View source for USS Robert Smalls

{{Short description|Ticonderoga-class cruiser}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
 |image= USS Robert Smalls (CG 62) transits the Philippine Sea 230603-N-KW492-0551.JPG
 |image_caption=USS ''Robert Smalls'' (CG 62) transits the Philippine Sea on June 3, 2023
 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career
 |hide_header=
 |country=United States
 |flag={{USN flag}}
 |name=''Robert Smalls''
 |namesake=*[[Battle of Chancellorsville]]
           *[[Robert Smalls]]
 |renamed=from ''Chancellorsville''<ref name="nvr1"/>
 |route=
 |ordered=26 November 1984
 |awarded=
 |builder=[[Ingalls Shipbuilding]]
 |original_cost=
 |yard_number=
 |way_number=
 |laid_down=24 June 1987
 |launched=15 July 1988
 |sponsor=Sharron M. Martin, the wife of Vice Adm. [[Edward H. Martin]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uscarriers.net/cg62history.htm |title= USS Chancellorsville |publisher= USCarriers.net |access-date= 12 March 2023 }}</ref>
 |christened=23 July 1988
 |completed=
 |commissioned=4 November 1989
 |recommissioned=
 |decommissioned=
 |maiden_voyage=March 1991
 |in_service=
 |out_of_service=
 |reclassified=
 |refit=
 |struck=
 |reinstated=
 |homeport=[[Fleet Activities Yokosuka|Yokosuka]]
 |identification=*{{MMSI Number|368776000}}
                 *[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]]: NCVL
                 *{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Victor}}{{ICS|Lima}}
                 *[[Hull number]]: CG-62
 |motto=
 |nickname=
 |honors=
 |fate=
 |status={{Ship in active service}}
 |notes= 
 |badge=[[File:USS Robert Smalls CG-62 ship seal.jpg|150px]]
 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
 |hide_header=
 |header_caption=
 |class={{sclass|Ticonderoga|cruiser}}
 |type=
 |tonnage=
 |displacement={{Ticonderoga class cruiser displacement}}
 |length={{Ticonderoga class cruiser length}}
 |beam={{Ticonderoga class cruiser beam}}
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 |draft=
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 |propulsion={{Ticonderoga class cruiser propulsion}}
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 |armament={{Ticonderoga class cruiser armament mark 41}}
 |armour=
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 |aircraft={{Ticonderoga class cruiser aircraft}}
 |aircraft_facilities=
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 }}
}}

'''USS ''Robert Smalls'' (CG-62)''' is a {{sclass|Ticonderoga|cruiser|0}} [[guided-missile cruiser]] built during the [[Cold War]] for the [[United States Navy]]. [[Ship commissioning|Commissioned]] in 1989, the warship was originally named '''USS ''Chancellorsville''''' for the [[American Civil War]] [[Battle of Chancellorsville]]. In March 2023, she was renamed for [[Robert Smalls]], a former slave who freed himself and others by commandeering a Confederate transport ship.

Until 30 December 2011, the ship was operationally part of [[Carrier Strike Group Seven]]. In 2010 she was administratively under the command of [[Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific]].<ref>{{cite web | title= Pacific Theater Surface Ships (by Homeport) | url= http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/PacificTheaterShips.aspx | work= Our Ships and Commands | publisher= Commander Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet | year= 2010 | access-date= 29 December 2010 | archive-date= 5 December 2016 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161205141508/http://www.public.navy.mil/SURFOR/Pages/PacificTheaterShips.aspx }}</ref> She was assigned to [[Carrier Strike Group Five]] and is deployed to [[Yokosuka]], [[Japan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/cg62/Pages/Chancellorsville-Wins-Prestigious-Spokane-Trophy.aspx|last=Plunkett|first=Kyle |date= 12 June 2017|title=Chancellorsville Wins Prestigious Spokane Trophy|work=America's Navy|access-date=16 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028125440/https://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/cg62/Pages/Chancellorsville-Wins-Prestigious-Spokane-Trophy.aspx |archive-date=28 October 2020}}</ref>

''Robert Smalls'' is equipped with guided missiles and rapid-fire cannons, with anti-air, anti-surface and anti-subsurface capabilities. She also carries two [[SH-60 Sea Hawk|MH-60R Seahawk]] [[Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System]] (LAMPS) helicopters, focused on anti-submarine warfare.

