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USS Virginia (CGN-38)
Encyclopedia
USS Virginia (CGN-38) was a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, the lead ship
of her class
, and the eighth ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the Commonwealth of Virginia
.
, DLGN-38; launched on 14 December 1974; sponsored by Virginia S. Warner, daughter of the Honorable John Warner
, former Secretary of the Navy; reclassified as a nuclear-powered, guided-missile cruiser and redesignated CGN-38 on 30 June 1975; and commissioned on 11 September 1976, Capt. George W. Davis, Jr., in command.
for a five-month, post shakedown availability. She completed her final sea trials on 28 September and began duty as an operational unit of the Atlantic Fleet
. In November, she cruised along the New England
and Canadian
coasts, participating in anti-submarine warfare
exercises. In December, she returned to the West Indies for missile firings on the Atlantic Fleet weapons range. She completed that mission on 13 December and reentered Norfolk three days later to begin holiday leave and upkeep in her home port. The beginning of 1978 found her still in Norfolk; but, by mid-month, she returned to sea in the Virginia Capes
operating area for a series of local operations. On 28 January, however, she departed Norfolk to return to the area along the Florida
coast and in the West Indies for a series of special tests conducted under the auspices of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
. The guided-missile cruiser returned to Norfolk on 23 March and resumed local operations.
That employment lasted until 23 August when Virginia embarked upon a cruise to northern Europe to participate in Exercise Northern Wedding
, a NATO exercise, the purpose of which was to test the ability to reinforce NATO forces in western Europe. During that deployment, she visited Oslo
in Norway
, Rotterdam
in the Netherlands
, and Portsmouth
in England. The warship departed the latter port on 3 October and reentered Norfolk on the 12th. On 16 November, she put to sea for training exercises in the Gulf of Mexico
. During that voyage, she made a port visit at Mobile, Alabama
, and conducted naval gunfire support training at Vieques Island near Puerto Rico
. She made another port visit to the island of St. Thomas on 6 December and 7 December before heading home. Virginia reentered Norfolk on 11 December and began preparations for her first deployment to the Mediterranean which was scheduled to commence in early 1979.
As part of an Indian Ocean deployment in 1980, she crossed the Indian Ocean to the Republic of the Philippines, for emergency Sonar dome repairs. During her third Mediterranean deployment in 1983, she patrolled off Beirut and fired nearly 300 five inch rounds into Lebanon, many in defense of the strategic mountain town of Suk El Gharb. Virginia provided emergency assistance after the Beirut Marine barracks bombing. She was honored as Sixth Fleet Top Hand for that extended deployment. In 1984, she entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for her single major overhaul and was converted to the Navy's first strike cruiser with the addition of the Phalanx CIWS
, Tomahawk missile and the SM-2
extension of her surface to air capability. During this overhaul, the aft helicopter hangar and elevator were removed and the space refitted with 2 Armored Box Tomahawk cruise missile launchers (4 missiles each) on deck and an Engineering Department training space below.
In December 1990, Virginia deployed to the Mediterranean in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Most of the six-month deployment was spent in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
, off the coast of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. There she commanded a strike group of 4 vessels including a destroyer (USS Spruance
) and 2 SSN
s (USS Pittsburgh (SSN-720)
and USS Philadelphia (SSN-690)
). In January 1991, she fired two Tomahawk cruise missiles
from the Mediterranean to Iraq, which was at the time the longest combat firing of a Tomahawk. She also directed the launching of four other Tomahawks from the two submarines in the task group.
on 31 March 1999.
Her missile launchers are now on display at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia.
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class
Virginia class cruiser
The Virginia-class nuclear guided-missile cruisers were a series of four double-ended guided-missile cruisers commissioned in the late 1970s, which served in the US Navy until the mid- to late-1990s...
, and the eighth ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for the Commonwealth of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Construction
She was laid down on 19 August 1972 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company as a nuclear-powered, guided-missile frigateFrigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
, DLGN-38; launched on 14 December 1974; sponsored by Virginia S. Warner, daughter of the Honorable John Warner
John Warner
John William Warner, KBE is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2, 1979, to January 3, 2009...
, former Secretary of the Navy; reclassified as a nuclear-powered, guided-missile cruiser and redesignated CGN-38 on 30 June 1975; and commissioned on 11 September 1976, Capt. George W. Davis, Jr., in command.
