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General Characteristics Crew List Memorabilia Cruise Books Accidents aboard the Ship About the Ship's Coat of Arms History About the Name "Lake Champlain" Image Gallery to end of page |  |  |
USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN was the eleventh TICONDEROGA - class Guided Missile Cruiser and the third ship in the Navy named in honor of the Battle of Lake Champlain in 1812. USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN held a decommissioning ceremony at San Diego, Calif., on September 1, 2023, and was officially decommissioned on September 8, 2023. Throughout her more than 35 years of service, USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN completed 17 major deployments and was awarded 11 Battle Effectiveness (Battle "E") Awards, three Navy Unit Commendations and two Meritorious Unit Commendations.
| General Characteristics: | Awarded: December 16, 1983 |
| Launched: March 3, 1986 | |
| Launched: April 3, 1987 | |
| Commissioned: August 12, 1988 | |
| Decommissioned: September 8, 2023 | |
| Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss. | |
| Propulsion system: four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines | |
| Propellers: two | |
| Blades on each Propeller: five | |
| Length: 567 feet (173 meters) | |
| Beam: 55 feet (16.8 meters) | |
| Draft: 34 feet (10.2 meters) | |
| Displacement: approx. 9,600 tons full load | |
| Speed: 30+ knots | |
| Cost: about $1 billion | |
| Aircraft: two | |
| Armament: | |
| Crew: 33 Officers, 27 Chief Petty Officers and approx. 324 Enlisted |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageUSS LAKE CHAMPLAIN Cruise Books:
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Accidents aboard USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN:
| Date | Where | Events |
|---|---|---|
| November 10, 2007 | BAE Systems Ship Repair Facility, San Diego, Calif. | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company workers and one employee of Cornwall, a local NASSCO subcontractor, are involved in a flash fire aboard the LAKE CHAMPLAIN. At the time of the incident, the ship was undergoing repairs but did not suffer any damage from the fire. One NASSCO worker was slightly injured and treated on scene while the Cornwall employee was transferred to the UCSD Regional Burn Treatment Center. |
| May 9, 2017 | east of the Korean Peninsula | USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN collides with the South Korean fishing boat 502 NAM YANG while conducting routine operations with USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70). The collision took place at approx 11:50 a.m. in limited visibility. Reportedly, the fishing vessel's GPS and radio were not operational. USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN was hit amidships on the port side suffering a small dent while the fishing vessel suffered damage to its bow. No injuries were reported and both vessels continued under their own power. |
back to top go to the end of the pageAbout the Ship's Coat of Arms:
( Click on the coat of arms for a larger version )
The Shield:
The shield's dark blue and gold are the traditional colors associated with the Navy and symbolize the sea and excellence. The green and white border around the blue field represents the Lake Champlain and the surrounding terrain where two significant naval battles were fought. The first, the Revolutionary War Battle of Valcour Island, is symbolized by the white star on the crest. The second, the War of 1812 Battle of Lake Champlain, is represented by the anchor and cannon on the blue field. The partitions of the border suggest rotation or turning and allude to the American ships movements during the Battle of Lake Champlain. The vertical position of the naval gun exemplifies the vertical capabilities of CG 57.
The Crest:
The crest's eagle bearing in its talons the Naval swords symbolizes martial strength and the American victory at Lake Champlain. The two swords also represent two previous ships named LAKE CHAMPLAIN. The aggressive action and flight capabilities of the eagle highlight the second ship, the aircraft carrier CV 39, active during the Korean War. The wavy bar represents the Lake Champlain itself. The gold four-pointed star indicates the four missions of a modern AEGIS cruiser, i.e., to offensively engage aircraft. missiles, submarines and surface ships.
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back to top go to the end of the pageHistory of USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN:
USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN, commissioned on August 12, 1988, served primarily with the Pacific Fleet from her homeport of San Diego. In June 1991, while en route to the Persian Gulf, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo triggered Operation Fiery Vigil. Over several days centered on June 15, 1991, the ship briefly entered Subic Bay to support evacuation traffic and carried hundreds of evacuees in multiple lifts before resuming her WestPac-Indian Ocean-Gulf transit. From June-November 1991 and again from November 1991-April 1992 she cycled between Seventh and Fifth Fleet duties as the post-Desert Storm security regime took shape, alternating air-defense screen roles for carrier groups with maritime interception operations tied to U.N. sanctions on Iraq and periodic logistics at regional hubs.
After a stateside reset, LAKE CHAMPLAIN departed again February-August 1993 for a WestPac-Indian Ocean-Gulf deployment that included Equator crossings in June 1993 and familiar choke-point transits through Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz. In October-December 1993, she shifted to Eastern Pacific counter-drug duty and, working with embarked law-enforcement personnel, interdicted the Mexican vessel OSO IV with a multi-ton cocaine seizure under Operation Tidal Wave.
