Virginia 1976
Mississippi 1995
| 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 |
|
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 |
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.
Virginia 1978
Texas 1980
© Ivan Gogin, 2016