USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)

History of USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) assumes the command ship role for the United States Navy (USN). She represents the two-man Blue Ridge class pilot boats developed in the 1960s. The class, named after the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Appalachian Mountains, is used to support the operations of the U.S.

Navy fleet through "command, control, communications, computers and intelligence" ("C4I" for short). Despite its Cold War origins, USS Blue Ridge still serves the USN fleet today and operates under the motto "Finest of the Fleet."

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) ordered 12/31/1964 and built 2/27/1967 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The ship was launched on January 4, 1969, and officially commissioned on November 14, 1970.

Based in Yokosuka, Japan, she is expected to serve the U.S. fleet through the 2030s through modernization and general maintenance.

The ship has a displacement of 19,610 tons, a total length of 634 feet, a beam of 108 feet, and a draft of up to 28.9 feet. Power comes from 2 x boiler units feeding a single gear steam turbine driving a single propeller shaft under the stern. There are 842 crew members on board, which can grow to more than 1,440 with a full command and crew. The weapons are self-defense in nature and consist of 2 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), 2 x 25mm "Jungle King" chain guns and up to 8 x 12.7mm Browning air-cooled heavy machine guns.

The warship also carries the Mark 36 SRBOC chaff missile system and 2 x Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk naval helicopters. The latter is launched and recovered via a helipad in the stern.

The ship has a distinctive silhouette with its central bridge layout followed by a separate tower equipped with radar. Helicopters are located aft of the upper deck, and various defensive weapon systems dot the structure from bow to stern. An exposed mast sits above the bridge superstructure.

The Blue Ridge has been a frequent visitor to U.S. overseas operations, both in wartime and in peacetime, since it entered service. It emerged during the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and lived an active life during the turbulent 1980s, which saw the collapse of the Soviet Union. In December 1979, she served as flagship aboard the USS Oklahoma City (CL-91).

Since then, the ship has participated in numerous training, humanitarian and naval support operations while at sea. It was stationed for the last time to support Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami events.

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