==History==
[[File:US Navy 040712-N-0000X-001 Gold Battle E aboard USS Chancellorsville (CG 62).jpg|left|thumb|''Chancellorsville'' sailors pose in 2004 above the gold "Battle E" that shows the ship earned the Navy's prestigious [[Battle Effectiveness Award]] for five consecutive years.]]

The ship was commissioned at [[Ingalls Shipbuilding]] in [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]], as ''Chancellorsville'' on 4 November 1989.

=== 1990s ===
She first deployed in March 1991, to the [[Persian Gulf]] in support of [[Operation Desert Storm]].

''Chancellorsville'' was next deployed from February to August 1993, to the Persian Gulf as part of the [[Nimitz-class aircraft carrier|Nimitz]] Battle Group. On 26 June 1993, ''Chancellorsville'' launched strikes on the Iraqi Intelligence Center in [[Baghdad]] with nine [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk]] missiles [[Cruise missile strikes on Iraq (1993)|in retaliation for the aborted assassination attempt on former President Bush]]. She deployed again to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf from April to October 1995.

Following a Fifth Fleet deployment to the North Persian Gulf in 1995, ''Chancellorsville'' was awarded the Spokane Trophy in 1996.  The [[Spokane Trophy]] is awarded by Commander-in-Chief, [[United States Pacific Fleet]] to the surface combatant ship considered to be the most proficient in overall combat systems readiness and warfare operations.

''Chancellorsville'' deployed to the [[Caribbean]] and [[Eastern Pacific]] in support of joint counter-narcotics operations in November 1997. During this deployment, she rescued the crew of an Ecuadorian fishing vessel which had been adrift for ten days. Upon her return home, ''Chancellorsville'' underwent her first major nine-month overhaul in San Diego, California.

On 7 July 1998, ''Chancellorsville'' changed homeport from San Diego, to [[Yokosuka, Japan]], joining Task Force 70/Battle Force [[Seventh Fleet]], and probably, Carrier Group Five. After arriving in Yokosuka, ''Chancellorsville'' participated in multinational operations in the [[Sea of Japan]], including the International Fleet Review. ''Chancellorsville'' took part in exercises with the ''Kitty Hawk'' Battle Group in the spring of 1999.

On 6 April 1999, ''Chancellorsville'' deployed to the Persian Gulf in company with {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV-63|2}} and {{USS|Curtis Wilbur|DDG-54|2}} in support of [[Operation Southern Watch]], and returned to Yokosuka on 5 January 2000. In May 2000, ''Chancellorsville'' participated in exercises with the Thai and Singaporean navies.

===2000s===
Following a visit to [[Qingdao]], China, in August 2000, ''Chancellorsville'' took part in ANNUALEX 12G, a joint U.S.-Japanese naval exercise. In November, ''Chancellorsville'' fired guns and SM-2 missiles as part of MISSILEX 01-1. In March through June 2001, she visited [[Singapore]], Thailand, [[Saipan]] and [[Sydney, Australia]], as part of an extended Spring Cruise. ''Chancellorsville'' then entered [[dry dock]] for an upkeep period in the fall. In September 2001, ''Chancellorsville'' deployed with the ''Kitty Hawk'' Battle Group in support of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]], operating in the theater for several months. ''Chancellorsville'' paid her first visit to [[Vladivostok, Russia]], in July 2002, celebrating Independence Day in Russia along with {{USS|Fort McHenry|LSD-43|2}}. In March 2003, the ship was assigned to [[Carrier Strike Group Five|Carrier Group Five]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Toppan |first1=Andrew |title=World Navies Today: US Navy Aircraft Carriers & Surface Combatants |url=http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/usa/surface.htm |website=Haze Gray & Underway |access-date=24 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720040551/http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/usa/surface.htm |archive-date=20 July 2012}}</ref> On 22 October 2003, ''Chancellorsville'' played host in Guam to two warships of the [[People's Republic of China]], which made the first-ever visit of the Chinese navy to [[Guam]]. By May 2004, she was back in the [[Southwest Asia]]n region, where she lent aid to a disabled Indonesian fishing boat.

