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USS Arkansas (CGN 41)

USS ARKANSAS was the fourth and last ship in the VIRGINIA - class. The cruiser was the fourth ship in the Navy named after the state of Arkansas. After decommissioning, the ARKANSAS was laid up at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA, until she was disposed of by recycling. The ship was last homeported in Bremerton, WA.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS ARKANSAS. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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USS ARKANSAS Cruise Books:

• Commissioning Cruise Book 1980-82
• Mediterranean Cruise Book 1982-83
• World Cruise Book 1986

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Accidents of USS ARKANSAS:

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History of USS ARKANSAS:

USS ARKANSAS was laid down on January 17, 1977, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. The ship was launched on October 21, 1978, sponsored by Mrs. Dale Bumpers, wife of United States Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas. After completing construction and initial trials, ARKANSAS was commissioned on October 18, 1980, with Captain Dennis S. Read in command. She became the fourth commissioned U.S. Navy vessel named for the state of Arkansas.

Following commissioning, ARKANSAS remained in the Hampton Roads area for several months while completing acceptance procedures, correcting construction deficiencies, and preparing for her initial operational training. In late February 1981, she made a short voyage to Puerto Rico and returned to Norfolk. During March, the cruiser completed contract trials and visited Port Everglades, Florida. Additional qualifications, equipment tests, and certifications occupied much of April.

On April 28, 1981, ARKANSAS departed Norfolk for shakedown training in the Caribbean and South Atlantic. The cruise included exercises and inspections in the West Indies, visits to several Caribbean ports, and calls at Rio de Janeiro and Recife, Brazil. She returned to Norfolk on June 25 and entered Newport News Shipbuilding on July 1 for a post-shakedown availability. Repairs, adjustments, and modifications continued until December 15. Following three days of sea trials, the cruiser returned to port and remained there for the final weeks of the year.

ARKANSAS resumed underway operations on January 22, 1982, sailing south to the waters near Key West, Florida, for explosive shock trials designed to test the ability of the ship and its equipment to withstand underwater detonations. Between individual tests, she visited Mayport and Port Everglades for equipment maintenance and adjustments. In early March, she returned to Newport News for approximately two months of additional repairs.

Sea trials were conducted on May 3 and 4, 1982, followed by another eleven days of work at Newport News. ARKANSAS returned to Norfolk on May 20 and resumed local operations the following day. During the summer, she conducted training exercises primarily off the Virginia coast. From June 23 to July 16, the cruiser operated out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for refresher training. Between September 24 and October 16, she served as an escort for the aircraft carrier USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) during an operational readiness exercise in the vicinity of Puerto Rico.

After returning to Norfolk in October 1982, ARKANSAS began preparations for her first Mediterranean deployment. She departed on November 10 and completed the Atlantic crossing on November 30. Proceeding into the eastern Mediterranean, the cruiser arrived off Beirut, Lebanon, on December 6. The deployment took place during the Lebanese Civil War, following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon earlier that year and the establishment of a multinational peacekeeping force involving American, French, Italian, and other military contingents.

Throughout the deployment, ARKANSAS operated with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in support of American naval activities off Lebanon. Her assignments included surveillance, fleet air defense, and operations associated with the multinational presence ashore. She periodically left the eastern Mediterranean for port visits and other Sixth Fleet activities. These included freedom-of-navigation operations in the Gulf of Sidra, where the United States challenged Libya's assertion of sovereignty over waters beyond internationally recognized territorial limits.

On January 3, 1983, ARKANSAS collided with the Italian merchant vessel MEGARA ILEA in the Strait of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy. The cruiser sustained relatively minor damage to her port side. On April 8, she provided emergency medical assistance to an injured crew member of the Spanish merchant vessel FRIGLAS PALMAS. ARKANSAS continued her Mediterranean assignment and completed her final period on station off Lebanon on May 4.

Following a two-day visit to Gibraltar, ARKANSAS departed for Norfolk on May 10, 1983, arriving during the third week of May. Her return was followed by leave, maintenance, and preparations for a change of homeport from Norfolk to Naval Air Station Alameda, California. She departed Norfolk on July 8, stopping at Port Everglades and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The cruiser reached the Panama Canal Zone on July 21 and transited the canal the following day.

