 USSPrinceton in July 2012 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Princeton |
| Namesake | Battle of Princeton |
| Ordered | 16 December 1983 |
| Builder | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
| Laid down | 15 October 1986 |
| Launched | 2 October 1987 |
| Commissioned | 11 February 1989 |
| Homeport | San Diego |
| Identification |
|
| Motto | Honor and Glory |
| Status | in active service |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Ticonderoga-classcruiser |
| Displacement | Approx. 9,600 long tons (9,800 t) full load |
| Length | 567 feet (173 m) |
| Beam | 55 feet (16.8 meters) |
| Draft | 34 feet (10.2 meters) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 32.5 knots (60 km/h; 37.4 mph) |
| Complement | 30 officers and 300 enlisted |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 ×MH-60R SeahawkLAMPS Mk III helicopters. |
USSPrinceton (CG-59) is aTiconderoga-classguided missilecruiser serving in theUnited States Navy. Armed with naval guns and anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine missiles, plus other weapons, she is equipped for surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine warfare. She was previously home to twoSH-60B LAMPS Mk III Seahawk helicopters and now carries a pair of theMH-60R version of the Seahawk. This warship is named for theRevolutionary War victories over the British byGeorge Washington in and around the town ofPrinceton, New Jersey.
Princeton was the firstTiconderoga-class cruiser to carry the upgraded AN/SPY-1B radar system.
_and_USS_PRINCETON_(CG-59).jpg)
The ship wascommissioned on 11 February 1989 in theIngalls shipyard inPascagoula, Mississippi. After traveling through thePanama Canal,Princeton was home-ported at theLong Beach Naval Station,California.
In 1990,Princeton served as theflagship for the first US Navy visit to theSoviet Union's Pacific port ofVladivostok since beforeWorld War II. She sailed withReuben James. Before the visit was completed, the crew received word that their Pacific cruise was canceled. They returned to Long Beach and joined theRanger Battle Group preparing to deploy to thePersian Gulf.
_hull_crack.jpg)
On the morning of 18 February 1991, duringOperation Desert Storm,Princeton was patrolling 28 nautical miles (52 km) offFailaka Island in thePersian Gulf, on the west side of the decoyUnited States Marine Corps and naval invasion forces afloat. At exactly 7:15 AM local time twoItalian-made MN103 Manta bottom-mountedinfluence mines detonated, one just under the port rudder and the other just forward of the starboard bow, the second explosion most likely being asympathetic detonation caused by the first. The blasts cracked thesuperstructure, buckled three lines in the hull, jammed the port rudder, flooded the #3 switchboard room through chilled water pipe cracks, and damaged the starboard propeller shaft. Three crewmembers were injured, one seriously. Despite the severe damage, the forward weapons and the AEGIS combat system were back online within 15 minutes.
At great peril, the Canadian destroyerHMCS Athabaskan moved north through the minefield to deliver damage-control supplies to the severely damagedPrinceton, which remained on station for 31 hours until she was relieved.Princeton's commanding officer, Captain Edward Hontz, specifically requested the assistance ofAthabaskan despite the latter not originally assigned to the area. Unlike most ships of her size,Athabaskan could simultaneously operate two largeCH-124 Sea King helicopters, which could search out mines for long periods. As a gesture of solidarity, theAthabaskan's helicopters winched over seventeen cases of beer for the crew of thePrinceton,[1] sinceUnited States Navy vessels were dry.
Princeton, which suffered from a locked starboard propeller shaft and a locked port rudder, was guided through the minefield by the minesweeperAdroit. Temporary repairs were conducted first in Bahrain, and then in the port ofJebel Ali near Dubai by the dutydestroyer tenderAcadia, and finally in a Dubai drydock. After eight weeks,Princeton returned to the United States under the ship's power for additional repairs. The ship and her crew were awarded theCombat Action Ribbon.
Captain Edward Hontz turned over command to Captain J. Cutler Dawson before moving on to command the Aegis Training Command inDahlgren, Virginia. Future Chief of Naval Operations,Michael M. Gilday was serving aboardPrinceton as an officer during the ordeal, and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor for his actions.[2]
When the U.S. Naval Base in Long Beach was closed due toBRAC action, the home port ofPrinceton was moved toNaval Base San Diego.Princeton was overhauled from 1999 to 2000 inSan Diego, California. In 2003, the ship was assigned toCarrier Strike Group Three.[3]
While training in the Pacific Ocean, in November 2004Princeton trackedunidentified flying objects that were capable of accelerating and maneuvering at extraordinary speeds.Princeton subsequently contacted two NavyF/A-18F fighters fromNimitz who tracked and filmed their interactions with the objects. The incident was publicly disclosed in December 2017 with the revelation of the funding of theAdvanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program.[4]
On 21 July 2005,Princeton responded to a radio call from an Iraniandhow, namedHamid, that was dead in the water and in need of engineering assistance. A rescue and assistance team was dispatched toHamid where it was determined that the engine would not start due to corroded batteries that were low on power. The batteries were removed and brought back toPrinceton for maintenance, cleaning and recharging.Princeton rescue team restored power onboardHamid, restarted the engines, and then provided minor medical assistance and fresh water to the dhow's crew.[5]
In 2005, the warship was acting as an escort forCarrier Strike Group Eleven, led byNimitz, and was featured in the documentaryCarrier.[6] While in thePersian Gulf on the night of 12 September 2005, or the early morning of 13 September, during the filming of the documentary, a sailor fell overboard.[7][8] Despite a search lasting over five days, and covering a 360-square-mile (930 km2) area, the sailor was not found.[9]
In September 2010,Princeton was involved in the rescue of the hostages aboard the piratedMV Magellan Star in the Gulf of Aden.[10]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from theNaval Vessel Register.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1991 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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