US Navy decommissions guided-missile cruiser Cowpens

The US Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens was formally retired after 33 years of service in a ceremony at Naval Base San Diego on Tuesday, August 27.

Named in honour of the Battle of Cowpens during the American Revolutionary War, the cruiser participated in many operations and exercises, contributing to US naval power projection and security.

The navy said the ship demonstrated versatility and capability across a range of mission profiles, from conducting maritime security operations to enforcing no-fly zones in the Middle East.

Cowpens participated in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, conducting air defence, maritime security, surveillance, and precision strikes using Tomahawk missiles while operating in the Persian Gulf region.

Additionally, the ship played a key role in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations, providing aid to regions devastated by natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Cowpens was built by Bath Iron Works of Maine and commissioned into service on March 9, 1991. It is the 17th cruiser in the Ticonderoga-class.

Following decommissioning and inactivation, the ship will be towed to the Navy’s Inactive Ship facility in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where it will be in a logistic support asset (LSA) status.