In November of 1975 Belknap was involved in a collision with the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy while the ships were maneuvering at night in the Mediterranean Sea. The damage was severe: Kennedy’s overhanging flight deck crushed the cruiser’s superstructure, while ruptured fuel lines on the carrier spilled jet fuel from above, feeding a raging fire. Seven sailors were killed and the superstructure was entirely destroyed, but the ship was saved by the heroic efforts of her crew and accompanying ships providing firefighting assistance.
The extensive damage required a major reconstruction, and Belknap returned to service in 1980 as one of the most modern ships in the fleet. A few years later she was selected to become the flagship of the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. The conversion overhaul, which took place in 1985-1986, included a larger superstructure and transformation of the hangar to provide berthing and working spaces for the 6th Fleet staff.
As Belknap assumed her duties in the 6th Fleet, rapid changes were just ahead. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and a few weeks later President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met at a summit held aboard a cruise ship in Malta. As the fleet flagship, Belknap provided accommodations for President George H.W. Bush and his staff during the summit.
The Malta Summit marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a drawdown in U.S. forces. Older cruisers and destroyers were soon decommissioned as their planned replacements – the Arleigh Burke class – came into service. Belknap was the last of her class decommissioned, on February 15, 1995, after 30 years of service. She was sunk as a target a few years later, on September 24, 1998.