On 19 July 2004, ''Chancellorsville'' departed Yokosuka to participate in [[Exercise Summer Pulse]] 2004 and Joint Air and Sea Exercises (JASEX) 2004, with the ''Kitty Hawk'' Battle Group. Summer Pulse was the Navy's first implementation of the new Fleet Response Plan (FRP). She returned to homeport 7 September. ''Chancellorsville'' entered a nine-week dry dock availability in February 2005. Following the maintenance period, she immediately returned to sea to participate in the exercises [[Talisman Saber]] 2005, the third annual Orange Crush and the Joint Air and Sea Exercise (JASEX) 2005. She returned to Yokosuka in August. ANNUALEX 2005 commenced in November with ''Chancellorsville'' participating, along with other U.S. and Japanese assets. The exercise saw a total of 61 naval vessels, including two U.S. submarines, 10 U.S. Navy ships and 49 Japanese ships. ''Chancellorsville'' visited [[Hong Kong]] at the end of November and returned to Yokosuka 12 December. ''Chancellorsville'' swapped with {{USS|Shiloh|CG-67|2}} based in San Diego. ''Chancellorsville''{{'}}s homeport was changed to San Diego, with ''Shiloh'' moving to [[Yokosuka]]. The crews remained in their respective locations.

In winter of 2006, ''Chancellorsville'' deployed again into the Western Pacific, visiting Singapore and [[Pattaya, Thailand]], in February. In April, she joined forces of the [[Republic of Korea]] for Reception, Staging, Onward-movement, & Integration and Foal Eagle 2006 (RSOI/Foal Eagle 06), exercises utilizing more than 70 U.S. and Korean ships. ''Chancellorsville'' returned to Yokosuka in August in preparation for a hull swap with ''Shiloh''. ''Chancellorsville'' was scheduled to return to San Diego, in October 2006, making it her homeport once again.

===2010s===
[[File:US Navy 110728-N-SB672-135 USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) transits alongside USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) for a fueling at sea.jpg|thumbnail|left|''Chancellorsville'' transits alongside the aircraft carrier {{USS|Ronald Reagan|CVN 76|2}} for a fueling at sea. (2011)]]
In March 2011, in company with the carrier {{USS|Ronald Reagan|CVN-76|2}}, ''Chancellorsville'' was deployed off northeastern [[Honshu]], [[Japan]], to assist with relief efforts after the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]].<ref>{{cite news |last= Rabiroff |first= John |url= http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/earthquake-disaster-in-japan/u-s-military-delivers-40-tons-of-supplies-to-hardest-hit-areas-1.138003 |title= U.S. military delivers 40 tons of supplies to hardest-hit areas |newspaper= Stars and Stripes (US)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207110206/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/cg62/Pages/ChancellorsvilleBackatSea.aspx |archive-date=7 December 2014 |date= 17 March 2011 |access-date= 28 June 2014}}</ref> During that time, helicopter crews from ''Ronald Reagan'' were exposed to leaking radiation from the [[Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster|nuclear accidents]] and ships from the carrier strike group were moved to avoid being downwind from the facility.<ref>{{cite news |last= Stewart |first= Joshua |url= http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2011/03/navy-ships-japan-radiation-move-031411w/ |title= Navy ships off Japan move to avoid radiation |website= [[Gannett Government Media|Military Times]] |date= 14 March 2011 |access-date= 28 June 2014 |archive-date= 17 March 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110317231932/http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2011/03/navy-ships-japan-radiation-move-031411w/ }}</ref>

During the latter half of 2012, ''Chancellorsville'' underwent equipment upgrades as part of the Aegis Modernization effort ACB-12. In January 2013, the ship spent five days<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/cg62/Pages/ChancellorsvilleBackatSea.aspx |title= ''Chancellorsville'' Back at Sea |date= 18 January 2013|website=America's Navy |access-date= 28 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207110206/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/cg62/Pages/ChancellorsvilleBackatSea.aspx |archive-date=7 December 2014}}</ref> under way off the coast of California to perform a series of tests of the updated ACB-12 equipment and software.

