USS Vella Gulf ( CG - 72 ) USS " Vella Gulf " ( CG - 72 ) is an American " Ticonderoga " class Aegis guided missile cruiser . She is named for the Battle of Vella Gulf , a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II . This engagement was historically significant because it was the first time that destroyers were allowed to operate independent of the cruiser force during the Pacific campaign . The battle was fought between the islands of Vella Lavella and Kolombangara on the night of 6 August 1943 . In the battle of Vella Gulf , six American destroyers – " Dunlap " , " Craven " , " Maury " , " Lang " , " Sterrett " , and " Stack " – engaged a group of four enemy destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese troops on Kolombangara . The American warships closed the enemy undetected with the aid of radar and fired torpedoes which sank " Hagikaze " , " Arashi " , and " Kawakaze " with no damage to American ships . History . This ship is the second named for the battle . The first " Vella Gulf " was an escort carrier commissioned on 9 April 1945 with Captain Robert W . Morse in command . A " Commencement Bay " class carrier , she displaced , carried 34 aircraft , and held a complement of 1 , 066 men . " Vella Gulf " won a battle star for air strikes against Rots and the Pagan Islands in the Marianas in July 1945 and then participated with occupying forces after the surrender of Japan . CVE - 111 was deactivated and decommissioned on 9 August 1946 . The ship is sponsored by Mrs . Mary Ann McCauley and was commissioned on 18 September 1993 in ceremonies at Norfolk Naval Shipyard . A multi - mission ship , " Vella Gulf " is designed to be capable of sustained combat operations in Anti - Air , Anti - Submarine , Anti - Surface , and Strike warfare environments . " Vella Gulf " is employed in support of carrier battle groups , amphibious assault groups , as well as in interdiction and escort missions . " Vella Gulf ’ s " diverse combat capability is orchestrated by the Aegis Combat System , a fully integrated electronic detection , engagement , and fire control system . Aegis enables " Vella Gulf " to detect , evaluate , and engage an enemy with great firepower and accuracy . The " Vella Gulf " successfully completed sea trials during the month of February 1998 . In the months of May and June , the Vella Gulf completed a two month BALTOPS Cruise , taking part in the 26th annual maritime exercise U . S . Baltic Operations ( BALTOPS ) ' 98 in the Western Baltic Sea from 8 – 19 June 1998 . During the exercise , the commander , Carrier Group Eight , commanded the exercise from the ship . Also , the ship completed an AMMO onload , LAMPS moved aboard , completed a successful C2X , and had made a port call at St . John , U . S . Virgin Island . Upon the completion of C2X , the " Vella Gulf " continued pre - deployment work - ups . In January 1999 , after winning her fifth consecutive “ Battle " E " , ” the ship commenced training operations while hosting the week - long course Force Air Defense Commander training . " Vella Gulf ’ s " successful completion , in February 1999 , of JTFEX ’ 99 marked the end of a ten - month work - up . The vessel headed out for deployment to the Adriatic Sea on 26 March 1999 . After a six - day transit , the " Vella Gulf " took her position in the Adriatic Sea and participated in everything from Tomahawk Strike Ops to Fast - track Logistics Ops as part of Operation Noble Anvil . In May and June , the " Vella Gulf " continued to participate in support of combat operations , shot Tomahawks , assumed warfare commander duties ( ADC , ASUWC , ASWC and Launch Area Coordinator ) , and conducted numerous at - sea refueling and stores replenishment events until the relaxation of weapons posture and cessation of hostilities . " Vella Gulf " began the month of August engaged in multi - ship exercises . She participated in DIVTACS , LeapFrogs , Tomahawk exercises , submarine exercises , Flight Ops , and Gunnery exercises . The Vella Gulf returned home on 22 September 1999 and went in November to Yorktown , VA for a complete weapons offload . As part of the " George Washington " Carrier Battle Group ( CVBG ) , and in response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 , the ship set sail in support of defense and humanitarian efforts off the coast of New York . Only a week later , she deployed as part of the " Theodore Roosevelt " Carrier Battle Group , to the Mediterranean , and South - Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . The Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group transited the Suez Canal on 13 October and arrived in the Arabian Sea on 15 October , before returning home in April 2002 . In March 2003 she was assigned to Carrier Group Eight . Deployment 2007 . On 5 January 2007 , " Vella Gulf " departed on a six month cruise as part of the " Bataan " Expeditionary Strike Group ( BATESG ) . She conducted operations in the Persian Gulf , Northern Arabian Sea with French Aircraft Carrier " Charles de Gaulle " ( in support of Operation Enduring Freedom ) , Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden . She participated in multi - national exercises , including AMAN ' 07 , hosted by Pakistan . " Vella Gulf " visited Agadir , Morocco and Gaeta , Italy as liberty ports and twice pulled into Manama , Bahrain . She returned to home port in Norfolk , VA on 3 July 2007 . MV " Faina " incident off Somalia , 2008 . The " Vella Gulf " was identified as one of the U . S . Navy ships surrounding the MV " Faina " , a Ukrainian - owned , Belizian - registered ship carrying 33 T - 72 tanks , RPGs and other munitions , after she was seized by pirates off Somalia on 25 September 2008 . Several photographs used by news services were sourced as having been taken from the cruiser . Capture of alleged pirates in Gulf of Aden . On 11 February 2009 the " Vella Gulf " responded to a distress call from the tanker " Polaris " in the Gulf of Aden . The " Polaris " reported that pirates in a single skiff were attempting to board the tanker with ladders , though the " Polaris " crew was able to thwart their efforts . Upon arriving in the area , the " Vella Gulf " intercepted a skiff with 7 men aboard . The crew aboard the " Polaris " confirmed their identity as the aforementioned attackers , and the 7 were taken aboard the " Vella Gulf " before being transferred to the for processing before being sent to Kenya for trial . " Vella Gulf " was involved in another action against pirates the next day on 12 February when she responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel . The Indian freighter " Premdivya " reported that she had been pursued by pirates and taken fire from them . The American cruiser responded by dispatching a helicopter to the scene which fired warning shots and chased the pirate skiff down . The " Vella Gulf " then launched a boarding party in two RHIB ' s and captured nine pirates , who were then sent to the " Lewis and Clark " as the previous batch of pirates captured by the cruiser had been .