She is a Ticonderoga Class Guided Missile Cruiser and was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Her keel was laid down on 30 May 1990 and she was launched on 7 September 1991 before being commissioned on 14 November 1992.
The previous USS Vicksburg was a light cruiser which served in World War II and the current Vickburg's badge has two stars on the streamer running from the eagles beak to represent the two battle stars awarded to her predesesor.
Overall she is 173m long with a 17.8m beam and 10.2m draft.
Propulsion is via 4 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbine engines (60,00kW) with two controllable five bladed reversible pitch propellers giving a maximum speed in excess of 32 knots.
Complement is approximatly 400.
Armament consists of 2 x 61 cell Mk41 vertical launch systems which can accommodate a mix of different missiles including RIM-66M-5 Standard SM-2MR Block IIIB, RIM-156A SM-2ER Block IV, RIM-161 SM-3, RIM-162A ESSM, RIM-174A Standard ERAM, BGM-109 Tomahawk & RUM-139A VL-ASROC.
She is also equipped with Mark 46 torpedoes, Harpoon missile launchers, two mark 45 5 inch/54 calibre guns, two phalanx CIWS and two Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm machine gun systems.
The rear hanger can accommodate two Sikorsky helicopters.