USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51)

• Namesake: USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51) was named after Thomas S. Gates, Jr., the 7th United States Secretary of Defense (1959-1961), who also served as Secretary of the Navy. • Class & Type: She was a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, part of a pioneering class equipped with the Aegis Combat System. • Commissioning: The ship was commissioned on 22 December 1987 at Bath, Maine, after being constructed by Bath Iron Works. • First of Her Kind: Thomas S. Gates was the first cruiser built from the keel up with the vertical launching system (VLS), marking a significant technological leap over earlier ships. • Panama Canal: In 1989, she became the first Aegis cruiser to transit the Panama Canal, highlighting her operational flexibility in both Atlantic and Pacific theaters. • Operation Desert Storm: The ship played an important role in the Gulf War, providing air defense and conducting Tomahawk missile strikes against Iraqi targets in 1991. • Drug Interdiction: In 1997, Thomas S. Gates participated in counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, seizing illicit drugs and deterring traffickers. • International Cooperation: The ship frequently took part in multinational exercises, including NATO operations and joint drills with navies from Europe, South America, and the Middle East. • Decommissioning: The ship was decommissioned on 15 December 2005, after nearly 18 years of service, and was later towed to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for storage. • Legacy: USS Thomas S. Gates was notable for her advanced technology and operational versatility, setting the standard for future Aegis-equipped warships and leaving a lasting legacy in the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet.