The Ticonderoga is the lead ship of the most powerful class of guided-missile cruisers ever built, commissioned in 1983 and named for the Revolutionary War fort where Ethan Allen seized a British garrison without firing a shot. The AEGIS combat system that defines the Ticonderoga class was proven on her decks and has since become the standard for naval air defense worldwide. She was decommissioned in 2004 after two decades of service, leaving a legacy that will endure for generations.