Tico updates
Lots of news, some sad, about America’s final cruiser class.
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) returned to her homeport at San Diego on 27 June, following 11-months of sustained operations at sea in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations.
Yup, 11 months in SOUTHCOM. That’s a lot of low-intensity ops.
NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO (June 27, 2026) – The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) returns to its homeport of Naval Base San Diego following 11 months of sustained operations at sea in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations June 27, 2026.
Erie, with embarked USCG LEDET 107, successfully interdicted a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker, M/T Sophia, in addition to serving as “Integrated Air and Missile Defense Commander and the U.S. Air Force Southern Command’s (AFSOUTH) Regional Air Defense Commander (RADC)” during which she directed other assets to the interdiction of 2,900 pounds of narcotics.
In other news, USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), formerly USS Chancellorsville, has been active as the AAW commander for the Japan-based forward-deployed George Washington Strike Group during Ex Valiant Strike 26.
Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62) sails with the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group as part of Valiant Shield 2026 while underway in the Philippine Sea, June 21, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicolas Quezada)
Now for the bad stuff.
The Pearl Harbor-based USS Shiloh (CG-67) is looking great.
USS Shiloh – CG-67 Pearl Harbor June 2026 by LT Farrar
She is getting ready for her going-away party.
Commissioned 18 July 1992, she is set to decommission in less than 100 days, wrapping up a 34-year career.
And in terrible news, the recently (August 2023) decommissioned USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) will be sunk as a target during RIMPAC 2026.
She served over 36 years and will only be the second of her class expended in a SINKEX, following ex-Valley Forge (CG 50), which was sent to the bottom in 2006.
SAN DIEGO (Aug.10, 2023) – The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) sits pier-side during a decommissioning ceremony. The Mobile Bay was decommissioned after more than 36 years of distinguished service. Commissioned Feb. 21, 1987, Mobile Bay served in the U.S. Atlantic, Seventh, and U.S. Pacific Fleet and supported Operation Desert Storm. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Stevin C. Atkins)
With Shiloh and Mobile Bay gone, the Navy will only have six active Ticos left of the 27-ship class (Princeton, Smalls, Gettysburg, Chosin, Lake Erie, and Cape St. George) and 15 laid up (Bunker Hill, Antietam, Leyte Gulf, San Jacinto, Lake Champlain, Philippine Sea, Normandy, Monterey, Cowpens, Hue City, Anzio, Vicksburg, Vella Gulf, Port Royal, and, of course, Shiloh) with all of the latter only sent there since 2022.
The current plan is to decommission the last three CGs in 2029, so you can expect more cruiser SINKEXs in the coming years.