USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) was a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser that served in the United States Navy from 1987 to 2023. She was named for the naval Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War in 1864.

The ship was ordered from Ingalls Shipbuilding on 15 January 1982. She was laid down on 6 June 1984, launched on 22 August 1985, and commissioned on 21 February 1987 at the Alabama State Docks in Mobile, Alabama. She was decommissioned August 10, 2023.

With guided missiles and rapid-fire cannons, Mobile Bay was capable of defeating threats in the air, on the sea, on shore, and undersea. She carried the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile which played an integral part in the strikes on Iraqi targets during the opening stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. She also carried two Seahawk LAMPS multi-purpose helicopters, mainly for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The primary detachment associated with the early history of the USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) was HSL-44 (Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 44) Detachment Seven. The ship was capable of conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations, and carried a fully trained boarding team.

After commissioning, Mobile Bay joined the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, arriving at Mayport, Florida, her homeport in March 1987. Following a year of crew qualifications, tests and systems trials, Mobile Bay embarked on her maiden deployment on 11 May 1989. During this cruise, Mobile Bay earned her first two awards: the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, for operations conducted in the Gulf of Oman.

In June 1990, Mobile Bay shifted homeports from Mayport to Yokosuka, Japan. Shortly thereafter, she deployed in August 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, becoming the first AEGIS cruiser to circumnavigate the globe. In the Persian Gulf, the ship distinguished herself by becoming the first Battle Force Anti-Air Warfare Commander to control a four-carrier Task Force. Mobile Bay launched 22 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile strikes, and performed as the Battle Force Anti-Surface Warfare Commander targeting Iraqi naval vessels and directing carrier-launched attack aircraft to destroy 38 Iraqi naval vessels resulting in the complete neutralization of the Iraqi Navy. Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 43 (HSL-43) Detachment 2B was assigned with two SH-60B Seahawk helicopters aboard.

In February 1991, the Tactical Information Coordinator (TIC) aboard Mobile Bay, reported SPY-1 Radar acquisitions of what appeared to be SCUD missile launches that were detected over Saudi Arabia. These tracks were reported over Data Systems Administration (DSA) and Anti-Air Warfare Coordination and Reporting (AAWC&R) voice networks and were confirmed to be valid targets by Patriot Batteries who engaged these SCUDs.

In May 1991, Mobile Bay was ordered to Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, to participate in Operation Fiery Vigil, the evacuation of thousands of people displaced by the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo. In December 1991, Mobile Bay began work-ups for a spring 1992 Persian Gulf deployment.

On 15 April 1992, Mobile Bay once again set sail for the Persian Gulf. En route, the ship and crew visited Sydney, Australia, to represent the U. S. Navy at the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Battle of Coral Sea. Sailing through the Straits of Hormuz in late May 1992, the ship began duties as the Persian Gulf Anti-Air Warfare Commander. Mobile Bay also played a vital role in Operation Southern Watch, the enforcement of the U. N.-mandated "No Fly Zone" over Southern Iraq. Returning to Japan in October, Mobile Bay participated in ANNUALEX-92, a major naval exercise involving units of the U. S. Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. Mobile Bay served as the Anti-Air Warfare Commander for a joint U. S. - Japanese flotilla.