In November 2013, while testing combat weapons systems off the coast of Point Mugu, California, a [[BQM-74E Chukar|BQM-74E]] unmanned drone being used in the exercise failed to respond to commands to turn away from the ship and collided with ''Chancellorsville''. Since it was a tracking exercise and not a live fire exercise, the crew did not engage the drone with the [[Phalanx CIWS]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://news.usni.org/2014/06/27/document-investigation-uss-chancellorsville-drone-strike |title= Document: Investigation into USS Chancellorsville Drone Strike |publisher=USNI News |access-date=27 June 2014}}</ref> Two sailors received treatment for minor burns and the ship suffered some damage and returned to San Diego for assessment.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://wtkr.com/2013/11/17/two-sailors-injured-when-drone-malfunctions-crashes-into-uss-chancellorsville/ |title= Two Sailors Injured When Drone Malfunctions, Crashes into USS Chancellorsville |website= WTKR NewsChannel 3 |date= 17 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/17/drone-chancellorsville/|title=Drone Collides with Navy Cruiser|newspaper=San Diego Union Tribune|access-date=17 November 2013}}</ref> The damage later proved to be more severe than initially assessed. Citing Navy sources, the U.S. Naval Institute reported that repairs to the ship would cost $30 million and take six months to complete.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.usni.org/2013/12/30/navy-six-months-repairs-drone-struck-ship-will-cost-30-million/|title=Six Months of Repairs to Drone-Struck Ship Will Cost $30 million|publisher=USNI News|access-date=31 December 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Admiral Vinogradov and USS Chancellorsville nearly colliding.jpg|thumb|right|A photo released by the USN showing a near collision between ''Chancellorsville'' (right) and the Russian destroyer ''Admiral Vinogradov'' (2019)]]
On 7 June 2019 ''Chancellorsville'' came close to a collision with the Russian destroyer {{ship|Russian destroyer|Admiral Vinogradov||2}}. Each side blamed the other for the near collision.<ref name=BBC2019>{{cite news  |title=Russian and US warships almost collide in East China Sea |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-48553568 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=7 June 2019 |access-date=7 June 2019 }}</ref> Russian sources stated that the incident occurred in the southeast of the [[East China Sea]] while US sources named the location as in the [[Philippine Sea]].<ref name="BBC2019" /> According to retired US Navy captain Carl Schuster, the Russian ship's wake shows that it "didn't adhere to either the rules of the road or the incidents at sea agreement."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/07/politics/us-russia-navy-near-collision-intl/index.html|title=US and Russian warships nearly collide in the Pacific|author=Brad Lendon, Barbara Starr and Zachary Cohen|website=CNN|date=7 June 2019 |access-date=7 June 2019}}</ref> United States Seventh Fleet spokesman Commander Clayton Doss said the Russian destroyer came within {{convert|50|to|100|ft}} of ''Chancellorsville'', "putting the safety of her crew and ship at risk."<ref>{{cite news  |title=7th Fleet Statement on Unsafe Maneuver by Russian Destroyer|url=https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=109833|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608011004/https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=109833|archive-date=8 June 2019|publisher=navy.mil |date=7 June 2019 |access-date=7 June 2019 }}</ref> The Russian Navy released a statement claiming that ''Chancellorsville'' had "suddenly changed its course and crossed the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer's course some 50 meters away from the ship."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-destroyer-admiral-vinogradov-nearly-collides-uss-chancellorsville-warship-today-2019-06-07/|title=Video shows Russian destroyer nearly colliding with U.S. warship|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=7 June 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=8 June 2019}}</ref> According to the same statement, this caused ''Admiral Vinogradov'' to take an "emergency maneuver" in order to avoid a collision with the American ship. In November 2019 and again on 15 February 2020, the ship transited the [[Taiwan Strait]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2020/02/16/guided-missile-cruiser-uss-chancellorsville-transits-taiwan-strait|title=Guided-Missile Cruiser USS Chancellorsville Transits Taiwan Strait|author=Ben Werner|date=16 February 2020|access-date=23 February 2020|website=[[USNI News]]}}</ref>