History
During the first six months of her commissioned service, Virginia ranged the eastern seaboard of the United States and cruised in the West Indies several times conducting myriad of post-commissioning tests and shakedown training. On 25 April 1977, she entered the Norfolk Naval ShipyardNorfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
for a five-month, post shakedown availability. She completed her final sea trials on 28 September and began duty as an operational unit of the Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
. In November, she cruised along the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
coasts, participating in anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
exercises. In December, she returned to the West Indies for missile firings on the Atlantic Fleet weapons range. She completed that mission on 13 December and reentered Norfolk three days later to begin holiday leave and upkeep in her home port. The beginning of 1978 found her still in Norfolk; but, by mid-month, she returned to sea in the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
operating area for a series of local operations. On 28 January, however, she departed Norfolk to return to the area along the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
coast and in the West Indies for a series of special tests conducted under the auspices of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
. The guided-missile cruiser returned to Norfolk on 23 March and resumed local operations.
That employment lasted until 23 August when Virginia embarked upon a cruise to northern Europe to participate in Exercise Northern Wedding
Northern Wedding
Northern Wedding was a NATO Cold War naval military exercise conducted every four years, designed to test NATO's ability to rearm and resupply Europe during times of war.-Exercises:...
, a NATO exercise, the purpose of which was to test the ability to reinforce NATO forces in western Europe. During that deployment, she visited Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in England. The warship departed the latter port on 3 October and reentered Norfolk on the 12th. On 16 November, she put to sea for training exercises in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. During that voyage, she made a port visit at Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, and conducted naval gunfire support training at Vieques Island near Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. She made another port visit to the island of St. Thomas on 6 December and 7 December before heading home. Virginia reentered Norfolk on 11 December and began preparations for her first deployment to the Mediterranean which was scheduled to commence in early 1979.
As part of an Indian Ocean deployment in 1980, she crossed the Indian Ocean to the Republic of the Philippines, for emergency Sonar dome repairs. During her third Mediterranean deployment in 1983, she patrolled off Beirut and fired nearly 300 five inch rounds into Lebanon, many in defense of the strategic mountain town of Suk El Gharb. Virginia provided emergency assistance after the Beirut Marine barracks bombing. She was honored as Sixth Fleet Top Hand for that extended deployment. In 1984, she entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for her single major overhaul and was converted to the Navy's first strike cruiser with the addition of the Phalanx CIWS
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
, Tomahawk missile and the SM-2
RIM-66 Standard
The RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...
extension of her surface to air capability. During this overhaul, the aft helicopter hangar and elevator were removed and the space refitted with 2 Armored Box Tomahawk cruise missile launchers (4 missiles each) on deck and an Engineering Department training space below.
In December 1990, Virginia deployed to the Mediterranean in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Most of the six-month deployment was spent in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, off the coast of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. There she commanded a strike group of 4 vessels including a destroyer (USS Spruance
USS Spruance (DD-963)
USS Spruance was the lead ship of the Spruance-class of destroyers in the United States Navy. She was named for Admiral Raymond A. Spruance....
) and 2 SSN
Los Angeles class submarine
The Los Angeles class, sometimes called the LA class or the 688 class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet. With 43 submarines on active duty and 19 retired, the Los Angeles class is the most numerous nuclear powered...
s (USS Pittsburgh (SSN-720)
USS Pittsburgh (SSN-720)
USS Pittsburgh , a , was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 16 April 1979 and her keel was laid down on 15 April 1983. She...
and USS Philadelphia (SSN-690)
USS Philadelphia (SSN-690)
USS Philadelphia , a Los Angeles-class attack submarine, was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 8 January 1971 and her keel...
). In January 1991, she fired two Tomahawk cruise missiles
from the Mediterranean to Iraq, which was at the time the longest combat firing of a Tomahawk. She also directed the launching of four other Tomahawks from the two submarines in the task group.
Decommissioning
She was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 29 November 1994, Virginia entered the Navy's Nuclear-Powered Surface Ship and Submarine Recycling ProgramShip-Submarine recycling program
The Ship/Submarine Recycling Program is the process the United States Navy uses to dispose of decommissioned nuclear vessels. SRP takes place only at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, but the preparations can begin elsewhere....
on 31 March 1999.
Her missile launchers are now on display at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia.