CNN.com International
The Web    CNN.com      Powered by
 Special Reports Main Page |  Archive:
Forces: U.S. & Coalition/Navy
Deployments in the Persian Gulf
Forces



Sailors man the rails as the USS Constellation returns to its home port in San Diego, California, on June 2, 2003.  
USS Constellation (CV 64)

Date deployed: November 5, 2002, to the Persian Gulf. The ship returned home from its 21st and final deployment on June 2, 2003. The Constellation one of only three non-nuclear carriers left in the Navy, was decommissioned on August 7, 2003.
Destination: Arabian Sea
Type of vessel: Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier
Home port: San Diego, California
Total personnel: Approximately 8,000 in battle group
Aircraft: Approximately 75 aircraft in nine squadrons
Armament: Sea Sparrow missile launchers, three 20mm Phalanx rapid-fire close-range gun systems
Speed: 30-plus knots
Power Plant: Eight boilers, four steam turbines
Flight deck: 4.5 acres
Commissioned: October 27, 1961

CARRIER AIRWING 2
VF-2 Bounty Hunters (10 F-14D Tomcats)
VFA-137 Kestrels (12 F/A-18C Hornets)
VFA-151 Vigilantes (12 F/A-18C Hornets)
VMFA-323 Death Rattlers (12 F/A-18C Hornets)
VAW-116 Sun Kings (4 E-2C Hawkeyes)
VAQ-131 Lancers (4 EA-6B Prowlers)
VS-38 Red Griffins (8 S-3B Vikings)
HS-2 Golden Falcons (2 SH-60F and 6 HH-60H Sea Hawks)
VRC-30 Providers Detatchment 2 (2 C-2A Greyhounds)

Official USS Constellation Web siteexternal link

Fast-attack submarine
• USS Columbia


Guided-missile cruiser
• USS Valley Forge
• USS Bunker Hill

Guided-missile destroyers
• USS Milius
• USS Higgins

Destroyer
• USS Fletcher

EDITOR'S NOTE: CNN's policy is to not report information that puts operational security at risk.
SOURCES
CNN, U.S. Defense Department, GlobalSecurity.org, Periscope
CNN US
On CNN TV E-mail Services CNN Mobile CNN AvantGo CNNtext Ad info Preferences
SEARCH
   The Web    CNN.com     
Powered by
© 2005 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us.
external link
All external sites will open in a new browser.
CNN.com does not endorse external sites.
 Premium content icon Denotes premium content.