===2020s===
During the 2020 [[George Floyd protests]], the name of the ship came into question because it honored a victory of the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate army]] fighting against the United States for southern independence and in defense of slavery.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/06/11/875056309/congress-heads-toward-clash-with-trump-over-removal-of-confederate-symbols |title=Congress Heads Toward Clash With Trump Over Removal Of Confederate Symbols |last1=Grisales |first1=Claudia |last2=Ewing |first2=Philip |work=NPR |date=11 June 2020 |access-date=14 March 2023}}</ref> In December 2020, the U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that the ship was planned to be placed [[Reserve fleet|Out of Commission in Reserve]] in 2026.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/10/2002549918/-1/-1/1/SHIPBUILDING%20PLAN%20DEC%2020_NAVY_OSD_OMB_FINAL.PDF|title=Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels|publisher=Office of the Chief of Naval Operations|date=9 December 2020|access-date=2 February 2021|page=17}}</ref>

[[File:USS Robert Smalls arrives for a port visit in Da Nang Vietnam 230625-N-KW492-1259.JPG|thumb|left|USS ''Robert Smalls'' arrives for a port visit in Da Nang, Vietnam. (2023)]]
In May 2022, ''Chancellorsville'' was homeported out of Yokosuka, Japan. She was as part of [[Carrier Strike Group 5]] led by the carrier ''Ronald Reagan''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2022/05/23/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-may-23-2022|title=USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: May 23, 2022|work=USNI News |publisher=United States Naval Institute |date=23 May 2022|access-date=2 June 2022}}</ref> On 28 August 2022, ''Chancellorsville'' along with sister ship {{USS|Antietam|CG-54|2}} conducted a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait. This was the first such transit to occur since the [[2022 visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Taiwan: Two US Navy warships transit through strait amid tensions |url=https://www.dw.com/en/taiwan-two-us-navy-warships-transit-through-strait-amid-tensions/a-62953722 |access-date=2 September 2022 |work=[[Deutsche Welle]] |date=28 August 2022}}</ref>

==== Ship renaming ====
[[File:USS Chancellorsville CG-62 Crest.png|thumb|upright|right|The crest of ex-USS ''Chancellorsville'', which included an inverted wreath that commemorated the death of Confederate general [[Stonewall Jackson]]]]
The [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021]] created a new [[The Naming Commission|Naming Commission]] to examine names across the US armed forces that honor the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate States]], the group of states that attempted to break away from the US during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name="NYT renaming">{{Cite news |last=Schmall |first=Emily |date=11 March 2023 |title=Stripping Confederate Ties, the U.S. Navy Renames Two Vessels |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/11/us/navy-ship-confederate-robert-smalls.html |access-date=12 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="USNI Confederate Ties">{{Cite news |date=13 September 2022 |title=UPDATED: Commission Recommends Renaming Two Navy Ships with Confederate Ties |url=https://news.usni.org/2022/09/13/commission-recommends-renaming-two-navy-ships-with-confederate-ties |access-date=12 March 2023 |website=USNI News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Inhofe|first=James M.|date=7 August 2020|title=S.4049 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/4049|access-date=24 December 2020|website=www.congress.gov}}</ref> ''Chancellorsville'' was explicitly named in early news reports about the commission due to its clear association with the Confederate victory at the [[Battle of Chancellorsville]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kheel |first=Rebecca |date=8 January 2021 |title=Pentagon appoints commissioners to scrub Confederate base names |url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/533443-pentagon-appoints-commissioners-to-scrub-confederate-base-names/ |access-date=12 March 2023 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref> which included a portrait of generals [[Robert E. Lee]] and [[Stonewall Jackson|Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson]] in the cruiser's [[wardroom]].<ref name="USNI Confederate Ties"/> The painting was removed in 2016.<ref>{{cite news |title=UPDATED: Commission Recommends Renaming Two Navy Ships with Confederate Ties |url=https://news.usni.org/2022/09/13/commission-recommends-renaming-two-navy-ships-with-confederate-ties |access-date=12 March 2023 |work=USNI News |date=13 September 2022}}</ref> The commission's report noted that ''Chancellorsville''{{'}}s crest also included an inverted wreath that commemorated the death of Jackson during the Battle of Chancellorsville.<ref name="USNI to be renamed" />

