In 1985 , '' South Carolina '' began a new year by conducting preparatory exercises in the Caribbean . It was deployed to the Mediterranean in March and completed the deployment seven months and 46,500 miles later . '' South Carolina '' spent the majority of the deployment on station off Lebanon , in the wake of the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 . The cruiser underwent her second extended maintenance period from October 1985 to June 1986 . She departed in July 1986 for a North Atlantic cruise , and made port visits to Wilhelmshaven , Germany and Oslo , Norway . Upon her return to Norfolk , she commenced preparations for overseas deployment and got underway on 30 December 1986 with the '' Nimitz '' Battle Group . During this deployment , '' South Carolina '' returned to her station off Lebanon when British peace emissary Terry Waite was kidnapped in Beirut . In June 1987 , just months after the frigate was struck by Iraqi missiles , '' South Carolina '' was involved in a tense standoff with Libyan jets in the Gulf of Sidra . A major incident was averted by the use of high powered electronic warfare equipment to jam the jet 's radars and Libya fired back only with diplomatic protest
TWA Flight 847
TWA Flight 847
USS South Carolina (CGN-37)