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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Awarded: | 15 May 1964 |
| Laid down: | 3 May 1965 |
| Launched: | 30 July 1966 |
| Commissioned: | 23 May 1970 |
| Fate: | Active, in commission |
| Homeport: | San Diego, California |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 10878 tons light, 16405 tons full, 5527 tons dead |
| Length: | 173.4 meters (569 feet) overall, 167 meters (548 feet) waterline |
| Beam: | 32.9 meters (108 feet) extreme, 25.6 meters (84 feet) waterline |
| Draft: | 6.7 meters (22 feet) maximum, 7 meters (23 feet) limit |
| Complement: | 106 officers, 1247 men |
First assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet in the 1970s, Coronado conducted extensive operations, deploying on numerous occasions to the Caribbean Sea and Mediterranean Sea, as well as Northern Europe.
In 1980 Coronado was re-designated an Auxiliary Command Ship (AGF). Her first assignment was to relieve USS La Salle (AGF-3) as command ship for Commander, U.S. Middle East Force, stationed in the Arabian Gulf.
Reassigned in October 1985, Coronado relieved USS Puget Sound (AD-38) as the command ship of Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet. During, a ten-month tour with the Sixth Fleet, Coronado operated out of Gaeta, Italy, participating in operations in the Gulf of Sidra and strikes against Libyan terrorist support facilities.
In July 1986, Coronado was relieved as Sixth Fleet command ship and ordered to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to become the command ship for Commander, U.S. Third Fleet. The Admiral and his staff embarked onboard Coronado in November 1986. Subsequently, Coronado was relieved as Third Fleet command ship and deployed to the Arabian Gulf to assume duties as command ship for Commander, U.S. Middle East Force in January 1988. Upon her return to Pearl Harbor on 9 November 1988, Coronado again assumed her duties as Commander, U.S. Third Fleet command ship.
Coronado remained homeported in Hawaii until August 1991, when crew and staff changed homeports to San Diego, California.
Since then Third Fleet and Coronado have become the center for naval innovation and technology experimentation. In November 1998 a large ship modification was completed. Incorporating the latest network-centric technology, Coronado became the most advanced command ship in the world.
In October 2000, the Office of the Secretary of the Navy assigned Coronado to host the Navy's Sea-Based Battle Lab (SBBL), an afloat platform for testing prototype systems and software, evaluating future naval capabilities, and assessing operational compatibility and possible further implementation throughout the United States Navy.
Recent developments in technology have spawned significant advances in Naval warfighting capabilities. Wireless and Web-based tools, along with new weapon systems, have enabled Naval forces to conduct precision operations with greater synchronization, expedience, and potency. With over 16,000 square feet of reconfigurable command space and one of the world's most advanced Naval C4I suite, SBBL offers a unique shipboard environment that facilitates the evaluation of research for maritime and joint operations.
The Third Fleet J9 Directorate is responsible for managing the SBBL. Partnering with other services, national laboratories, academia, and industry, the Third Fleet Staff develops joint exercises and experiments for evaluating the following in an operational environment:
See USS Coronado for other ships of the same name.
References
This article includes information collected from
Coronado's Web site, http://www.coronado.navy.mil/.