In September 2022, the Naming Commission recommended that the US Navy rename two shore installations, [[USNS Maury (T-AGS-66)|USNS ''Maury'' (T-AGS-66)]] (named for [[Matthew Fontaine Maury]], who chose to fight for the Confederates), and ''Chancellorsville''. The choice of what to rename them to was left to the Secretary of the Navy.<ref name="USNI Confederate Ties"/> As part of its report, the Commission judged that the ship celebrated the Confederacy.<ref name="USNI to be renamed" />

On 27 February 2023, the Secretary of the Navy [[Carlos Del Toro]] announced that the US Navy would rename ''Chancellorsville'' after [[Robert Smalls]], a slave who commandeered the Confederate ship [[USS Planter (1860)|CSS ''Planter'']] in 1862.<ref name="USNI to be renamed">{{cite news |title=USS Chancellorsville to be Renamed After Former Slave Who Captured Confederate Ship|url=https://news.usni.org/2023/02/27/uss-chancellorsville-to-be-renamed-after-former-slave-who-stole-confederate-ship|access-date=27 February 2023|publisher=usni.org|date=27 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=28 February 2023 |title=US Navy Renamed Warships After Black Sailor |language=en-US |work=The Union Journal |url=https://www.theunionjournal.com/us-navy-renamed-warship-after-black-sailor/ |access-date=2 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/3312337/secnav-renames-ticonderoga-class-guided-missile-cruiser-uss-chancellorsville-af/ |title= SECNAV Renames Ticonderoga-class Guided Missile Cruiser USS Chancellorsville after Robert Smalls |date= 27 February 2023}}</ref> The name change was made effective on 1 March 2023,<ref name="nvr1">{{cite web|url={{Naval Vessel Register URL|CG-62}} |title=''Robert Smalls'' (CG 62) |website=Naval Vessel Register |date=1 March 2023|access-date=8 March 2023}}</ref> The Navy held a ceremony to mark the change that was designed to not disrupt the ship's activities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schmall |first1=Emily |title=Stripping Confederate Ties, the U.S. Navy Renames Two Vessels |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/11/us/navy-ship-confederate-robert-smalls.html |access-date=12 March 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=11 March 2023}}</ref> and deployed with the ''Ronald Reagan'' carrier strike group in May 2023.<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Alex | title=USS Ronald Reagan departs Yokosuka for what may be its final patrol before carrier swap | website=Stars and Stripes | date=23 May 2023 | url=https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2023-05-23/ronald-reagan-carrier-patrol-yokosuka-japan-10205868.html | access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> ''Robert Smalls'' made a port visit to [[Da Nang]], [[Vietnam]] in June 2023.<ref>{{cite web | title=USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group visits Vietnam | website=DVIDS | date=25 June 2023 | url=https://www.dvidshub.net/news/447921/uss-ronald-reagan-carrier-strike-group-visits-vietnam | access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> ''Robert Smalls'' participated in [[exercise Talisman Sabre]] 2023 in July 2023.<ref>{{cite web | last=Satam | first=Parth | title=US Navy's Only Forward-Deployed Aircraft Carrier, Ronald Reagan, 'Flexes Muscle' At Talisman Sabre 2023 | website=Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News | date=28 July 2023 | url=https://www.eurasiantimes.com/us-navys-only-forward-deployed-aircraft-carrier-uss-ronald/ | access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref>

