USS Coronado ( AGF - 11 ) USS " Coronado " ( LPD / AGF - 11 ) was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the city of the same name in the U . S . state of California . She was designed as an " Austin " - class amphibious transport dock ( LPD ) , one of seven fitted with an additional superstructure level for command ship duties . History . The " Coronado " s keel was laid down on 1 May 1965 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle , Washington . She was launched on 1 July 1966 . After two years of labor shortages and a 12 - month strike , she was commissioned 23 May 1970 . First assigned to the U . S . Atlantic Fleet in the 1970s , " Coronado " conducted extensive operations , deploying on numerous occasions to the Caribbean Sea and Mediterranean Sea , as well as northern Europe . In 1980 , the " Coronado " was re - designated an Auxiliary Command Ship ( AGF - 11 ) . Her first assignment was to relieve the " La Salle " ( AGF - 3 ) as command ship for Commander , U . S . Middle East Force , stationed in the Persian Gulf . Reassigned in October 1985 , the " Coronado " relieved " Puget Sound " ( AD - 38 ) as the command ship of Commander , U . S . Sixth Fleet . During a ten - month tour with the Sixth Fleet , " Coronado " operated out of Gaeta , Italy , participating in operations in the Gulf of Sidra and strikes against Libyan terrorist support facilities . In July 1986 , the " Coronado " was relieved as Sixth Fleet command ship and ordered to Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , to become the command ship for Commander , U . S . 3rd Fleet . The admiral and his staff embarked on board " Coronado " in November 1986 . Subsequently , " Coronado " was relieved as Third Fleet command ship and deployed to the Persian Gulf to assume duties as command ship for Commander , U . S . Middle East Force in January 1988 . During this period she served as flagship for Operation Praying Mantis , the largest American naval action since World War II . Upon her return to Pearl Harbor on 9 November 1988 , " Coronado " again assumed her duties as Commander , U . S . Third Fleet command ship . The USS " Coronado " remained homeported in Hawaii until August 1991 , when crew and staff changed homeports to San Diego . On 28 February 1994 , the USS " Coronado " became the first combatant ship in the history of the United States Navy to embark women as part of its regular , full - time crew . Since then , Third Fleet and " Coronado " had become the center for naval innovation and technology experimentation . In November 1998 a large ship modification was completed . Incorporating the latest network - centric technology , " Coronado " became the most advanced command ship in the world . Sea - Based Battle Lab . In October 2000 , the Office of the Secretary of the Navy assigned " Coronado " to host the Navy ' s Sea - Based Battle Lab ( SBBL ) , an afloat platform for testing prototype systems and software , evaluating future naval capabilities , and assessing operational compatibility and possible further implementation throughout the United States Navy . Recent developments in technology have spawned significant advances in naval warfare capabilities . Wireless and Web - based tools , along with new weapon systems , have enabled naval forces to conduct precision operations with greater synchronization , expedience , and potency . With over of reconfigurable command space and one of the world ' s most advanced naval C4I suites , SBBL offers a unique shipboard environment that facilitates the evaluation of research for maritime and joint operations . The Third Fleet J9 Directorate was responsible for managing the SBBL . Partnered with other services , national laboratories , academia , and industry , the Third Fleet staff developed joint exercises and experiments for evaluating the following in an operational environment : The staff and crew provided an unbiased evaluation of the proposal ' s viability and functionality . Promising , mature initiatives are endorsed for advancement into the beta testing cycle on board the next deploying carrier battle group ( or amphibious ready group ) and / or into the acquisition process . Decommissioning and disposal . Late 2003 saw a see - saw change for the " Coronado " . In November it was decommissioned , transferred to the Military Sealift Command and redesignated T - AGF - 11 . However , it was concluded shortly thereafter that the operations the ship engaged in required it to be a warship and thus it was transferred back to the Navy and recommissioned , but kept a large civilian complement within the crew from the MSC . In 2004 , the 7th Fleet command ship , USS " Blue Ridge " ( LCC - 19 ) , went into dry dock and " Coronado " temporarily assumed 7th Fleet command responsibilities . On 27 September 2004 , " Blue Ridge " returned to duty as the command ship . " Coronado " was decommissioned at the end of Fiscal Year 2006 . On 12 September 2012 , the " Coronado " was sunk by a number of warships , and now serves as an artificial reef for the Marianas region . The ship now rests 3045 fathoms deep at coordinates .