Ingersoll was one of the first US Navy ships to receive the Armored Box Launcher version of the Tomahawk cruise missile system in 1985.

The much more capable Vertical Launch missile system quickly made the Armored Box Launcher obsolete.

On 20 June 1992 while transiting the Straights of Malacca, Ingersoll collided with M/V Matsumi Maru No.

Though Ingersoll was one of the newest ships of the Spruance class, it was one of the earliest to be decommissioned.

She was sunk as a target on 29 July 2003 north-northwest of Kauai, Hawaii, at 023°02′N 160°04′W / 23.033°N 160.067°W / 23.033; -160.067 (USS Ingersoll (DD-990)).