The USS Ranger (CV-61) was a Forrestal-class supercarrier of the United States Navy, notable for being the first American aircraft carrier constructed from the outset with an angled flight deck. Laid down on August 2, 1954, by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., her hull was floated and completed by 1957. Launched on September 29, 1956, and commissioned on August 10, 1957, she served extensively in the Pacific theater, including multiple deployments to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, earning 13 battle stars for her combat operations. Physically, Ranger was a large aircraft carrier, designed to accommodate a high volume of aircraft operations on her flight deck, optimized for modern jet aircraft with her angled deck facilitating simultaneous launching and recovery. Throughout her career, she underwent various updates and overhauls, including significant technological upgrades in her systems and the addition of missile defense systems like Sea Sparrow during a major overhaul completed in 1978. Her service history is marked by active combat and patrol missions, including launching over 7,000 sorties during her first WestPac deployment and conducting intensive operations off Vietnam, North Korea, and in the Persian Gulf. She played a pivotal role in notable campaigns such as Operation Linebacker II and supported various rescue, reconnaissance, and diplomatic missions, including the rescue of Vietnamese boat people in 1981 and participating in operations during the Gulf War in 1991. Decommissioned on July 10, 1993, Ranger spent years in reserve before being scrapped in 2017. Her significance lies in her status as the first U.S. carrier built with an angled deck from the start and her extensive combat record, reflecting the evolution of naval aviation and carrier design during the Cold War era. Her anchors were later reused on the USS Ronald Reagan, symbolizing her enduring legacy in naval history.

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