Virginia-class Guided Missile Cruiser

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The nuclear powered air defense cruiser USS Arkansas (CGN-41) passing alongside the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) on April 9th, 1986.

The Virginia-class Nuclear Guided-Missile Cruisers, also known as the CGN-38-class, was 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 United States Navy until the mid-to-late 2000s. 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. There was also a proposed variant to be fitted with the AEGIS Combat System.

Specifications[edit | edit source]

Original Configuration[edit | edit source]

  • Type: Nuclear powered Guided Missile Cruiser (Hull designation symbol CGN)
  • Service Period: 1976-2008
  • Characteristics
    • Length: 586 feet (178.61 meters)
    • Beam: 63 feet (19.2 meters)
    • Draft: 32 feet (9.76 meters)
    • Displacement: 10,663 tons (Standard); 11,666 tons (Full Load)
  • Crew: 579 (39 officers and 540 enlisted)
  • Propulsion: 2 x General Electric D2G nuclear reactors, 2 x shafts, 60,000 shp
  • Speed: 36.5 knots (67.6 km/h)
  • Sensor Suite
    • AN/SPQ-9A gun fire control radar
    • AN/SQS-26 Bow mounted sonar
    • AN/SPS-48E 3-D Air search radar
    • AN/SPS-49 2-D Air search radar
    • AN/SPG-51 Missile fire control radar
    • AN/SPS-55 surface search radar
    • AN/SPG-60 fire control radar
  • Countermeasures
    • AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo countermeasures suite
    • AN/SLQ-32(V)3 Electronic Warfare Suite
    • AN/SLQ-49 Chaff Buoy Decoy System
    • Mk.36 SBROC
    • NATO SeaGnat Decoy System
  • Aramament
    • 2 x 5"/54-caliber Mk.45 Mod 2 lightweight naval gun
    • 2 x Mk.26 twin arm missile launchers
    • 2 x Mk.141 Harpoon missile launchers
    • 2 x Mk.143 Armoured Box Launchers
    • 2 x 12.75" Mk.32 triple fire torpedo tubes
    • 2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
  • Aircraft Carried: 1 x Kaman SH-2F Seasprite

AEGIS equipped configuration[edit | edit source]

An artist's impression of the proposed AEGIS variant of the Virginia-class cruiser.
  • Type: Nuclear powered Guided Missile Cruiser (Hull designation symbol CGN)
  • Service Period: Never built
  • Characteristics
    • Length: 586 feet (178.61 meters)
    • Beam: 63 feet (19.2 meters)
    • Draft: 32 feet (9.76 meters)
    • Displacement: 10,663 tons (Standard); 12,100 tons (Full Load)
  • Crew: 579 (39 officers and 540 enlisted)
  • Propulsion: 2 x General Electric D3G nuclear reactors, 2 x shafts, 80,000 shp
  • Speed: 36.5 knots (67.6 km/h)
  • Sensor Suite:
    • AN/SPY-1 Air Search Radar
    • AN/SPS-49 2D Air Search Radar
    • AN/SPS-73 Surface Search Radar
    • AN/SPQ-9B Fire Control Radar
    • AN/SPG-62 Fire Control Radar
    • AN/SQQ-89(V)1 Sonar Suite
  • Countermeasures:
    • AN/SLQ-25C Nixie torpedo countermeasures suite
    • AN/SLQ-32(V)3 Electronic Warfare Suite
    • AN/SLQ-49 Chaff Buoy Decoy System
    • Mk.36 SBROC
  • Armament:
    • 2 x Mk/45 Mod 2 5"/54-caliber lightweight naval gun
    • 2 x 64-cell Mk.41 VLS (fires RGM-109 Tomahawk, RUM-139 VL-ASROC, and RIM-156 SM-2)
    • 4 x Mk.141 Harpoon missile launchers
    • 2 x 12.75" Mk.32 triple fire torpedo tubes
    • 2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
  • Aircraft Carried: 1 x Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk maritime helicopter

Unit Run[edit | edit source]

Ship Name Hull No. Commissioned Decommissioned Length of Service Disposition
USS Virginia CGN-38 11 September 1976 10 November 2004 28.2 years Disposed of by recycling, September 25, 2012
USS Texas CGN-39 10 September 1977 16 July 2003 25.3 years Disposed of by recycling, October 30, 2011
USS Mississippi CGN-40 5 August 1978 28 July 2007 29 years Stricken, to be disposed of by recycling, July 28, 2007
USS Arkansas CGN-41 18 October 1980 7 July 2008 27.7 years Disposed of by recycling, November 1, 2009