USS Long Beach (CGN-9)

USS Long Beach (CGN-9) was a United States Navy guided-missile cruiser and a landmark vessel in naval history. Commissioned in 1961, she was the world's first nuclear-powered surface warship and the first new-design cruiser built for the U.S. Navy since World War II. Her distinctive box-like superstructure, built around the massive AN/SPS-32/33 phased array radars, gave her a unique profile that earned her the nickname "The Great White Ghost of the Vietnam Coast."

Design and construction

The design for USS *Long Beach* originated from a 1954 study for a nuclear-powered merchant ship, which was quickly adapted for a warship role. Authorized by the United States Congress in 1956, her keel was laid down at the Bethlehem Steel Company's Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. Her revolutionary design was centered on her nuclear propulsion plant and an entirely new integrated combat system built around the SCANFAR radar suite. This system, a forerunner to the Aegis Combat System, included the first-ever shipboard use of phased array radar technology with the AN/SPS-32 and AN/SPS-33 radars. Her original armament focused on long-range surface-to-air missiles, with a primary battery of RIM-8 Talos and RIM-2 Terrier launchers.

Service history

Following her commissioning ceremony, presided over by Admiral Arleigh Burke, *Long Beach* joined the Atlantic Fleet. In 1964, she operated with the nuclear-powered USS *Enterprise* (CVN-65) and the nuclear-powered USS *Bainbridge* (DLGN-25) in Operation Sea Orbit, a historic unrefueled circumnavigation of the globe. During the Vietnam War, she was deployed to the Gulf of Tonkin, where her Talos missile system achieved the first confirmed surface-to-air missile shootdown of an enemy aircraft by a U.S. Navy ship, destroying a North Vietnamese MiG-17 in 1968. She later served in the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War and provided escort for aircraft carrier battle groups throughout the Cold War.

Nuclear propulsion and capabilities

Powered by two General Electric C1W nuclear reactors, *Long Beach* had virtually unlimited range and endurance, limited only by crew provisions and maintenance needs. This allowed her to maintain high speeds for extended periods, a decisive advantage for escorting fast carrier strike groups. Her major mid-1970s overhaul, part of the New Threat Upgrade program, significantly modernized her combat systems. This included replacing her original radars with the modern AN/SPS-48 3D air search radar and installing new Mark 26 missile launchers capable of firing the RIM-66 Standard missile and ASROC. Later additions included RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Phalanx CIWS for close-in defense.

Decommissioning and fate

With the end of the Cold War and high operating costs, *Long Beach* was decommissioned at Naval Station Norfolk on 1 May 1995, after over 33 years of service. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day. Initially placed in the Inactive Reserve Fleet at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, she was approved for disposal. As of 2024, the vessel remains in storage at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, awaiting final dismantling via the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program.

Legacy and significance

USS *Long Beach* holds a permanent place in naval history as a pioneering vessel. She proved the viability and strategic value of nuclear propulsion for major surface combatants, directly influencing the design of subsequent ships like the USS *Truxtun* (CGN-35) and the Virginia-class cruiser. Her advanced radar systems paved the way for the development of the Aegis Combat System that equips the modern Ticonderoga-class cruiser and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. As the sole member of her class, she remains a unique symbol of American technological ambition during the early nuclear age and the Cold War.

Category:Long Beach-class cruisers Category:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts Category:1961 ships Category:Cold War cruisers of the United States