The Virginia-class nuclear guided-missile cruisers (CGN-38 class) were a series of four double-ended (with armament carried both fore and aft) guided-missile cruisers commissioned in the late 1970s, which served in the US Navy until the mid- to late-1990s. With their nuclear power plants and the resulting capability of steaming at high speeds for long periods of time, these were excellent escorts for the fast nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, such as the Nimitz class. Their main mission was as air-defense ships, though they did have capabilities as anti-submarine (ASW) ships, surface-to-surface warfare (SSW) ships, and in gun and missile bombardment of shore targets.
The ships were derived from the earlier California class nuclear cruiser (CGN-36 class). They were decommissioned as part of the early 1990s "peace dividend" after the Cold War ended. A fifth warship, the CGN-42, was canceled before being named or laid down. It was found that while it was possible to mass-produce nuclear-powered warships, the ships were less cost-efficient than conventionally-powered warships, and the new gas-turbine-powered ships then entering the fleet (the Spruance class destroyers) required much less manpower. Following the end of production of this class, the U.S. Navy continued conventional destroyer/cruiser production, and it redesignated the DDG-47 class of guided missile destroyers as the CG-47 Ticonderoga class cruisers. Three of the four Virginia-class ships were authorized as guided missile frigates (in the pre-1975 definition), and they were redesignated as cruisers either before commissioning or before their launching. The last warship, the USS Arkansas, was authorized, laid down, launched, and commissioned as a guided-missile cruiser.
The ships were derived from the earlier California class nuclear cruiser (CGN-36 class). They were decommissioned as part of the early 1990s "peace dividend" after the Cold War ended. A fifth warship, the CGN-42, was canceled before being named or laid down. It was found that while it was possible to mass-produce nuclear-powered warships, the ships were less cost-efficient than conventionally-powered warships, and the new gas-turbine-powered ships then entering the fleet (the Spruance class destroyers) required much less manpower. Following the end of production of this class, the U.S. Navy continued conventional destroyer/cruiser production, and it redesignated the DDG-47 class of guided missile destroyers as the CG-47 Ticonderoga class cruisers. Three of the four Virginia-class ships were authorized as guided missile frigates (in the pre-1975 definition), and they were redesignated as cruisers either before commissioning or before their launching. The last warship, the USS Arkansas, was authorized, laid down, launched, and commissioned as a guided-missile cruiser.
| Virginia Class Cruiser | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Virginia for Virginia |
| Builders: | Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company |
| Operators: | United States Navy |
| Preceded by: | California-class cruiser |
| Succeeded by: | Ticonderoga-class cruiser |
| Cost: | $675 million (1990 dollars) |
| Built: | 1972-1980 |
| In commission: | 1976-1998 |
| Planned: | 11 |
| Completed: | 4 |
| Cancelled: | 7 |
| Retired: | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Guided missile cruiser |
| Displacement: | Light Displacement: 10,663 tons Full Displacement: 11,666 tons |
| Length: | Overall Length: 586 ft (179 m) |
| Beam: | Extreme Beam: 63 ft (19 m) |
| Draft: | Maximum Navigational Draft: 32 ft (10 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 D2G General Electric nuclear reactors, two shafts, 60,000 shp |
| Speed: | 30+ knots (55+ km/h) |
| Range: | unlimited |
| Complement: | 39 Officers, 540 Enlisted men |
| Sensors and processing systems: | AN/SPS-48E 3-D Air search radar AN/SPS-49 2-D Air search radar AN/SPS-55 surface search radar AN/SPQ-9A gun fire control radar AN/SPG-60 fire control radar AN/SPG-51 Missile fire control radar AN/SQS-26 Bow mounted sonar |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: | AN/SLQ-32 Mark 36 SRBOC AN/SLQ-25 Nixie |
| Armament: | 2 × Mk 26 missile launchers for 68 missiles RIM-66 Standard Missiles (MR) / RUR-5 ASROC 8x Tomahawk missile (from 2 armored-box launchers after a refitting) 8x RGM-84 Harpoon (from two Mk-141 quad launchers) 4x Mk-46 torpedoes (from fixed single tubes) 2x Mk-45 5-inch/54 caliber rapid-fire gun 2x 20mm Phalanx CIWS (post-refit) |
| Aircraft carried: | As built: below-deck hangar for one SH-2F Seasprite helicopter Flight deck occupied by Tomahawk missile storage & launcher after refitting |
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