Through 1994, the cruiser executed inspections, certifications, and local training from San Diego as she built toward her next long deployment. From January 26-July 26, 1995, she completed a detailed WestPac-Indian Ocean-Gulf cruise: a short logistics stop at Pearl Harbor on February 1-3 was followed by a Hong Kong visit on February 16-21, voyage repairs in Singapore on February 25, and arrival to Manama, Bahrain, on March 11 to assume anti-air warfare commander and plane-guard tasking for multiple carrier groups. In late April she served as launch-area coordinator during Operation NEMEAN LION 95-1 while exercising tactical control of USS KEY WEST (SSN 722) for Tomahawk training, and Gulf liberty and logistics centered on Dubai/Jebel Ali. Homeward, she anchored off Phuket on June 23-27, topped off at Singapore's Man-of-War Anchorage on June 28, visited Cebu on July 2-5, paused in Guam for a missile transfer, embarked Tiger Cruise riders at Pearl Harbor on July 17-20, and moored in San Diego on July 26, 1995.
That autumn she conducted a Tomahawk operational test shot on September 26, supported JTFEX 95-3 as an opposing-force unit, visited San Francisco for Fleet Week on October 5-10, and continued to Esquimalt, British Columbia, for MARCOT 2-95 before finishing the year pierside. In early 1996, she anchored off Mazatlan on January 29, completed a weapons evolution at Seal Beach on March 13, and entered a major Regular Overhaul that carried through the year and upgraded hull, machinery, and combat-systems baselines. Returning to forward operations in late 1997, the ship deployed September 1997-March 1998 for another WestPac-Indian Ocean-Gulf tour with extended time in the Northern Arabian Gulf on air-defense and maritime-interdiction tasking, routine liberty in Bahrain and the UAE, and an Equator crossing recorded on January 22, 1998, before returning to San Diego in March.
Through 1999, she moved through the inter-deployment training cycle with the JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) battle group and then sailed with the carrier on January 7, 2000, for WESTPAC/Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf duty, supporting Operation Southern Watch with port calls in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali/Dubai), and Australia (including Perth and Hobart) before returning to San Diego on July 3, 2000, via Pearl Harbor.
Following the immediate post-9/11 shift in theater priorities, LAKE CHAMPLAIN's 2001-2002 operations emphasized Operation Enduring Freedom maritime security in the North Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, with prolonged underway periods while carrier air wings struck Afghanistan and coalition navies enforced interdiction regimes. The ship reset in San Diego late in 2002.
During spring and summer 2004 she integrated with the JOHN C. STENNIS carrier strike group for Northern Edge in the Gulf of Alaska, anchoring off Homer Spit on May 31, 2004, conducting large joint air–maritime events, and passing through a RIMPAC phase around Hawaii before returning west.
On July 6, 2006, she completed a six-month deployment with the RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76) Carrier Strike Group to the Western Pacific that combined theater security cooperation with routine port visits and air-defense escort.
While in a San Diego dry dock on November 10, 2007, a fuel-tank flash fire injured civilian workers and prompted safety investigations. Repairs and modernization continued into 2008.
From January-July 2009 she sailed with the BOXER (LHD 4) Expeditionary Strike Group across the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and into Fifth Fleet, operating off the Maldives with an anchorage off Gan in February, conducting engagement with the Maldives National Defence Force, and responding in the Gulf of Aden on May 24, 2009, to a distressed migrant skiff - actions characteristic of the period's counter-piracy and maritime-security focus.
After training and upkeep, LAKE CHAMPLAIN completed an independent seven-month deployment that concluded with her return to San Diego on May 6, 2011, a cruise that spanned Sixth and Fifth Fleet waters, included anti-submarine warfare exercises with allied navies, and mixed logistics periods at Eastern Mediterranean and Gulf hubs with extended at-sea operations.
The ship entered a Docking Selected Restricted Availability at NASSCO San Diego in mid-2015 for hull, mechanical, electrical, and combat-systems maintenance, followed by trials and local operations. She deployed with the CARL VINSON (CVN 70) Carrier Strike Group in early 2017 under the "Third Fleet Forward" construct, arriving Busan, Republic of Korea, on March 15, 2017, during a period of elevated regional tensions and combined exercises with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and pulling into Singapore on April 4, 2017, for scheduled engagement and logistics. On May 9, 2017, while operating east of Korea, LAKE CHAMPLAIN was involved in a collision with the South Korean fishing vessel NAM YANG 502. There were no injuries and both vessels proceeded under their own power, with subsequent reviews focusing on watchstanding and navigation processes.
Departing again with CARL VINSON on January 4, 2018, the cruiser made a first stop in Guam on January 30-31, conducted a milestone port visit to Da Nang, Vietnam, on March 5-9 as U.S.-Vietnam defense ties expanded, and returned to San Diego on May 9, 2018, after a four-month deployment that also included Pacific transits through Hawaii and additional theater logistics.