ARKANSAS arrived at Alameda on July 31, 1983. During the following weeks, she completed administrative and logistical arrangements associated with her transfer to the Pacific Fleet and conducted nuclear propulsion safety training. Regular underway operations resumed in September, followed by local exercises, inspections, and training along the California coast through the remainder of the year.

The cruiser continued operations in the eastern Pacific during the opening weeks of 1984. Between February 12 and 14, she sailed from Alameda to Bremerton, Washington, entering Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for approximately three months of repairs and maintenance. Returning to Alameda in mid-May, she began final preparations for an extended overseas deployment.

On June 1, 1984, ARKANSAS departed Alameda on a deployment that would take her around the world. During the passage to Hawaii, she participated in RIMPAC 84, a multinational maritime exercise involving forces from the United States and allied Pacific nations. She remained in the Hawaiian operating areas during the second half of June, conducting exercises before resuming her westward voyage on July 2.

ARKANSAS arrived at Subic Bay, Philippines, on July 20, 1984, and remained there until early August. She subsequently visited Hong Kong from August 6 to 10 before proceeding into the Indian Ocean. For almost three months, the cruiser operated primarily in the Arabian Sea, where the continuing Iran-Iraq War presented security concerns for international shipping and regional naval forces. American warships maintained a presence in the area to support U.S. interests and monitor developments associated with the conflict.

On November 1, 1984, ARKANSAS entered the Red Sea and proceeded toward the Suez Canal, which she transited on November 3. The passage made her the first nuclear-powered ship to navigate the canal. After entering the Mediterranean, the cruiser visited Toulon, France, from November 7 to 12. She subsequently passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and continued across the Atlantic, making additional calls in the Azores, Barbados, and St. Thomas.

ARKANSAS transited the Panama Canal on December 9, 1984, and returned to Alameda on December 17, completing her circumnavigation. Following the deployment, she remained in her homeport for leave, maintenance, and preparations for scheduled modifications.

Between February 17 and 19, 1985, ARKANSAS sailed north to Bremerton for a restricted availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard lasting approximately four months. During this period, the cruiser received Tomahawk cruise-missile launchers and Phalanx close-in weapon systems, expanding her offensive capabilities and short-range defensive armament. The Tomahawk installation consisted of armored box launchers capable of accommodating cruise missiles for land-attack or anti-ship missions, depending on the weapons carried.

ARKANSAS returned to Alameda on June 25, 1985, and resumed training and operational activities off the California coast. During the latter part of the year, she also served as a West Coast test platform for the Tomahawk missile system. This work involved repeated underway periods off Southern California, including test firings against designated land targets. Exercises, inspections, and equipment evaluations continued through the autumn. On December 7, the cruiser began preparations for another extended overseas deployment.

After completing the year-end leave and upkeep period, ARKANSAS departed Alameda on January 15, 1986. She conducted exercises during the passage to Hawaii, made a stop at Pearl Harbor, and proceeded into the western Pacific. Following visits to Subic Bay and Singapore, she crossed the Indian Ocean and arrived at Karachi, Pakistan, on March 15. The cruiser remained there until March 20 before returning to sea for operations in the Arabian Sea.

During this deployment, ARKANSAS operated in waters affected by the continuing Iran-Iraq War, conducting surveillance and other fleet assignments in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. By late April, she had completed this phase of the deployment and headed toward the Red Sea. She transited the Suez Canal on April 29 and 30, continuing into the Mediterranean.

In May and June 1986, ARKANSAS operated in the central Mediterranean with the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) and the nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser USS TRUXTUN (CGN 35). The deployment followed Operation El Dorado Canyon, the American air strikes against Libya on April 15 in response to terrorist attacks attributed to the Libyan government, including the bombing of a West Berlin nightclub frequented by U.S. military personnel.

The American naval presence off Libya also involved operations in and around the Gulf of Sidra. On Memorial Day, May 26, 1986, ARKANSAS crossed the maritime boundary claimed by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, commonly referred to as the "Line of Death." The United States did not recognize Libya's claim to the waters north of that line. ARKANSAS continued operating with USS ENTERPRISE and USS TRUXTUN in the region during the following weeks.

ARKANSAS departed the Mediterranean at the end of June 1986 and began her return voyage to the Pacific by way of the Indian Ocean. She visited Fremantle, Australia, from July 18 to 22, followed by a two-day stop at Subic Bay near the end of July. Continuing eastward, she made an overnight stop at Pearl Harbor on August 8 and 9 before arriving at Alameda on August 13.

The remainder of August and most of September were devoted to post-deployment leave and maintenance. ARKANSAS resumed local underway operations in early October, conducting training and exercises off the West Coast throughout the final months of 1986.

On April 27, 1987, ARKANSAS departed Alameda for operations in the northern Pacific. Before proceeding west, she stopped at San Diego to embark special weapons and subsequently called at Pearl Harbor. She departed Hawaii on May 8 for an operation known as Kennel Freelance, which involved challenging Soviet maritime claims near the Kamchatka Peninsula. The mission took place during a period of continued Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The principal area of operations was near Avacha Bay, the location of the Soviet Pacific Fleet's major naval facilities at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The Soviet Union had established straight baselines across the approaches to the bay and regarded the enclosed waters as subject to its sovereignty. The United States disputed the legal basis for this claim and conducted operations intended to demonstrate its interpretation of international navigational rights.

On May 17, 1987, ARKANSAS approached the area and encountered extensive Soviet surveillance. Soviet surface combatants, intelligence-gathering vessels, submarines, and aircraft monitored the American cruiser. The operation continued over several days, culminating in a further challenge to the disputed maritime boundary on May 21. Despite close surveillance and the presence of Soviet naval and air units, the confrontation ended without a collision or exchange of fire.

Following the operation off Kamchatka, ARKANSAS continued her northern Pacific deployment. Her subsequent activities included operations in the North Pacific and a visit to Anchorage, Alaska. The cruiser also sailed through the Glacier Bay region before returning to Alameda. The remainder of 1987 was devoted to Pacific Fleet duties and preparations for a major overhaul.

In January 1988, ARKANSAS proceeded to Bremerton, Washington, for an extensive overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The availability lasted approximately eighteen months and included maintenance, repairs, and refitting required for continued operation of the nuclear-powered cruiser. The work occupied all of 1988 and continued into 1989. Shipboard trials associated with the overhaul were documented on June 15, 1989. After completing the shipyard period, ARKANSAS underwent further testing, training, and operational preparations before resuming regular Pacific Fleet duties.

During 1990 and the early months of 1991, ARKANSAS continued operating with the Pacific Fleet. Her activities included training and preparations for another western Pacific deployment. The security situation in the Persian Gulf had changed substantially following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 and the subsequent American-led operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Although major coalition combat operations ended in February 1991, American naval forces continued operating in the region to support the ceasefire arrangements and maintain a military presence.

In May 1991, ARKANSAS departed for a deployment to the western Pacific and Persian Gulf. During the voyage, she became involved in a major humanitarian operation in the Philippines following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June. The eruption deposited large quantities of volcanic ash across central Luzon, disrupting operations at Clark Air Base and Naval Station Subic Bay and placing American military personnel and their families at risk.

As part of Operation Fiery Vigil, ARKANSAS participated in the evacuation of military dependents and other evacuees from the affected region. The cruiser made two evacuation voyages from Subic Bay to Cebu, transporting personnel to a location where onward evacuation and assistance could be arranged. Other U.S. Navy vessels participating in the wider relief and evacuation effort included the aircraft carrier USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72). ARKANSAS conducted her evacuation voyages independently before the carrier's arrival in the area.

Following her participation in Operation Fiery Vigil, ARKANSAS resumed her overseas assignment and proceeded toward the Persian Gulf. During the period following Operation Desert Storm, U.S. naval forces maintained surveillance and a continuing presence in the region while the United Nations ceasefire conditions and sanctions against Iraq remained in effect. ARKANSAS operated in support of these commitments before completing her deployment and returning to the Pacific.

