Virginia-class Guided Missile Cruiser

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

Original Configuration

• 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

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

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