USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51) was a Flight I Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser of the United States Navy, and one of the finest AEGIS warships to ever set sail.
The Namesake
The ship was named after Thomas S. Gates, Jr., who served as U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1959 to 1961, and previously as Secretary of the Navy. Uniquely among Ticonderoga-class cruisers, she was the only vessel of her class originally named after a person rather than a battle or historic event.
Ship’s History
Keel laid: August 31, 1984 — Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
Launched: December 14, 1985
Commissioned: August 22, 1987 — Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sponsor: Anne Gates, widow of the ship’s namesake
Commissioning Commanding Officer: Captain Robert Sutton
Homeport: Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia
Complement: 33 Officers and 357 Enlisted
Decommissioned: December 15, 2005 — Naval Station Mayport, Florida
Notable Service
Her maiden deployment ran from May 31, 1989 to November 10, 1989, taking her to the Mediterranean and into the Black Sea — including a historic port visit to Sevastopol in the Soviet Union, one of the first American warships to do so.
Operation Desert Shield & Desert Storm
From August 1990 to April 1991, Thomas S. Gates served with distinction during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, providing critical air defense for allied forces in the Persian Gulf. She stood watch over coalition forces during one of the most significant naval deployments of the post-Cold War era.
Notable Achievements
In June 1994, Thomas S. Gates participated in ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, anchoring off Pointe du Hoc alongside a dozen NATO warships — allowing veterans to tour the ship at Le Havre, France.
In 1998, USS Thomas S. Gates became the first ship in the U.S. Navy to successfully intercept a drone target using a Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block III missile with the Aegis Baseline 4 system — a milestone in naval weapons technology that demonstrated the future of shipboard air defense.
Awards & Honors
During her 18 years of distinguished service, USS Thomas S. Gates earned the following awards:
- Navy Unit Commendation
- Meritorious Unit Citation
- Battle Efficiency Ribbon (2)
- Joint Meritorious Unit Award
- Southwest Asia Service Medal
- Humanitarian Service Medal
- Armed Forces Service Medal (6)
- Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation (2)
- Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon (2)
Gates Greats
To the greatest AEGIS cruiser to ever set sail and the fine crews who kept her going — this site exists for you. We will continue to update with historical events, photos, and reunion information. If you have photos, stories, or anything you’d like to see posted, please contact us at webmaster@tsg51.org.
Thanks Shipmates — “Fair winds and following seas.”