USS Port Royal (CG-73)

USS Port Royal (CG-73) is a United States Navy guided missile cruiser, the last to be constructed in the 20th century, and the first cruiser to integrate women into the crew.

The ship was laid down on 18 October 1991 by Ingalls Shipbuilding at Pascagoula, Mississippi, launched on 20 November 1992, christened by Susan G. Baker (wife of James A. Baker III, chief of staff to President Bush), and formally commissioned on 9 July 1994 at Savannah, Georgia.

The Port Royal deployed in 1996 as part of the Nimitz battle group. The CVBG was participating in Operation Southern Watch, but was deployed to the South China Sea in March 1996 to act as a stablizing force the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.

She deployed with Nimitz battle group for participation in Operation Southern Watch in September 1997, returning in March, 1998.

Her second deployment, January 2000, was with the John C. Stennis battle group, participating in Operation Southern Watch. She departed early after sustaining damage to her port shaft during pursuit of a vessel suspected of smuggling Iraqi oil in violation of U.N. sanctions. She returned in July for drydock repairs and upgrades.

Port Royal departed Pearl Harbor on 17 November 2001 to rejoin the Stennis battle group.

See also