U.S.S. Long Beach
CGN-9
1964
(Argos AS-72)
- Class: Long Beach - 1 nuclear-propelled guided missile cruiser of 1957
- Displacement: 14,200 tons
- Dimensions: 721'3" x 73'3" x 29'8"
- Machinery: 2 pressurized-water C1W reactors, steam turbines; 80,000 shp; 2 shafts
- Speed: 30+ knots
- Missiles: 1 twin Talos launcher, 2 twin Terrier launchers
- Guns: 2-5"/38 DP (2x1)
- ASW weapons: 1 ASROC
- Complement: 79+1,081
- Builder: Bethlehem Steel Co, Quincy, MA
- Keel Laid: 2 Dec 1957
- Launched: 14 Jul 1959
- Commissioned: 9 Sep 1961
- Decommissioned: 1 May 1995
- Service: First U.S. nuclear-powered surface warship, first all-new postwar cruiser, and last true cruiser hull. Ordered as CLGN-160, later CGN-160, but launched as CGN-9. Served in the Atlantic Fleet until her first refueling in 1966, when she was transferred to the Pacific. In 1964 she joined the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) and the guided missile frigate USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25) to form the all-nuclear-powered Task Force 1 for a two-month unrefueled cruise around the world in Operation Sea Orbit. She served two tours off Viet Nam in the Gulf of Tonkin, shooting down two MiG fighters with her long-range Talos missiles. During refits from 1979-83 her Terrier missiles were replaced with Standard-ER forward and her Talos with 8 Tomahawk cruise missiles in two 4-cell armored box launchers aft. Two Phalanx CIWS and 8 Harpoon missiles in 4-cell canisters were added. In 1991 she deployed in the Persian Gulf region in support of Operation Desert Storm.
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