==Awards and decorations==
* [[Navy E Ribbon]] - (1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
*[[Spokane Trophy]] Award (1996, 2016)
* PACFLT Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Bloodhound Award - 2015 <ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/2257244/uss-chancellorsville-earns-asw-bloodhound-award/ | title=USS Chancellorsville Earns ASW "Bloodhound" Award | date=2016-06-13}}</ref>

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award (USMC and USN frame).svg|width=103}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=U.S. Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=3|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=103}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Battle Effectiveness Award ribbon, 4th award.svg|width=103}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon, 2nd award.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}{{ribbon devices|number=|type=service-star|ribbon=Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016), 1st award.svg|width=103}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Humanitarian Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}{{ribbon devices|number=11|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy and Marine Corps Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg|width=103}}{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan=3 align=center|[[Joint Meritorious Unit Award]]
|colspan=3 align=center|[[Navy Unit Commendation]]
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|[[Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation]] (4)
|colspan=2 align=center|[[Battle Effectiveness Award]] <br />with E device (7)
|colspan=2 align=center|[[National Defense Service Medal]] (2)
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|[[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]] 
|colspan=2 align=center|[[Southwest Asia Service Medal]] with one campaign star
|colspan=2 align=center|[[Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal]] 
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|[[Humanitarian Service Medal]] 
|colspan=2 align=center|[[Sea Service Ribbon]] (12)
|colspan=2 align=center|[[Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)]]
|-
| colspan="9" style="text-align: center;" | '''Source:'''<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Yarnall |first1=Paul R. (creator) |last2=Bateman |first2=Tom (maintainer) |date=29 May 2019 |title=NavSource Online: Cruiser Photo Archive USS CHANCELLORSVILLE (CG 62) |url=http://www.navsource.net/archives/04/1162/040162.htm |website=NavSource |access-date=20 July 2019}}</ref>
|}

== Citations ==
{{reflist}}

== General and cited references==
{{Naval Vessel Register}}
* {{Cite press release |last=Plunkett |first=Kyle |date=6 April 2017 |title=Chancellorsville Earns 2016 Battle 'E' |url=https://seahawkumitaka.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/chancellorsville-earns-2016-battle-e/ |publisher=FLEACT, Yokosuka Public Affairs |access-date=20 July 2019 |archive-date=20 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720095745/https://seahawkumitaka.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/chancellorsville-earns-2016-battle-e/ |url-status=dead }}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite news |last=Lawrence |first=Quil |date=12 April 2023 |title=A Navy ship named for a Confederate victory now honors a Black Union hero |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/04/12/1165998167/a-navy-ship-named-for-a-confederate-victory-now-honors-a-black-union-hero |access-date=12 April 2023}}
* {{Cite news |last=Ziezulewicz |first=Geoff |date=18 August 2017 |title=Meet the Navy ships named in honor of the Confederacy |url=https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/08/15/meet-the-navy-ships-named-in-honor-of-the-confederacy/ |access-date=12 April 2023 |website=Navy Times |language=en}}

==External links==
{{Commons category multi|USS Chancellorsville (CG-62)|USS Robert Smalls (CG-62)}}
* [https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/cg62/ Official USS ''Robert Smalls'' website]
* [http://www.navysite.de/cg/cg62.html USS ''Chancellorsville'' information site]
* {{hlist|USS ''Chancellorsville'' (CG-62) command histories – [[Naval History & Heritage Command]]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1991.pdf 1991]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1992.pdf 1992]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1993.pdf 1993]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1994.pdf 1994]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1995.pdf 1995]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1996.pdf 1996]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1997.pdf 1997]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1998.pdf 1998]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/1999.pdf 1999]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/2000.pdf 2000]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/2001.pdf 2001]
* [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/archives/command-operation-reports/ship-command-operation-reports/c/chancellorsville-cg-62-i/pdf/2003.pdf 2003]
}}

{{Ticonderoga class cruiser}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robert Smalls}}
[[Category:1988 ships]]
[[Category:Cold War cruisers of the United States]]
[[Category:Confederate States of America monuments and memorials]]
[[Category:Cruisers of the United States]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2013]]
[[Category:Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Ticonderoga-class cruisers]]