STATUS:
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Awarded: May 15, 1964
Laid down: May 3, 1965
Launched: July 30, 1966
Commissioned: May 23, 1970
Converted & reclassified: Command Ship (AGF 11 USS Coronado) - August
1980.
Decommissioned: February 25,
2005
Fate: Assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as
USNS Coronado (T-AGF-11).
Navigation, deck, engineering, laundry and galley services provided by MSC
civil service mariners. Navy commanding officer and Navy mission crew when
fully operational.
Placed in Reduced Operational Status (30 days)
Placed out of reduced operational status, September 30, 2006.
Struck from the Naval Register, September 30, 2006.
awaiting disposal at NAVSEA Inactive Ships
On-site Maintenance Office, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
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AGF-11 USS Coronado images
Shimoda, Japan - May 2004
Pacific Ocean - April 2004
Pacific Ocean - April 2004
Pacific Ocean - April 2004
Pacific Ocean - April 2004
Yokosuka, Japan - March 2004
Yokosuka, Japan - March 2004
Yokosuka, Japan - March 2004
Yokosuka, Japan - March 2004
underway - undated
LPD-11 USS Coronado images
exercise KERNEL BLITZ - off California
- June 1997
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USS
Coronado (LPD 11 / AGF 11):
USS Coronado (LPD/AGF-11) is the second ship
of the United States Navy to be named for the city in California. She was
designed as an Austin-class amphibious transport dock (LPD), one of seven
fitted with an additional superstructure level for command ship duties.
Her keel was laid down on 1 May 1965 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and
Construction Company of Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 1 July 1966.
After two years of labor shortages and a 12-month strike, she was
commissioned 23 May 1970.
First assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet in the 1970s, Coronado conducted
extensive operations, deploying on numerous occasions to the Caribbean Sea
and Mediterranean Sea, as well as northern Europe.
In 1980 Coronado was re-designated an Auxiliary Command Ship (AGF-11). Her
first assignment was to relieve La Salle (AGF-3) as command ship for
Commander, U.S. Middle East Force, stationed in the Persian Gulf.
Reassigned in October 1985, Coronado relieved Puget Sound (AD-38) as the
command ship of Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet. During a ten-month tour with the
Sixth Fleet, Coronado operated out of Gaeta, Italy, participating in
operations in the Gulf of Sidra and strikes against Libyan terrorist support
facilities.
In July 1986, Coronado was relieved as Sixth Fleet command ship and ordered
to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to become the command ship for Commander, U.S. 3rd
Fleet. The admiral and his staff embarked on board Coronado in November 1986.
Subsequently, Coronado was relieved as Third Fleet command ship and deployed
to the Persian Gulf to assume duties as command ship for Commander, U.S.
Middle East Force in January 1988. During this period she served as flagship
for Operation Praying Mantis, the largest American naval action since World
War II.
Upon her return to Pearl Harbor on 9 November 1988, Coronado again assumed
her duties as Commander, U.S. Third Fleet command ship.
Coronado remained homeported in Hawaii until August 1991, when crew and staff
changed homeports to San Diego, California.
On February 28, 1994 Coronado became the first combatant ship in the history
of the United States Navy to embark women as part of its regular, full-time
crew.
Since then, Third Fleet and Coronado have become the center for naval
innovation and technology experimentation. In November 1998 a large ship
modification was completed. Incorporating the latest network-centric
technology, Coronado became the most advanced command ship in the world.
Late 2003 saw a see-saw change for the ship. In November it was
decommissioned, transferred to the Military Sealift Command and redesignated
T-AGF-11. However, it was concluded shortly thereafter that the operations
the ship engaged in required it to be a warship and thus it was transferred
back to the Navy and recommissioned. However, the ship now has a large
civilian complement within the crew which is from the MSC. In 2004, the 7th
Fleet command ship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), went into dry dock and Coronado
temporarily assumed 7th Fleet command responsibilities. On 27 September 2004,
Blue Ridge returned to duty as the command ship.
USS Coronado (AGF-11) was decommissioned at the end of Fiscal Year 2006 and
is currently awaiting disposal at Suisun Bay, California.
Sea-Based Battle Lab
In October 2000, the Office of the Secretary of the Navy assigned Coronado to
host the Navy's Sea-Based Battle Lab (SBBL), an afloat platform for testing
prototype systems and software, evaluating future naval capabilities, and
assessing operational compatibility and possible further implementation
throughout the United States Navy.
Recent developments in technology have spawned significant advances in naval
warfighting capabilities. Wireless and Web-based tools, along with new weapon
systems, have enabled naval forces to conduct precision operations with greater
synchronization, expedience, and potency. With over 16,000 square feet (1,500
m2) of reconfigurable command space and one of the world's most advanced
naval C4I suites, SBBL offers a unique shipboard environment that facilitates
the evaluation of research for maritime and joint operations.
The Third Fleet J9 Directorate is responsible for managing the SBBL.
Partnering with other services, national laboratories, academia, and
industry, the Third Fleet staff develops joint exercises and experiments for
evaluating the following in an operational environment:
- JTF Command Center organization and configuration
- Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
- Naval and Joint Doctrine
- Biometrics (human feature recognition)
- Wireless applications
- Knowledge Management
- Web-based applications
- Logistics
- Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief
The staff and crew provide an unbiased evaluation of the proposal's viability
and functionality. Promising, mature initiatives are endorsed for advancement
into the beta testing cycle on board the next deploying carrier battle group
(or amphibious ready group) and/or into the acquisition process.
source: wikipedia (08/2012)
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