Virginia class cruiser

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Virginia-class guided missile cruiser

Class Overview
Class type:	Guided missile cruiser
Class name:	The Commonwealth of Virginia
Preceded by:	California-class cruiser
Succeeded by:	Ticonderoga-class cruiser
Ships of the line:	Virginia (CGN-38), Texas (CGN-39), Mississippi (CGN-40), Arkansas (CGN-41)

The Virginia-class nuclear guided missile cruisers (CGN-38 class) were 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 US Navy through early to mid 1990s. The ships were derived from the earlier California-class nuclear cruiser (CGN-36 class). They were decommissioned as part of the early 1990s "peace dividend" from winning the Cold War. A fifth ship, CGN-42, was canceled before being named or laid down. It was found that while it was possible to mass-produce nuclear-powered warships, the ships were less cost-efficient than conventionally powered vessels, and the new gas-turbine powered ships then entering the fleet (the Spruance class destroyers) required much less manpower. Following the end of production of the class, the Navy continued destroyer production, and redesignated the DDG-47 class of Aegis guided missile destroyers as CG-47 Ticonderoga class cruisers. Three of the four ships were authorized as guided missile frigates (pre-1975 definition) and redesignated as cruisers either before commissioning or before launch; the last, Arkansas, was authorized, laid down, launched and commissioned as a guided missile cruiser.

The elimination of the Virginia-class (CGN 38-41) cruisers has been criticized. They were new, modern ships; given a New Threat Upgrade overhaul they would have been well suited to modern threats (they had rapid-fire Mk 26 launchers which could fire the powerful Standard SM-2MR medium range surface to air missile; earlier decommissioned cruisers used slow-firing Mk. 10 launchers which required manual finning of the missiles prior to launch). Their major weakness was a lack of helicopters. However, what doomed the ships was economics. They were coming due for nuclear refuellings, mid-life overhauls and NTUs, all expensive projects, comparable in total cost to half the price of a new ship. Further, they had relatively large crews, straining USN personnel resources. Given less need for cruisers, it was decided to eliminate these ships as a money saving measure.

Ships:

(This entry includes information from the sci.military.naval newsgroup FAQ)