The USS Kitty Hawk riot was a racial conflict between white and Black crewmen aboard the United States Navy aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk on the night of 12–13 October 1972, while positioned in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In a retrospective article many years later, the Navy Times, called it "the worst shipboard riot in U.S. Navy history." When arrests were made, all 25 of those arrested were Black. A Black Navy official observed, "Anytime you have a so-called race riot and you lock up 25 blacks, that has to raise some questions." It also raised questions about more widespread problems as it took place during the same time period as two other serious racial incidents onboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation and fleet oiler USS Hassayampa. And it led to a congressional investigation before the House Armed Services Committee, Special Subcommittee on Disciplinary Problems in the U.S. Navy, in late November and early December 1972.