Yorktown (CG 48) - Naval Cruise Book

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ILISSYCRKTCWN Standing Naval Force Atlantic Cruise 1994 - 1995 a Vict ory is O u r Tra dit USSYORKTOWN U

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Heritage, Mission And History USS YORKTOWN QCG 481, named after the decisive battle of our revolutionary war, is the fifth ship to be so named. The first YORKTOWN, a sloop-of-war commissioned in 1840, made several cruises off the coast of Western Africa in support of efforts to curtail the slave trade. The second YORKTOWN was a steel-hulled from the keel up to utilize every capability of the aWSS0me Aegis Combat System' Yonkrown can operate in all environments, take on the bGSl any enemy can muster, and win! The Aegis Combat System takes its name frOm the emblematic breastplate worn by Zeus and Athena in Greek mythology. lt represents POWER intelligence, and strategy. The Aegis system epitomizes the symbolism of its name, embodying America's finest technology, extraordinary sophistication, and high maintainability. YORKTOWN is a true force multipliern. Standing alone, she is the finest anti-air warfare platform in the world. ln company with other U.S.and NATO warships, YORKTOJVN gunboat commissioned in ,,5,2'2 3'2N:xQX dramati- V x 1889. She became a part Oi!! TXQXX sally of naval history in 1892 XX. by conducting the first ffl successful test of a X telescopic gunsight, j J uh thus ushering in the age of modern naval gunnery. The third YORKTOWN CCV 51 was commissioned in QI, ,Axe ree 'htthtt ' Te A 1937 and fought gallantly throughout the early part of the 'XX 1, .Q Pacific campaign l Q ill' A A . during World war ii. xx 1 ltmmm o ,y She was sunk in fierce XR ff combat at the Battle 4 , - ,I increases f' xxx MQ li XXX UQ ft-J 1 X lj r ri Ars '15 li 11 . 1,9 If Ill ll .4 A, 'i' l ., , if ri ro 4 gl' N ' f Xx jff XXX ,ff xxbxbxx fxfzcff F I t h e 1 r of Midway in 1942. The fourth YORKTOWN QCV 101 was commissioned in 1943 and saw extensive action in the Pacific Theater from 1943 to 1945. A stalwart of the U.S. aircraft carrier inventory for over twenty-five years, she was decommissioned in 1970 after completing several cruises in support of warfighting efforts in Vietnam. Today's YORKTOWN represents the finest example of the United States Navy warfighting potential at sea, built ,x If , USS YORKTOWN combined effectiveness as a result of a superb command and control capability and the accuracy of the big picture which YORKTOWN systems can synergize. Commissioned July 4, 1984, at Yorktown, Virginia, YORKTOWN prooooded immediately to work up for a major series of shook trials. Following these highly successful trials, the Commander in Chief, U,S, Atlantic Fleet stated. USS YORKTOWN, by the dedicated efforts of her crew, established a new benchmark of excellence in the preparation and conduct of these trials and demonstrated clearly the capability to endure and fight in a severe shock environment. Since comm issioning, YORKTOWN has completed four highly successful Mediterranean deployments. The first, from August 1985 to April 1986, involved most notably the dramatic Achille Lauro hijacker intercept, two Black Sea excursions, and three operations off the Libyan coast. During the second deployment from September 1987 to March 1988, YORKTOWN participated in numerous U.S. and NATO exercises, as well as multi- national exercises with Morocco, France, West Germany, Tunisia, and Turkey. It was on this Mediterranean deployment that YORKTOWN gained world- wide publicity for operations conducted in the Black Sea. While exercising the right of innocent passage through Soviet claimed territorial waters, a Soviet warship intentionally collided with YORKTOWN in what some observers have called the last incident of the Cold War. YORKTOWN served as a stabilizing force during her third and fourth Mediterranean deployments, while the world watched in wonder at the end of the Cold War and the tremendous coalition victory in Desert Storm. During the latter of these two deployments, YORKTOWN participated in the first U.S. military exercises with the Romanian and Bulgarian navies, and played a key role in Operation Provide Comfort, which provided humanitarian relief and security for the Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq. ln the summer of 1992, YORKTOWN participated in BALTOPS 92, a multi-national naval exercise conducted in and around the Baltic Sea. During this cruise, YORKTOWN made a lllghly 5CClailT1ed port visit to Severomorsk, Russia, becoming the first U.S. ship to visit that port since the end of World War II, YORKTO Flagship for Commander Ti s Group 4.1, and Task Groll eil, Warfare Commander duliinlr Counter-Drug Operations in thi! Caribbean in Mayxjuly lgge Sophisticated air surveillani systems and state of the . ar communications equipment were key to YORKTOWNS significant role in stemming the flow of illicit drugs into the United States during this period, ln August 1993 YORKTOWN transited to thg North Atlantic to take partir, Exercise Solid Stance, military exercise consisting of forces from the United States and eight European nations, This exercise, which gathered important data on modern naval warfare in a littoral environment, was one of the Hrst major testing grounds forthe Navy's . . . From the Seal vision for the future. YORKTOWNS operations through the end of 1993 included an October-November excursion to the Caribbean to support the United Nations embargo of Haiti. While on station, YORKTOWN served as Flagship for Commander Joint Task Group 120.1, conducting over thirty queries and five boardings of Haiti-bound merchant vessels. YORKTOWN received the Atlantic Fleet's Top Gun award for outstanding naval gunfire support CNGFSQ in 1987 and was the first ship ever to scored perfect 100'X, in all five required Naval Gunfire Support exercises in February, 1989, at Vieflllesi Puerto Rico. ln 199lr YORKTOWN was awarded the coveted Old Crow's award f0f Electronic Warfare excellence. lr 1992, YORKTOWN Wit honored with the Maflolle Sterrett Battleship Fund Wald WN Served a H joint for superb, Sustained Combal readiness, YORKTOWN hs, also been awarded tW0 lxlal . a Unit Commendati0r1S and Meritorious Unit C0mmendafliJlile and is a three-time winners? coveted Battle Efficierlfly ' 1, i 1 l I l I l I I r l I 1 1 l l r