So advanced was the engineering of the USS Long Beach (CGN-9) in naval history that she happened to be the world’s, and the first, nuclear-powered surface combatant. Launched on 14 July 1959 and commissioned on 9 September 1961, this Long Beach-class cruiser, primarily designed for warfare operations, incorporated a displacement of 17,500 tons, a length of 721 feet, and a speed of 30 knots. At that time, the USS Long Beach was a technological miracle.
The USS Long Beach was modernized in the course of its active service on several occasions to keep it up to date with changing times and technologies. The Terrier missile launchers were replaced with the later standard ER missile launchers, which meant its already high missile complement was augmented with the BGM-109 “Tomahawk” land attack cruise missiles and the RGM-84 “Harpoon” anti-ship missile launchers. To add further point defense, two 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) were added to the ship.
The design of the ship was peculiar to a large, oversized, and boxy superstructure that could house most of the major systems and sub-systems. Added to its imposing structure with advanced radar and sonar systems, it made the USS Long Beach a formidable competitor on the seas. Its first sailing on July 6, 1961, was the beginning of a distinguished career that would see it rack up some 167,000 miles by its first refit in 1965-1966.
During the Vietnam War, the role of the USS Long Beach was very important, stationed in Southeast Asia where its technologically advanced systems were used to precise effect. It had at least two enemy MiG fighter aircraft kills in 1968 and was engaged many other times directing friendly forces in attacks. Its missiles could reach aerial threats as far away as 75 miles, so it was quite an asset in that conflict.
By 1979, the USS Long Beach was showing its age, and thus weapon suite upgrades were made to address emerging Cold War threats. Many important radar fixtures were replaced or upgraded, and the ship received updated sonar and defense systems. It underwent a major overhaul between 1984 and 1985, inclusive of getting the ship into the Tomahawk cruise missile mix, increasing its land-attack capability to a considerable range.
The USS Long Beach continued to be a distinguished serving ship, joining operations along with other famous names such as the USS New Jersey and the USS Missouri. In 1991, it supported U.S. personnel evacuating the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. The end of the Cold War, however, witnessed major budget cuts, leading to the deactivation of the USS Long Beach on 2 July 1994 and its official decommissioning on 1 May 1995. This once-pride vessel was stripped of its entire nuclear gear and sold away in 2012.
So, it denotes the USS Long Beach as a technological and engineering marvel by any standards; the ingenuity of the US Navy reverberates through it. Its advanced systems coupled with great capability gave it a place among the first line of defense against naval enemies for the span of its life.