NAVYPEDIA

Photo

California 1979

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
DLGN36, 6.1975- CGN36	California	595	Newport News SB	23.1.1970	22.9.1971	16.2.1974	stricken 7.1999
DLGN37, 6.1975- CGN37	South Carolina	596	Newport News SB	1.12.1970	1.7.1972	25.1.1975	stricken 7.1999

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	10500
Displacement full, t	11400
Length, m	173.8 wl 181.7 oa
Breadth, m	18.6
Draught, m	6.30
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets geared steam turbines, 2 D2G reactors
Power, h. p.	70000
Max speed, kts	30+
Fuel, t	nuclear
Endurance, nm(kts)	practically unlimited
Armament	2 x 1 Standard SM-1MR SAM (80 RIM-66), 1 x 8 ASROC ASuR (24 RUR-5), 2 x 1 - 127/54 Mk 45, 4 - 324 TT (16), helicopter deck
Electronic equipment	SPS-40B, SPS-48C, SPS-10, 4x SPG-51D, SPG-60, SPQ-9A, LN-66 radars, SQS-26CX sonar, WLR-1, WLR-3 ECM suites, 2x Mk 28 decoy RL, NTDS CCS
Complement	533

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

These two ships were nuclear versions of the abortive conventionally-powered FY66 guided missile destroyer, built under the FY67 and FY68 programme, the first long lead time items having been bought under the FY66 programme. A third ship, partially funded in FY68, was built instead of a new design. Their construction was quite expensive, and by the late 1960s Secretary of Defense McNamara was unwilling to release funds for them; they were built as a result of Congressional pressure.

The design originally called for a pair of heavyweight Mk 42 127mm/54 guns and two torpedo tubes for Mk 48 torpedoes in the transom; the tubes were discarded and lightweight Mk 45 guns substituted. The missile battery was controlled by the new digital Tartar-D (SPG-51D) fire control system, and. compared to the Bainbridge and Truxtun, they had improved D2G reactors with about three times the core lifetime. A helicopter landing area was provided aft, but they had no hangar, as they were designed during the gap between DASH and LAMPS. The Californias, have been described as the first US nuclear surface ships intended for series production. They were redesignated 'cruisers' (CGN) in 1975.

Modernizations

late 1970s, both: + 2 x 4 Harpoon SSM (8 RGM-84A)

early 1980s, both: - WLR-1, WLR-3 ECM suites, 2x Mk 28 decoy RL; + 2 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, 2x Mk 90 radars, SLQ-32(v)3 ECM suite, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, T-Mk 6 Fanfare torpedo decoy

1986-1987, both: + Kevlar armour over vitals.

1993, California; 1994, South Carolina: - SPS-40B, SPS-48C, SPS-10, LN-66 radars, T-Mk 6 torpedo decoy; + (2 - 4) x 1 - 12.7/90, SPS-49(v)5, SPS-48E, SPS-64(v)9, SPS-67(v)1 radars, SLQ-25 torpedo decoy

1993, both: - 1 x 8 ASROC ASuR

Naval service

No significant events.