in Yokosuka to repair a crack in her sonar dome, Fife put to sea in March 1989 for surveillance operations against Soviet warships operating out of Vladivostok. On 26 June, while sailing in the South China Sea, Fife spotted a distressed boat of Vietnamese refugees. Fifty-one refugees were rescued from the sinking vessel and provided with medical assistance and other care before being delivered to a United Nations refugee organization in Thailand a week later. The warship conducted a second cruise in the region in July, during which time she rescued another boat of refugees – this time 151 Vietnamese – before conducting exercises with Thai and Australian Navy ships. Continuing west, Fife sailed to the Persian Gulf and arrived there on 19 September. The warship steamed back east in October and, after a port visit to Fremantle, Australia, she sailed north for Yokosuka. An attempted coup in the Philippines diverted Fife in early December, however, and she stood by for possible contingency operations until the crisis abated. Fife returned to Yokosuka on 11 December. 1990s Fife began preparations for another Persian Gulf deployment after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. In addition to pre-deployment workups, Fife successfully passed her Cruise Missile Tactical Qualifications, On 2 October, Fife sailed in company with the USS Midway Battle Group Alpha to the Persian Gulf, arriving there on 2 November. During Operation Desert Shield, Fife helped enforce trade sanctions against Iraq as part of the Maritime Interception Force. In mid-January 1991, Fife moved to the Persian Gulf in preparation for launching Tomahawks as the U.N. deadline for an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait approached. On 17 January, Fife launched all 61 missiles against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm; After the last strike was carried out on 31 January, she rendezvoused with the and Amphibious Task Group 151.11, spending the next few weeks participating in minesweeping and feint operations in the northern Gulf off Kuwait. Fife provided some assistance to Tripoli and after they suffered mine hits in February. Departing the Persian Gulf on 9 March, the destroyer stopped at Pattaya Beach, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Subic Bay, before returning to Yokosuka on 17 April. Departing Japan again on 15 April 1992, Fife made liberty stops at Bali, Indonesia, Singapore, and Phukett, before arriving at Muscat, Oman, on 19 May. After transiting the Straits of Hormuz on 24 May, the warship came under control