US guided-missile cruiser departing San Diego for Middle East

The U.S. Navy’s guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) is set to depart Naval Base San Diego on Monday for an independent deployment to Western Pacific and Middle East.

Joined by an embarked detachment from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 49, Lake Erie will conduct maritime security operations and support theater cooperation efforts.

Prior to setting sail, Lake Erie underwent a deperming procedure while in port. Deperming is a technique used by the U.S. Navy to reduce the magnetic signature of its warships.

Almost 80 cables, ranging 220-650 feet in length, are wrapped around the vessel during the procedure and charged repeatedly helping to negate the magnetism the ship has built up over time. This process makes the ship less vulnerable to mines.

Ticonderoga-class cruiser Lake Erie is a multi-mission ship with ballistic missile defense, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare capabilities and is designed to operate independently or as part of an associated strike group.

“The crew is excited to deploy,” said Capt. Darren McPherson, Lake Erie’s commanding officer. “We have been waiting a long time for this moment. Lake Erie left Hawaii in 2014, spent 19 months in the yards, and then had to successfully complete an arduous compressed training phase to get where we are to today. We are prepared and ready to take our turn standing the watch overseas.”

Homeported in San Diego, Lake Erie is named in commemoration of the Battle of Lake Erie fought Sept. 10, 1813 and is part of Naval Surface Forces and U.S. 3rd Fleet.