SITE NAVIGATION

SHIP SPECIFIC INFORMATION

TYPE	GUIDED MISSILE CRUISER (CG)
CLASS	TICONDEROGA
OFFICIAL NAME	USS PHILIPPINE SEA
PENNANT NUMBER	58
NICKNAME	N/A
MOTTO	ETERNAL VIGILANCE
BUILDER	BATH IRON WORKS
CONTRACT AWARD DATE	12/27/1983
KEEL LAYING DATE	05/08/1986
LAUNCH DATE	07/12/1987
DELIVERY DATE	01/27/1989
COMMISSION DATE	03/18/1989
PLANNING YARD	INGALLS SHIPBUILDING, PASCAGOULA, MS
NAVSEA PMS	400
CUSTODIAN	US NAVY
STATUS	ACTIVE DUTY
HOMEPORT	MAYPORT, FL
MAILING ADDRESS	FPO, AA, 34092-1178
UIC (UNIT IDENT. CODE)	21429
TYPE COMMANDER	SURFLANT
FLEET COMMAND	N/A
GROUP COMMAND	CRUDESGRU 12
SQUADRON COMMAND	N/A

Aegis Guided Missile Cruisers, TICONDEROGA Class

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CG 58 | USS PHILIPPINE SEA

Namesake:

Battle of the Philippine Sea

The ship's name commemorates the World War II Battle of the Philippine Sea, fought near the Marianas Islands in June 1944, in which U.S. Naval forces destroyed over 400 Japanese planes and three aircraft carriers. The first Navy ship to be named USS PHILIPPINE SEA (CV 47) was an aircraft carrier of the famed "Essex" class. Commissioned in 1946, the first USS PHILIPPINE SEA saw nearly continuous action throughout the 1950-1953 Korean conflict, receiving nine battle stars for its service. The ship was decommissioned in 1958.

Historical Notes:

The USS PHILIPPINE SEA (CG 58) was commissioned in March 1989 and is homeported in Mayport, Florida. The ship's first deployment to the Mediterranean and Red Seas came in 1990 as part of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During Desert Storm, the ship fired ten Tomahawk cruise missiles and boarded many merchant vessels during coalition actions against Iraq. For its service, PHILIPPINE SEA received the Navy Unit Commendation, the Southwest Asia Service Medal and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. While deployed, the ship transited the Suez Canal six times and visited Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, returning home in the spring of 1991.

Later in 1991, the ship served as the flagship for a joint task force conducting counterdrug operations in the Caribbean, earning the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. In May 1992, PHILIPPINE SEA sailed again to the Mediterranean and Red Seas. While deployed, the ship made two Suez Canal transits and boarded thirty-nine vessels in support of United Nations sanctions against Iraq, earning a second Southwest Asia Service Medal. Additionally, PHILIPPINE SEA supported United Nations operations off the coast of the former Yugoslavia. Port visits were made to Spain, France, Italy, Egypt and Israel The ship returned from deployment in November 1992 and received the James F. Chezek Award for the highest Naval Gunfire Support score in the Atlantic fleet in 1992.

PHILIPPINE SEA completed a dry-docking period in Boston during 1993, followed by pre-deployment workups as part of the SARATOGA Battle Group. In January 1994, the ship sailed with the SARATOGA Joint Task Group for its third Mediterranean deployment, returning again to the Yugoslavian coast in support of UN Operations in the Adriatic. While deployed, the ship participated in numerous exercises with NATO forces. PHILIPPINE SEA made port calls in Spain, Turkey, Greece and Italy, and returned from deployment at the end of June 1994. For this deployment, the ship was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

In July, August, November and December of 1994, the ship again conducted counterdrug operations in the Caribbean. The following year, PHILIPPINE SEA was chosen as the flagship for U.S. Baltic Operations '95 in Northern Europe from mid-May to mid-July. The ship then returned to homeport for a yard period to close 1995.

PHILIPPINE SEA deployed with the ENTERPRISE Battle Group in the summer of 1996, to the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas supporting UN operations in the former Yugoslavia and conducting multi-national exercises with seven other countries as part of NATO's Partnership For Peace program.

Along with USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) Battle Group, PHILIPPINE SEA took part in a Sink Exercise (SINKEX) on August 9, 1998, near Puerto Rico, sinking a decommissioned cruiser, the former USS RICHMOND K. TURNER (CG 20). The ship then deployed again with the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) Battle Group for a period of six-months in November 1998.

On March 24, 1999, PHILIPPINE SEA started supporting the NATO Operation ALLIED FORCE by launching Tomahawk cruise missiles against military targets in Yugoslavia. In May 1999, PHILIPPINE SEA returned home to Naval Station Mayport.

From March 9-11, 2001, PHILIPPINE SEA was on alert as part of Unified Warrior, a complex series of missile firing exercises off the coast of Puerto Rico. PHILIPPINE SEA was acting as air defense commander for the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) Battle Group. The 18-ship exercise also included units from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada. PHILIPPINE SEA coordinated precision maneuvers during the exercise to ensure each firing ship was positioned for their missile events, while stationing other ships nearby to gather data that was to be used to analyze and improve NATO and U.S. missile systems and tactics.

USS PHILIPPINE SEA deployed in early 2001 as part of the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) Battle Group to the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf, as part of a scheduled six-month deployment. During that deployment, the ship took part in the Joint Maritime Course, a Royal Navy exercise hosted annually by the United Kingdom whose purpose is to train navies to operate in a joint service environment, providing large scale integrated training in land, maritime and air theaters.

Following the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC., on September 11, 2001, PHILIPPINE SEA participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001 by launching Tomahawk cruise missiles against al Qaeda terrorist training camps and Taliban military installations in Afghanistan.

In November 2001, the cruiser was back in Mayport, Florida.

Ship's Crest:

Description of Coat of Arms: The shield's dark blue and white symbolize the sea. Gold embodies excellence and the color red implies action and battle. The two stars honor the past (CV 47) and present (CG 58) ships named for the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The vertical red bar and up right position of the trident, symbol of sea power, stand for the Vertical Launching System (VLS) of CG 58. The striking power of the ship and its Aegis Weapon System are symbolized by the trident's three prongs which stand for air, surface, and sub-surface warfare capabilities. The stylized sun in the base is taken from the Philippine flag and reflects the location of the World War II battle.

The World War II American victory at the Battle of the Philippine Sea is remembered as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot." Over eighty percent of enemy forces were destroyed at little cost to friendly forces. The rays allude to this heavy air fire and the World War II Japanese naval ensign. The crest's anchor and wings, together with the nine rays, commemorate the Battle of the Philippine Sea and CV 47.