto left Norfolk on a seven-month deployment to the Gulf of Aden January 21, in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151's counter-piracy mission. Typically, Aegis cruisers are utilized as a primary air defense platform to support amphibious or expeditionary readiness groups. Due to the diversity of the current battlespace, however, USS San Jacinto's primary duties have changed to support CTF 151. "Recently Aegis cruisers have been tasked with visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) and anti-piracy operations," stated Fire Controlman 1st Class Christopher Ladera, a member of USS San Jacinto's VBSS team. "With the changing threat in the world, I think we play an important role in helping suppress piracy." USS San Jacinto, at less than 600 feet long, is considered a comparatively small and maneuverable warship. Armed with offensive and defensive weapons systems, multi-function radars, two rigid-hull inflatable boats and two SH-60B Sea Hawk helicopters, not to mention a highly-trained VBSS team, it can respond quickly to changes in counter-piracy conditions. "San Jacinto is a multi-mission ship," said Commanding Officer Capt. John Cordle. "As an independent deployer, we are capable of plugging into any strike group or task force. This requires a great deal of flexibility and a good grounding in the basics." USS San Jacinto's VBSS team gained the confidence to conduct the counter-piracy mission with an extensive training program which included schools, training exercises and weapons qualifications. "Preparing for deployment was a deployment in itself," Ladera recalled. "Once the VBSS schools were completed, it was very important for us as a team to become familiar with communications, tactical movements, and physical fitness." The intense training was crucial to USS San Jacinto's success in their new role countering piracy, said VBSS team boarding officer Lt. j.g. Sam Williard. "We keep our focus on the basics and get the little things right, and the big things fall right into place." On May 31, USS San Jacinto disrupted nine suspected Somali pirates from attacking a Maltese-flagged motor vessel. Earlier in the month, the ship had rescued five Yemeni mariners from 13 suspected Somali pirates, while conducting routine counter narcotics operations 68 miles southeast of Ras Fartak, Yemen. Despite the ship's record of success in countering piracy and the approaching end of the ship's deployment cycle, the crew remains at the ready for the next attack. "We knew before we deployed that we would largely be focused on the mission of counter-piracy, but it's impossible to accurately predict what the level of piracy activity will be or when and where an attack will take place," Williard noted.

By Lt. j.g. Kyra D. Lassiter, USS San Jacinto Public Affairs

USS SAN JACINTO, Gulf of Aden (NNS) -- USS San Jacinto (CG 56) disrupted nine Somali pirates from attacking a Maltese-flagged motor vessel May 31, bringing the cruiser's weekly total to 22 pirates interdicted. San Jacinto responded to a distress call from the M/V Avenue Beauty, which was transiting 90 miles north of Somalia when she reported that she was under attack by pirates. Upon hearing gun shots, the vessels master sounded the general alarm and directed the crew to execute counter-piracy measures which caused the pirate skiff to call off their attack and speed away. San Jacinto quickly responded to the attack and followed the pirate skiff with her helicopter, Proud Warrior 433. Aboard the aircraft, Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Casey Halliwell tracked the pirate skiff on radar as it headed south toward the Somali coast at a high rate of speed. The skiff, with nine pirates aboard, failed to comply with Proud Warrior's order to stop. Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Corey Whittle fired warning shots across the bow and stern of the skiff, compelling the pirates to stop their vessel. In the early morning of June 1, San Jacinto sent a boarding team with U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment and San Jacinto Sailors to the pirate skiff. The boarding team quickly took control of the vessel and searched the skiff and pirates, who had previously thrown their weapons, ammunition, and pirate paraphernalia overboard. The pirates were released in the skiff after the boarding team confiscated one engine and several gallons of fuel, ensuring they could reach shore while limiting their ability to continue piracy attempts. Earlier in the month, San Jacinto rescued five Yemeni mariners from 13 Somali pirates, while conducting routine counter narcotics operations 68 miles southeast of Ras Fartak, Yemen. The pirates were turned over to Yemeni Naval Forces. U.S. forces conduct Maritime Security Operations (MSO) to help set the conditions for security in the maritime environment. From security arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists' use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

For more information and awards to: http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=14542.

Alicante, Spain – July 28th 2010

Awards!~

Coming Home!

Ensign Stephanie E. Wilson returns from Persian Gulf & Mediterranean deployment! ENS Wilson is the shortest sailor on board (on flight deck in Aft (rear), 3 rows up in the middle). The USS San Jacinto is a TX vessel; traveled over 40,000 nautical miles (Atlantic, Mediterranean, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean & Persian Gulf); completed multinational exercises with 7 countries; disrupted several Piracy events rescuing a Yemeni fishing vessel and preventing pirates from boarding a merchant vessel; assisted two merchant vessels with medical evacuations; flew over 850 air hours (hilos); completed 170 missions; reenlisted 28 sailors, promoted over 50 sailors, qualified over 125 sailors as enlisted Surface Warfare Specialists and 13 as Air Warfare Specialists, and numerous Junior Officers as Surface Warfare Specialists (including ENS Wilson). Great to have her home safe!