USS Long Beach

USS Long Beach
Ship name	USS Long Beach (CGN-9)
Ship caption	USS Long Beach underway, 1960s
Ship owner	United States Navy
Ship operator	United States Navy
Ship class	Long Beach-class cruiser
Ship displacement	17,000 long tons (full load)
Ship length	734 ft (224 m)
Ship beam	76 ft (23 m)
Ship draught	28 ft (8.5 m)
Ship propulsion	2 × D2G reactors, steam turbines
Ship speed	30+ kn
Ship crew	1,000+
Ship launched	1959
Ship commissioned	1961
Ship decommissioned	1995

USS Long Beach was the United States Navy's first nuclear-powered surface combatant and the lead ship of the Long Beach class. Entering service during the Cold War era, she combined nuclear propulsion with guided missile systems and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, serving in multiple theaters including the Pacific and Mediterranean. Long Beach participated in high-profile operations and visits alongside units like USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Seventh Fleet (United States Navy), and NATO task groups, reflecting shifts in naval doctrine from the 1950s through the 1990s.

Design and Development

The Long Beach program drew on concepts advanced by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the Naval Reactors program, and designers from Newport News Shipbuilding and Bath Iron Works to create a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser optimized for blue-water operations. Influences included lessons from World War II carrier-cruiser actions, interwar treaty debates culminating in the Washington Naval Treaty legacy, and emergent requirements articulated by Chief of Naval Operations (United States Navy), notably in documents reviewed by personnel associated with Bureau of Ships and Office of Naval Research. The ship's armament and sensor suite reflected contemporaneous developments at laboratories such as Naval Research Laboratory and companies like Raytheon, Grumman, and Westinghouse Electric Company.

Construction and Commissioning

Long Beach was laid down at Newport News Shipbuilding with oversight from the United States Navy and funding debated in sessions of the United States Congress and United States Department of Defense appropriation committees. The launch and fitting-out phases involved contractors including Ingalls Shipbuilding subcontractors and coordination with Naval Sea Systems Command. Commissioning ceremonies featured dignitaries from City of Long Beach, California, representatives of the President of the United States, and naval leadership such as members of the Chief of Naval Operations (United States Navy) staff. Her keel, christening, and commissioning were covered alongside other major programs like USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25) and USS Bainbridge (CGN-25) in contemporary naval reportage.

Operational History

Long Beach conducted shakedown cruises and integrated into task forces alongside Seventh Fleet (United States Navy), Sixth Fleet (United States Navy), and carrier battle groups built around USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Independence (CV-62), and USS America (CV-66). She was deployed during Cold War crises that involved the Cuban Missile Crisis, operations connected to the Vietnam War, and Mediterranean deployments tied to NATO exercises such as Operation Strikeback and engagements with Warsaw Pact units including forces from the Soviet Navy and Northern Fleet (Russia). Long Beach provided flagship services, ballistic missile defense coverage in conjunction with AN/SPY-1 era research, and carrier escort duties during operations coordinated with United States Pacific Fleet and allied navies like the Royal Navy, French Navy, and Royal Australian Navy.

Technical Specifications

Long Beach's propulsion comprised D2G reactor units feeding steam turbines developed by Westinghouse Electric Company engineering teams; this configuration yielded extended range comparable to nuclear carriers such as USS Enterprise (CVN-65). Her electronics suite evolved from early long-range radars produced by ITT Corporation and Hughes Aircraft Company to integrated combat systems influenced by work at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the Naval Electronics Systems Command. Armament included guided missile launchers developed in conjunction with Convair, anti-submarine weapons linked to ASROC programs, and naval guns reflecting standards from Naval Ordnance Laboratory studies. Crew accommodations and damage control systems were influenced by standards promulgated by Bureau of Ships and training doctrines from United States Naval Academy and fleet training centers.

Modifications and Upgrades

Throughout her service life Long Beach received upgrades in radar, sonar, and fire control coordinated with contractors such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and General Electric. Missile systems were modernized in response to threats identified in analyses from Naval War College studies and real-world incidents involving the Soviet Navy. Electronics retrofits incorporated technologies from Bell Labs and defense programs sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, while habitability and habitability improvements were guided by personnel policies linked to Bureau of Naval Personnel.

Incidents and Losses

Long Beach experienced engineering and operational incidents that drew attention from Naval Safety Center investigations and congressional oversight committees including panels chaired by members of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. Mechanical issues related to prototype nuclear plant components necessitated repairs at shipyards such as Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Personnel casualties and on-board mishaps prompted procedural changes echoed in Manual of the Judge Advocate General advisories and recommendations disseminated through Fleet Forces Command.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

As the first nuclear-powered surface combatant, Long Beach influenced subsequent designs including Ticonderoga-class cruiser concepts and discussions leading to later platforms like Zumwalt-class destroyer. Her presence shaped Cold War naval diplomacy involving port calls to cities like Tokyo, Naples, and Long Beach, California and featured in coverage by media outlets including The New York Times, Time (magazine), and Jane's Fighting Ships. Museums, historical monographs published by Naval Institute Press, and exhibits at institutions such as the National Museum of the United States Navy and Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum reference Long Beach in studies of nuclear propulsion, naval architecture, and Cold War maritime strategy. The ship's impact is cited in biographies of figures like Admiral Hyman G. Rickover and analyses produced by scholars at Harvard Kennedy School and Naval War College.

Category:United States Navy cruisers Category:Nuclear-powered ships of the United States Navy