USS Chancellorsville

Following a visit to Qingdao, China, in August 2000, Chancellorsville took part in ANNUALEX 12G, a joint U.S.-Japanese naval exercise. In November, Chancellorsville fired guns and SM-2 missiles as part of MISSILEX 01-1. In March through June 2001, she visited Singapore, Thailand, Saipan and Sydney, Australia, as part of an extended Spring Cruise. Chancellorsville then entered dry dock for an upkeep period in the fall.

In September 2001, Chancellorsville deployed with the Kitty Hawk Battle Group in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, operating in the theater for several months.

Chancellorsville paid her first visit to Vladivostok, Russia, in July 2002, celebrating Independence Day in Russia along with Fort McHenry.

In March 2003, the ship was assigned to Carrier Group Five.[4] On 22 October 2003, Chancellorsville played host in Guam to two warships of the People's Republic of China, which made the first-ever visit of the Chinese navy to Guam. By May 2004, she was back in the Southwest Asian region, where she lent aid to a disabled Indonesian fishing boat.

On 19 July 2004, Chancellorsville departed Yokosuka to participate in the Summer Pulse 2004 and training Exercise Joint Air and Sea Exercises (JASEX) '04, with the Kitty Hawk Battle Group. Summer Pulse '04 was the Navy's first implementation of the new Fleet Response Plan (FRP). She returned to homeport 7 September.

Chancellorsville entered a nine-week dry dock availability in February 2005. Following the maintenance period, she immediately returned to sea to participate in the exercises Talisman Saber 2005, the third annual Orange Crush and the Joint Air and Sea Exercise (JASEX) 2005. She returned to Yokosuka in August. ANNUALEX 2005 commenced in November with Chancellorsville participating, along with other U.S. and Japanese assets. The exercise saw a total of 61 naval vessels, including two U.S. submarines, 10 U.S. Navy ships and 49 Japanese ships. Chancellorsville visited Hong Kong at the end of November and returned to Yokosuka 12 December.

In August 2006, Chancellorsville swapped with Shiloh based in San Diego. Chancellorsville's homeport was changed to San Diego, with Shiloh moving to Yokosuka. The crews remain in their respective locations.

In winter of 2006, Chancellorsville deployed again into the Western Pacific, visiting Singapore and Pattaya, Thailand, in February. In April, she joined forces of the Republic of Korea for Reception, Staging, Onward-movement, & Integration and Foal Eagle 2006 (RSOI/Foal Eagle 06), exercises utilizing more than 70 U.S. and Korean ships. Chancellorsville returned to Yokosuka in August in preparation for a hull swap with Shiloh. Chancellorsville is scheduled to return to San Diego, in October 2006, making it her homeport once again.

The guided-missile cruiser Chancellorsville transits alongside the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan for a fueling at sea.

In March 2011, in company with the carrier Ronald Reagan, Chancellorsville was deployed off northeastern Honshu, Japan, to assist with relief efforts after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[5] During that time, helicopter crews from Ronald Reagan were exposed to leaking radiation from the nuclear accidents and ships from the carrier strike group were moved to avoid being downwind from the facility.[6]

During the latter half of 2012, Chancellorsville underwent equipment upgrades as part of the Aegis Modernization effort ACB-12. In January 2013, the ship spent five days[7] under way off the coast of California to perform a series of tests of the updated ACB-12 equipment and software.

In November 2013, while testing combat weapons systems off the coast of Point Mugu, California, a BQM-74E unmanned drone being used in the exercise failed to respond to commands to turn away from the ship and collided with Chancellorsville. Since it was a tracking exercise and not a live fire exercise, the crew did not engage the drone with the Phalanx CIWS.[8] Two sailors received treatment for minor burns and the ship suffered some damage and returned to San Diego for assessment.[9][10] The damage later proved to be more severe than initially assessed. Citing Navy sources, the U.S. Naval Institute reported that repairs to the ship would cost $30 million and take six months to complete.[11]

A photo released by the USN showing a near collision between Chancellorsville (right) and the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov

On 7 June 2019 Chancellorsville came close to a collision with the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov. Each side blamed the other for the near collision.[12] Russian sources stated that the incident occurred in the southeast of the East China Sea while US sources named the location as in the Philippine Sea.[13] According to retired US Navy captain Carl Schuster, the Russian ship's wake shows that it "didn't adhere to either the rules of the road or the incidents at sea agreement."[14] United States Seventh Fleet spokesman Commander Clayton Doss said the Russian destroyer came within 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 m) of USS Chancellorsville, "putting the safety of her crew and ship at risk."[15] The Russian Navy released a statement claiming that Chancellorsville had "suddenly changed its course and crossed the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer's course some 50 meters away from the ship."[16] According to the same statement, this caused Admiral Vinogradov to take a "emergency maneuver" in order to avoid a collision with the American ship.

In November 2019 and again on 15 February 2020, the ship transited the Taiwan Strait.[17]

During the 2020 George Floyd protests, the name of the ship came into question because it honors the victory of an army that was fighting against the United States in defense of slavery.[18]

In December 2020 the U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that the ship was planned to be placed Out of Commission in Reserve in 2026.[19]