Guided Missile Cruiser
CG 59 - USS Princeton
		USS Princeton (CG 59)
Type, Class:		Guided Missile Cruiser; Ticonderoga (Baseline 3) - class; planned and built as CG 59;
Builder:		Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA
STATUS:		Awarded: December 16, 1983 Laid down: October 15, 1986 Launched: October 2, 1987 Commissioned: February 11, 1989 ACTIVE in Service / PACIFIC FLEET
Homeport:		Naval Station San Diego, California
Namesake:		named after and in honor of the Battle of Princeton / American Revolutionary War - 1777
Ship’s Motto:		HONOR AND GLORY
Technical Data: (Measures, Propulsion, Armament, Aviation, etc.)		see: INFO >> Guided Missile Cruiser / Ticonderoga – Class
LINKS:		Official US Navy site
ship images
Operation Enduring Freedom – An CH-46D “Sea Knight” from HC-11 and USS Princeton (CG 59) – October 19, 2001
Operation Iraqi Freedom – April 29, 2002
Arabian Gulf - USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Princeton (CG 59), and fast combat support ship USS Bridge (AOE 10) participate in an underway replenishment (UNREP) while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom - April 10, 2003
Arabian Gulf – April 22, 2003
Pacific Ocean – November 2, 2003
San Diego, California – April 2, 2004
Persian Gulf - USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and USS Princeton (CG 59) prepare for a connected replenishment at sea - September 10, 2005
San Diego, California – November 8, 2005
San Diego, California – November 8, 2005
A parade of ships led by USS Princeton (CG 59), enter the San Francisco Bay during San Francisco Fleet Week 2006 - October 7, 2006
San Diego, California – April 2, 2007
Arabian Sea – USS Princeton (CG 59) pulls alongside USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) for an underway replenishment (UNREP) – June 2, 2007
Persian Gulf – USS Princeton (CG 59) steams alongside USS Nimitz (CVN 68) – June 8, 2007
Pacific Ocean – February 2, 2008
Pacific Ocean – February 2, 2008
Pacific Ocean – March 6, 2008
East China Sea – March 16, 2008
Seattle, Washington – July 30, 2008
Namesake & History:
About the Battle of Princeton / American Revolutionary War – January 3, 1777:
The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777. Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood in Princeton, New Jersey. Following a surprise victory at the Battle of Trenton early in the morning of December 26, 1776, General George Washington of the Continental Army decided to attack the British in New Jersey before entering winter quarters. On December 30, he crossed the Delaware River back into New Jersey. His troops followed on January 3, 1777. Washington's Army was cornered at Trenton by the larger British army led by General Cornwallis. Washington's army built up their campfires that night before silently slipping away after midnight while an unsuspecting Cornwallis slumbered. Cornwallis had failed to post adequate scouts to detect movements by Washington's army. Washington advanced to Princeton by a back road, where he attacked and defeated a smaller British force shortly after sunrise. Cornwallis, awakening to the sounds of cannon fire behind his position, wheeled his army to race to Princeton. But Washington's rear guard destroyed the bridge at Stony Brook, and snipers further delayed Cornwallis' army while the Continentals slipped away. The victory at Princeton cost the British some 500 men killed, wounded or captured and greatly boosted the morale of the Continental troops, leading 8,000 new recruits to join the Continental Army. General Hugh Mercer of the Continental Army suffered multiple bayonet wounds and died nine days after the battle.
USS Princeton (CG 59):
Princeton (CG-59) was laid down 15 October 1986 by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula MS; launched 2 October 1987; and commissioned 11 February 1989. She was assigned to the Pacific Fleet and homeported at San Diego California. Princeton was the Navy's first cruiser equipped with the AN/SPY-1B radar system, which provided a significant improvement in the detection capabilities of the AEGIS Weapons System. This radar system incorporates significant advances over earlier radars, particularly in its resistance to enemy Electronic Countermeasures (ECM). With the SPY-1B radar and the ship's MK 99 Fire Control System, the ship can guide its Standard Missile to intercept hostile aircraft and missiles at extended ranges. During Operation Desert Storm, the Princeton hit two influence mines on 18 February 1991 while conducting operations in the northern Arabian Gulf. This resulted in a cracked superstructure, a jammed port rudder and leaking port shaft seal. In recognition of the superior and arduous work the crew put in to keep the ship in war-fighting status, the Princeton (CG-59) and crew were awarded a Combat Action Ribbon. The Princeton underwent a complete overhaul and modernization from mid-June 1999 to the end of March 2000. The overhaul was performed in Southwest Marine Inc.'s San Diego yard. Princeton set sail from San Diego on 27 July 2001, headed west towards the Arabian Gulf in company with the other ships of the Carl Vinson Battle Group. The Princeton mission was to provide maritime support for Operation Southern Watch. As a result of September 11, 2001, the Princeton was assigned duties as Air Defense Commander for Task Force 50, which encompasses all Navy and coalition forces operating in the Arabian Gulf and the North Arabian Sea. The Enterprise (CVN-65) Battle Group, along with Carrier Air Wing 8, diverted from their homeward transit and headed back towards the North Arabian Sea as the Princeton north through the Indian Ocean to join them. Several days later, the Kitty Hawk (CV-63) was underway from Japan. Within two weeks, the Princeton was assigned to Operation Enduring Freedom. The Princeton's primary duty throughout deployment has been providing air defense for all the ships in the task force, which at one point, included four carriers, three air wings and one ARG. With this came the responsibility of managing over 1500 square miles of airspace in which every type of aircraft from Navy F/A-18 Hornets to Air Force AWACS to British Nimrods operated on a daily basis. Additionally, the ship was called on to launch missiles, conduct boarding operations, and surveillance tasking. At night, the ships's gas turbine engines roared to full power to maintain precise station 2,000 yards off the Carl Vinson’s starboard quarter in "planeguard" station. She returned to San Diego on 19 January 2002, after 111 consecutive days on station in the North Arabian Sea. On 5 November 2003 the Princeton returned from a WESTPAC to the Persian Gulf region. During her deployment, Princeton escorted Nimitz while performing duties as Arabian Gulf Air Defense Commander and Tactical Data Coordinator. Princeton also spent several weeks as the Northern Arabian Gulf Maritime Intercept Commander, directing a coalition of naval forces providing security throughout Iraqi territorial waterways.
patches
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