During 1992 and 1993, ARKANSAS continued operational training and maintenance activities with the Pacific Fleet. The end of the Cold War had led the U.S. Navy to reassess its force structure, including the future of nuclear-powered surface combatants. The substantial costs associated with nuclear reactor refueling, modernization, and continued operation were important factors in decisions concerning the remaining service lives of the VIRGINIA-class cruisers. In 1993, the Navy decided not to undertake the planned midlife nuclear refueling overhauls for the class.

Despite these decisions, ARKANSAS remained in active service and continued preparing for overseas operations. In early 1994, she deployed to the western Pacific and Indian Ocean as part of the battle group centered on the aircraft carrier USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70). On March 11, 1994, ARKANSAS arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, during the battle group's westward movement. The port visit preceded further operations in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf region. The deployment took place while the United States and its coalition partners continued enforcing restrictions imposed on Iraq following the 1991 Gulf War.

During her operations with USS CARL VINSON, ARKANSAS supported carrier battle group activities associated with Operation Southern Watch, the multinational effort to monitor and enforce the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. The cruiser provided capabilities for air defense, surveillance, and coordinated fleet operations while the battle group maintained a presence in the region. The deployment also involved routine training, logistics, and maritime security activities in the operating areas of the U.S. Seventh and Fifth Fleets.

Following the 1994 deployment, ARKANSAS resumed Pacific Fleet training and maintenance activities. During 1995 and the opening months of 1996, she continued preparations for another deployment with the USS CARL VINSON battle group, including operational readiness inspections, exercises, and coordination with other naval units.

On May 14, 1996, the USS CARL VINSON battle group departed Alameda for an overseas deployment. ARKANSAS accompanied the formation to the western Pacific and Indian Ocean, ultimately reaching the Persian Gulf region. American naval operations there continued to focus on enforcing United Nations restrictions against Iraq, protecting regional maritime routes, and maintaining the capability to respond to further Iraqi military activity. In July 1996, ARKANSAS participated in Exercise Rugged Nautilus, conducted by American forces in the Persian Gulf region. The exercise included command-and-control procedures, coordination between naval units and other military forces, and responses to simulated regional contingencies. ARKANSAS contributed her air-defense and surveillance capabilities to the participating naval force.

During the same deployment, regional tensions increased when Iraqi forces intervened in fighting between rival Kurdish factions in northern Iraq. The United States responded with Operation Desert Strike on September 3 and 4, 1996. American forces launched cruise missiles against Iraqi air-defense installations and related military targets. The strikes involved U.S. Navy surface combatants, including USS SHILOH (CG 67), and U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers. ARKANSAS remained deployed in the region with the USS CARL VINSON battle group during this period. Her individual involvement in the missile attacks is not documented.

Following the strikes, American naval forces continued their operations in support of regional security commitments, including Operation Southern Watch. ARKANSAS completed her deployment duties and subsequently returned to the Pacific Fleet, where she entered the final phase of her operational service.

During 1997, preparations for the cruiser's inactivation became a principal focus of activity. The closure of Naval Air Station Alameda as an operational naval base on April 30, 1997, also ended the installation's long association with the Pacific Fleet surface ships stationed there. ARKANSAS proceeded through the administrative and technical preparations required for the withdrawal of a nuclear-powered warship from active service.

On October 18, 1997, a deactivation ceremony was held for ARKANSAS at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. The date marked the seventeenth anniversary of her commissioning. Following the ceremony, work associated with removing the ship from active naval service continued. USS ARKANSAS was formally decommissioned on July 7, 1998, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on the same date. She was the last of the four VIRGINIA-class nuclear-powered guided-missile cruisers to leave active service.

After decommissioning, ARKANSAS was processed through the Navy's Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The program involved removing nuclear fuel, dismantling the vessel, and disposing of reactor compartments and other materials in accordance with the procedures established for decommissioned nuclear-powered warships. Recycling of ARKANSAS was completed on November 1, 1999.

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