In summer 2018 she also participated in RIMPAC 2018 around Hawaii with live-fire events and replenishments at sea alongside partner navies. In November 2018, she completed INSURV and received material-readiness and unit-tactics recognition for her condition and performance.
Operating under the Optimized Fleet Response Plan, LAKE CHAMPLAIN joined CSG-1 for Large-Scale Exercise 2021 and sailed west in August 2021, later participating in the second phase of Exercise MALABAR with Australia, India, and Japan in October as regional maritime cooperation intensified. In January 2022, she took part in dual-carrier operations in the South China Sea and completed the deployment with a return to San Diego on February 14, 2022.
In early 2023, she anchored at Cabo San Lucas on February 5-8 during a short-notice engagement swing, then shifted north to Alaska for Northern Edge 23-1, mooring at Kodiak on May 12 amid distributed joint events. Through the remainder of 2023 she executed Pacific Northwest port engagements - Seward and Kodiak in Alaska; Bremerton and Everett in Washington; Victoria in Canada; and Astoria, Oregon - before returning to San Diego for inactivation preparations.
The Navy held a decommissioning ceremony at Naval Base San Diego on September 1, 2023, closing more than thirty-five years of commissioned service.
back to top go to the end of the pageAbout the Cruiser's Name, about the Battle of Lake Champlain:
During the War of 1812, the British launched a joint land and naval attack from Canada down Lake Champlain into New York State. Under the command of General Sir George Prevost, an army of 11,000 men left the Saint Lawrence frontier on August 31, 1814, to march down the west side of the lake. The American army consisted of 3,300 regulars and militia under the command of General Alexander Macomb. Rather than risk a battle against such overwhelming odds, Macomb fell back south of the Saranac River below Plattsburgh. Prevost occupied the village on September sixth and waited for his naval support to arrive. This was a fleet of four ships and twelve gunboats, mounting a total of 92 guns and carrying 800 men, commanded by Captain George Downie.
The American naval commander on the lake, Captain Thomas Macdonough, had long sensed that control of the lake was essential to the defense of New York. He had therefore built up a fleet of 4 ships and 10 gunboats that mounted a total of 86 guns and 850 men. When Downie's ships entered the lake, Macdonough deployed his vessels in a narrow channel across the bay from Plattsburgh and ordered anchors dropped. On September 11, the British ships rounded Cumberland Head to open the battle at a range of 500 yards. For two hours a gun duel raged with no marked advantage to either side. The British were forced to advance on Macdonough without bringing all their guns to bear. Macdonough then swung his ships about bringing fresh guns to bear on the British, forcing Downie to strike his colors. Within 30 minutes the battle was over, with the four British warships seized or destroyed, 168 of their crew killed and 220 wounded. American casualties were slightly less-104 killed, 116 wounded-but no ships were lost. With the loss of his naval arm, the British commander was forced to retreat back to Canada. Prevost was relieved, but to no avail-Lake Champlain proved to be the last battle of the war in the North. It was one of the few times in history that ships at anchor won a naval battle.
While this battle is not as well known as the battle on Lake Erie, commanded by Captain Oliver Hazard Perry, it proved to be most crucial. The outnumbered force, commanded by General Macomb, was all that stood between the British and New York City. Had the British succeeded in capturing their objective, the outcome of the war could have been altered drastically. Lieutenant Colonel John Murray of the attacking British force was heard to have said after the battle: "This is a proud day for America-the proudest day she ever saw."
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS LAKE CHAMPLAIN Image Gallery:
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The photos below were taken by Ian Johnson and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN during her second visit to Fremantle, Australia, on September 28, 2004 (the first two photos) and October 3, 2004.
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The photos below were taken by me and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN undergoing maintenance at San Diego, Calif., on March 10, 2008.
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The photo below was taken by me and shows the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 23, 2010.
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The photos below were taken by me on September 30 and October 1, 2011, and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN undergoing maintenance at San Diego, Calif. Note the large hole cut into the forward superstructure.
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The photo below was taken by me and shows the LAKE CHAMPLAIN still undergoing maintenance at San Diego, Calif. The photo was taken on March 15, 2012.
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The photos below were taken by me and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on May 10, 2012.
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The photo below was taken by Lydia Perz and shows the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on May 3, 2014.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 27, 2014.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN undergoing a Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (DSRA) at San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2015.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on April 18, 2016.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 6, 2016.
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The photo below was taken by Sebastian Thoma and shows the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 20, 2016. On January 6, 2017, the LAKE CHAMPLAIN left San Diego for a scheduled WestPac deployment.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 11, 2017.
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The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 29, 2017.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on September 28, 2018.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 2, 2019.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 10, 2022.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the LAKE CHAMPLAIN at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on November 5, 2022 - less than a year before decommissioning.
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The photos below were taken by me and show the decommissioned LAKE CHAMPLAIN laid up at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Wash., on July 15, 2024.
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