The USS Reeves (DLG/CG-24) was a Leahy-class cruiser constructed by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Laid down on 1 July 1960 and launched on 12 May 1962, she was commissioned on 15 May 1964, with Mrs. Joseph M. Reeves, Jr. as her sponsor. Originally designated as a destroyer leader (DLG-24), she was later reclassified as a guided missile cruiser (CG-24) on 30 June 1975. Reeves featured a multi-mission design, capable of anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Throughout her service, she underwent extensive upgrades, including the late-1980s New Threat Upgrade (NTU), which enhanced her combat systems, radars, and missile capabilities. She was equipped with Terrier and Standard SM-2ER missiles, and her armament was modernized with Harpoon missile launchers and Phalanx CIWS. Her operational history includes significant deployments to the Western Pacific and Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s. She supported Allied operations off Vietnam as an anti-aircraft picket and conducted combat air-sea rescue missions in the Gulf of Tonkin, accumulating over 493 days underway in the region. Reeves participated in multiple exercises, port visits, and diplomatic missions, notably a historic port call to Qingdao, China, in 1986—the first U.S. Navy vessel to moor there since 1949—signifying improved Sino-American naval relations. Throughout the 1980s, Reeves was forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, serving as the flagship for Battle Group Alpha, and participated in operations ranging from regional exercises to surveillance of Soviet vessels. She was involved in escorting tankers during Operation Earnest Will in the Persian Gulf in 1987 and rescued 92 Vietnamese refugees in 1989. During her service, she also experienced an incident where a U.S. aircraft accidentally dropped a bomb on her deck, causing minor injuries and damage. Decommissioned on 12 November 1993 and stored at Pearl Harbor, USS Reeves was ultimately sunk as a target during a sink exercise off Queensland, Australia, on 31 May 2001. Her service earned her three battle stars for Vietnam, marking her as a significant multi-mission surface combatant of the U.S. Navy during the Cold War era.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.