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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
CRUISERS
VIRGINIA nuclear powered missile cruisers (1976 - 1980)


Photo



Virginia 1978

Ships


No Name Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comm Fate
CGN38 Virginia 601 Newport News SB 19.8.1972 14.12.1974 11.9.1976 stricken 10.1994
CGN39 Texas 606 Newport News SB 18.8.1973 9.8.1975 10.9.1977 stricken 7.1993
CGN40 Mississippi 607 Newport News SB 22.2.1975 31.7.1976 5.8.1978 stricken 7.1997
CGN41 Arkansas 612 Newport News SB 17.1.1977 21.10.1978 18.10.1980 stricken 7.1998


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

10500

Displacement full, t

11500

Length, m

170.7 wl 178.3 oa

Breadth, m

19.2

Draught, m

6.40

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

CGN38-40: 2 x 2 Standard SM-1MR SAM / ASROC ASuR (52 RIM-66A/B + 16 RUR-5), 2 x 1 - 127/54 Mk 45, 2 x 3 - 324 TT (14), 2 helicopters (SH-2)

CGN41: 2 x 4 Harpoon SSM (8 RGM-84), 2 x 2 Standard SM-1MR SAM / ASROC ASuR (68 RIM-66A/B and RUR-5), 2 x 1 - 127/54 Mk 45, 2 x 3 - 324 TT (14), 2 helicopters (SH-2)

Electronic equipment

SPS-40B, SPS-48A/C, SPS-55, 2x SPG-51D, SPG-60D, SPQ-9A, LN-66 radars, SQS-53A sonar, WLR-1, WLR-3 ECM suites, 2x Mk 28 decoy RL, NTDS CCS

Complement

519



Standard scale images


<i>Virginia </i>1976
Virginia 1976
<i>Mississippi </i>1995
Mississippi 1995


Graphics


<i>Virginia</i> 1978
Virginia 1978
<i>Texas </i>1980
Texas 1980


Project history

Redesignated cruisers in 1975, these ships were initially intended as nuclear counterparts to the Spruance DDG design (DXGN), although they were completed as slightly improved equivalents of the Californias. Four were built under the FY70-75 budgets (with none in FY73 and FY74), but a fifth, longlead items for which had been approved under the FY75 programme, was stopped in FY76 because, without Aegis, she would be obsolete.

The original design called for a separate ASROC launcher and one Mk 13 missile launcher aft; however, it was argued that a nuclear frigate might well have to operate independently and therefore would need two missile launchers, to overcome limited magazine capacity as well as to assure the availability of at least one launcher. The adoption of the Mk 26 missile launcher eliminated the ASROC requirement, but these ships still have most of their battery aft (Mod 1, 44 weapons), together with both SPG-51D guidance radars; forward they have a single gun fire control system with one SPG-60 tracker-illuminator, providing a possible third missile-control channel. Typically they carry 50 SAM, 16 ASROC and two test rounds. A hangar below the quarterdeck can accommodate LAMPS helicopters, but its elevator reportedly leaked badly in wet weather, and the helicopter was not usually embarked; this arrangement was often criticised.

Hopes that at least some ships of this class would be fitted with Aegis (then called ASMS) did not materialise, although a modified Virginia hull, CGN 42, was for a time a candidate successor to the Strike Cruiser.

Modernizations

late 1970s, Virginia, Texas, Mississippi: + 2 x 4 Harpoon SSM (8 RGM-84)

1984, Virginia; 1985, Arkansas; 1986, Mississippi; 1987, Texas: - 2 x 2 Standard SM-1MR SAM / ASROC ASuR (52 RIM-66A/B + 16 RUR-5), WLR-1, WLR-3 ECM suites, 2x Mk 28 decoy RL; + 2 x 4 Tomahawk CruM (8 RGM-109), 2 x 2 Standard SM-2MR SAM / ASROC ASuR (52 RIM-66C/D + 16 RUR-5), 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

1990-1992, Virginia: - SPS-48A/C, SPS-10, LN-66 radars, T-Mk 6 torpedo decoy; + SPS-48E, SPS-64(v)9 radars, SLQ-25 torpedo decoy

1990-1992, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas: - SPS-40B, SPS-48A/C, SPS-10, LN-66 radars, T-Mk 6 torpedo decoy; + SPS-49(v)5, SPS-48E, SPS-64(v)9 radars, SLQ-25 torpedo decoy

1991, Arkansas: + 2 x 1 - 25/87 Mk 88 Bushmaster

1993, all: - ASROC ASuR capability

Naval service

No significant events.