Navy
USS Leyte Gulf deploys to Caribbean, South America
Stars and Stripes
January 29, 2024
The guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Jan. 28, 2024, for a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations. Leyte Gulf will operate with regional partners to strengthen maritime partnerships, enhance U.S. maritime posture and counter threats such as illicit drug trafficking. (Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy)
The USS Leyte Gulf is headed south.
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser deployed Sunday from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., to the 4th Fleet area of operations, which includes the Caribbean and Central and South America.
The cruiser deployed independently to help keep illegal drugs from U.S. and partner nations’ shores, according to a Navy news release. It will host Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50 and Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 404, and is expected to conduct passing exercises with regional partners and make port visits to counter threats such as illegal drug trafficking.
The guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Jan. 28, 2024, for a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations. (Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy)
“Leyte Gulf and her crew are excited to work with our partner nations and services to maintain maritime security and interoperability in the Caribbean and South American areas of operation,” Capt. Nate Diaz, commanding officer of Leyte Gulf, said.
The cruiser, which commissioned in 1987, is named for the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which took place in 1944 in the Philippines and was the largest naval battle of World War II. More than 40 officers and 350 enlisted sailors make up its crew, according to the release.
Sailors assigned to the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf heave in a mooring line as the ship departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Jan. 28, 2024, for a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations. (Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy)
The guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Jan. 28, 2024, for a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations. (Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy)
The guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Jan. 28, 2024, for a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations. (Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy)
The guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Jan. 28, 2024, for a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations. (Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy)