
Contract awarded on 1 July 1956 to the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y. Laid down 14 September 1957, launched 8 October 1960, commissioned 27 October 1961. Reclassified as a "Multi-Purpose Aircraft Carrier" (CV-64) on 30 June 1975. Decommissioned 7 August 2003. Struck from the Navy List on 2 December 2003.
Status: Stricken, to be disposed of, type of disposal not known (Maintenance Category X). NAVSEA Inactive Ships On-site Maintenance Office, Bremerton, WA. In April 2004 Navy officials identified ex-Constellation as one of 24 decommissioned ships available to be sunk as artificial reefs. As of February 2008, however, she was scheduled to be dismantled in the next five years.
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For Full Size Image |
Size | Image Description | Contributed
By And/Or Copyright |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-1982 |
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![]() NS026458 |
161k | Constellation (CVA-64) under construction at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1960. The original print bears the rubber-stamped date 4 October 1960. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center (# NH 98608). |
NHC | |
![]() NS026401 |
29k | Small overhead image. | USN | |
![]() NS026412 |
59k | Circa 1965-68(?), location unknown. Paul McCusker comments: "During 1962 at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, live missiles were launched at remote control drones. This may be one of the pictures. I was a yellow shirt on the flight deck and remember seeing these launches." |
Josh Smith | |
![]() NS026457 |
87k | "Underway view of USS Constellation (CVA-64)." From the NAVSEA Journal. Circa 1963-1965. |
Bob Bush | |
![]() NS026467 ![]() NS026467a |
6.17Mb | USS Manatee (AO-58) and USS Coontz (DLG-9) alongside USS Constellation (CVA-64) during Typhoon Dot, October 1964. Digitized from an 8-mm movie. Several Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW-14) aircraft, particularly Fighting Squadron 143 (VF-143) "Pukin Dogs" F-4B Phantom IIs, can be seen on Connie's flight deck. CVW-14 planes had taken part in Operation Pierce Arrow, August 5, 1964 the retaliatory strikes on North Vietnamese PT boat bases following attacks on USN destroyers Maddox (DD-731) and Turner Joy (DD-951). Typhoon Dot, 36th storm of the 1964 Pacific typhoon season, hit northern Luzon, Philippines on October 9 as an 80 mph (129 km/h) storm. It continued northwestward, and reached a peak of 100 mph (161 km/h) before hitting near Hong Kong on October 13. (Typhoon track image courtesy of Wikipedia). Format: Windows Media (silent) Duration: 3' 49" Size: 320 x 240 |
© Cliff Coffey | |
![]() NS026413 |
85k | WestPac, circa 1969. | © David Guerra | |
![]() NS026414 |
70k | Sunset, off Vietnam, Oct. 1969. | © David Guerra | |
![]() NS026417 |
169k | Dave Guerra in a rather austere, temporary work space, 1969. | © David Guerra | |
![]() NS05020959 |
116k | USS Constellation (CVA-64) as seen from USS Coontz (DLG-9), July 1969. "Naval Aviation News," November 1969 issue, photograph. |
EMC(SW) Brian Kroenung | |
![]() NS026405 |
799k | Large image. Arriving in Sasebo one AM during the 1969-70 time period. | © William P. Jones, M.D. Medical Officer AFS-3 |
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![]() NS026468 |
136k | Three photos taken during an underway replenishment from USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) at Yankee Station, 1970. |
© William P. Jones, M.D. Medical Officer AFS-3 |
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![]() NS026468a |
137k | |||
![]() NS026468b |
125k | |||
![]() NS026440 |
82k | USS Constellation (CVA-64) underway with Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), 1971-1972. (DVIC id: DFST8302598). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
![]() NS026459 |
84k | USS Constellation (CVA-64) executing a turn whilst on station in the South China Sea, circa 1974. |
Robert Hurst | |
![]() NS026403 |
129k | Undated, good overhead showing good flight deck detail. |
USN | |
![]() NS026404 |
100k | Good undated image of Constellation leaving port, the air wing will fly out and meet the ship underway later. | William F. Yannayon Sr. | |
![]() NS026455 |
103k | "USS Constellation (CVA-64) sitting snugly in the drydock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; note that her huge flight deck neatly overhangs the 180-foot-wide dock on both sides. CVA-64 will remain in drydock for nearly six months of her year-long overhaul." From the NAVSEA Journal. During this overhaul (February 1975-April 1976) Connie was modified to perform the Navy's new role for carriers: air, surface and antisubmarine warfare she was redesignated CV-64 on June 30, 1975. After the overhaul Constellation could operate both the F-14A Tomcat and the then new S-3A Viking. |
Bob Bush | |
![]() NS026441 |
46k | San Diego, 1977. |
Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. | |
![]() NS026469 |
97k | Aerial view of USS Constellation (CV-64), possibly taken around 1979. Photo from the Charleston Naval Shipyard photo lab, now in the collection of Mr. Palmer Olliff. |
Palmer Olliff, via Robert Hall | |
![]() NS026442 |
133k | USS Constellation (CV-64) underway with Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) aboard, possibly in May 1979, nearing the end of "Connie"'s 11th deployment to WestPac. This deployment was scheduled to end in March, but was extended in reaction to a political crisis in Yemen. CVW-9 included F-14A Tomcats, A-7E Corsair IIs, A-6E and KA-6D Intruders, S-3A Vikings, E-2C Hawkeyes, EA-6B Prowlers, RF-8G Crusaders and SH-3H Sea Kings. |
Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. | |
![]() NS026443 |
40k | Oblique port bow view of (front to back) the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV-64), a Mars-class combat stores ship and the guided missile cruiser USS Leahy (CG-16) underway, December 1979. US Navy photo (DVIC id: DNST8511030). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
![]() NS026460 |
106k | The combat stores ship USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), alongside the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV-64) and the guided missile cruiser USS Leahy (CG-16), underway in the South China Sea whilst part of Carrier Task Force 77.7. (This picture seems to have been taken at the same time as photo NS026443, above). |
Robert Hurst | |
![]() NS026444 |
89k | Bow view of USS Constellation (CV-64) underway, December 1979. US Navy photo (DVIC id: DNST8511032). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
![]() NS026445 |
121k | An aerial starboard side view of the stern section of USS Constellation (CV-64), as an A-7E Corsair II aircraft approaches for a landing on the flight deck, July 1980. US Navy photo by PH1 Dave Maclean (DVIC id: DNSN8402115). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
![]() NS026446 |
129k | An aerial starboard view of the amidships section of USS Constellation (CV-64), as an A-7E Corsair II aircraft comes to a halt during an arrested landing on the flight deck, July 1980. US Navy photo by PH1 Dave Maclean (DVIC id: DNSN8402117). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
![]() NS026447 |
140k | An aerial starboard view of the forward section of USS Constellation (CV-64), as an A-6E Intruder aircraft begins to bank to the left after a catapult assisted takeoff from the flight deck, July 1980. US Navy photo by PH1 Dave Maclean (DVIC id: DNSN8402121). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
![]() NS026448 |
36k | A port bow view of USS Constellation (CV-64) and the destroyer USS Fife (DD-991) underway off the coast of California, August 1981. On August 20, during this workup cycle, President Ronald Reagan visited "Connie" and proclaimed the carrier "America's Flagship" while presenting the crew a presidential flag. US Navy photo (DVIC id: DNSC8201441). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
![]() NS026461 |
87k | An EA-6B Prowler in the hangar deck, early 1980s. |
Photo by James C. "Jim" Comfort, EMFN at the time | |
![]() NS026462 |
85k | Shipboard duty, early 1980s. |
Photo by James C. "Jim" Comfort, EMFN at the time | |
![]() NS026463 |
73k | UNREP at sunrise, early 1980s. |
Photo by James C. "Jim" Comfort, EMFN at the time | |
![]() NS026470 |
240k | Twilight on the island, circa 1982. |
Greg Brown | |
![]() NS026464 |
90k | An air-to-air right side view of a Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO designation is Bear) aircraft and a U.S. Navy F-14A Tomcat fighter, top. The F-14A is from Fighter Squadron 211 (VF-211), "Fighting Checkmates," embarked aboard USS Constellation (CV-64). Western Pacific Ocean, early 1982. US Navy photo (DVIC id: DF-SN-82-03604). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
![]() NS026465 |
80k | An F-14A Tomcat from Fighter Squadron 211 (VF-211), "Fighting Checkmates," lands aboard USS Constellation (CV-64) during flight demonstrations for Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Indian Ocean, February 10, 1982. US Navy photo (DVIC id: DN-ST-82-04892). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
| Patches |
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![]() NS026456 |
12k | USS Constellation, CV-64, 1797-1961. |
Joe Radigan | |
![]() NS026473 |
192k | Indian Ocean-WestPac '87, April 11–October 13, 1987. |
Robert M. Cieri | |
![]() NS026473a |
171k | Connie's Escort Service [Operation Earnest Will, the escorting of reflagged Kuwaiti tankers in the Persian Gulf as a result of Iranian attacks against international shipping] — 24 hours — Indian Ocean — 1987. |
Robert M. Cieri | |
![]() NS026473b |
129k | Why Steam? — Flanchorops DGAR [Diego Garcia] 87. |
Robert M. Cieri | |
| "Welcome Aboard" |
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![]() NS026454 |
163k | - |
Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. | |
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| Crew Contact and Reunion Information |
| USS Constellation Association Website |
| Related Links |
|
Hazegray & Underway World Aircraft Carrier Pages By Andrew Toppan. Official U.S. Navy Carrier Website USS Constellation Association Website |
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Last update: 9 March 2008