USS Missouri (BB-63)

Missouri at sea in her 1980s configuration
History
United States
Namesake	State of Missouri
Ordered	12 June 1940
Builder	Brooklyn Navy Yard
Laid down	6 January 1941
Launched	29 January 1944
Sponsored by	Margaret Truman
Commissioned	11 June 1944
Decommissioned	26 February 1955
Identification	Hull number: BB-63
Recommissioned	10 May 1986
Decommissioned	31 March 1992
Stricken	12 January 1995
Motto	"Strength for Freedom"[1]
Nickname(s)	"Mighty Mo"[1]
Status	Museum ship in Pearl Harbor
Badge
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Iowa-class battleship
Displacement	57,540 long tons (58,460 t) (full load)
Length	887 ft 3 in (270.4 m) (o/a)
Beam	108 ft 2 in (33 m)
Draft	37 ft 9 in (11.5 m)
Installed power	8 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers 212,000 shp (158,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 × geared steam turbines 4 × screw propellers
Speed	32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph)
Range	15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	117 officers, 1,804 enlisted men (designed)
Sensors and processing systems	1 × SK-2 early-warning radar 2 × SG surface-search radars 2 × Mk-8 fire-control radars 4 × Mk-12 fire-control radars 4 × Mk-22 height-finder radars 1 × Mk-27 fire-control radar
Armament	3 × triple 16 in (406 mm) guns 10 × twin 5 in (127 mm) DP guns 10 × quadruple 40 mm (1.6 in) AA guns 49 × single 20 mm (0.8 in) AA guns
Armor	Waterline belt: 12.1 in (307 mm) Bulkheads: 14.5 in (368 mm) Barbettes: 11.6–17.3 in (295–439 mm) Turrets: 19.5 in (495 mm) Decks: 4.75–6.2 in (121–157 mm)
General characteristics (1986)
Complement	1,515 officers and enlisted men
Sensors and processing systems	1 × AN/SPS-49 early-warning radar 1 × AN/SPS-67 surface-search radar 2 × Mk-13 fire-control radars 4 × Mk-25 fire-control radars
Electronic warfare & decoys	AN/SLQ-32 EW suite AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo decoy 8 × chaff rocket launchers
Armament	3 × triple 16 in (406 mm) guns 6 × twin 5 in (127 mm) DP guns 8 × quadruple BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles 4 × quadruple RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles 4 × single 20 mm Phalanx CIWS
USS Missouri (BB-63)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Coordinates	21°21′44″N 157°57′12″W / 21.36222°N 157.95333°W / 21.36222; -157.95333
Built	1944
NRHP reference No.	71000877
Added to NRHP	14 May 1971

USS Missouri (BB-63) is an Iowa-class battleship built for the United States Navy (USN) in the 1940s and is currently a museum ship. Completed in 1944, she is the last battleship commissioned by the United States. The ship was assigned to the Pacific Theater during World War II, where she participated in the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and shelled the Japanese home islands. Her quarterdeck was the site of the surrender of the Empire of Japan, which ended World War II.

After World War II, Missouri served in various diplomatic, show of force and training missions. On 17 January 1950 the ship ran aground during high tide in Chesapeake Bay and after great effort was re-floated several weeks later. She later fought in the Korean War during two tours between 1950 and 1953. Missouri was the first American battleship to arrive in Korean waters and served as the flagship for several admirals. The battleship took part in numerous shore bombardment operations and also served in a screening role for aircraft carriers. Missouri was decommissioned in 1955 and transferred to the reserve fleet, (also known as the "Mothball Fleet").

Missouri was reactivated and modernized in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan. Cruise missile and anti-ship missile launchers were added along with updated electronics. The ship served in the Persian Gulf escorting oil tankers during threats from Iran, often while keeping her fire-control systems trained on land-based Iranian missile launchers. She served in Operation Desert Storm in 1991 including providing fire support.

Missouri was again decommissioned in 1992, but remained on the Naval Vessel Register until her name was struck in 1995. In 1998, she was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association and became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.