The USS Long Beach (CGN-9) holds its niche in naval history as the vessel that brought in a new age. Commissioned in 1961, it was not another cruiser—it was the world’s first nuclear-powered surface warship and the world’s first guided-missile-armed cruiser to be constructed from the keel up. Although most of the surface fleet ships were World War II hull designs, Long Beach departed from the norm and showed what naval combat in the future would look like. It was a strange shape.
The vessel had a high-smoothed, aerodynamic hull and a high, box-like superstructure to house the new SCANFAR radar system. The twin-array radar system, composed of the AN/SPS-32 and AN/SPS-33, was a technological leap forward.
It could monitor several aircraft and missiles at the same time, unheard of then, and have a direct impact on the Aegis combat system’s future decades hence. To everyone, Long Beach was the transition from World War II-era gunnery ships to modern high-tech destroyers and missile cruisers. Long Beach was singular in the source of power it derived.
The vessel came with two General Electric D2G nuclear reactors that would enable it to survive for years without refueling. This capability was fully tested in 1964 during Operation Sea Orbit when Long Beach embarked on a continuous, worldwide cruise along with the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and the frigate USS Bainbridge.
The three ships covered over 30,000 nautical miles in 65 days without stopping to refuel. It wasn’t merely a record cruise—it was proof the Navy finally had ships robust enough to operate independently, with essentially unlimited range and stamina. The cruiser’s armament was state-of-the-art as well.
It first had Typos and Terrier surface-to-air missiles, ASROC rockets to track down subs, torpedoes, and dual 5-inch guns. Over its years, it was also armed with Standard missiles, Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, ship-to-ship Harpoon missiles, and the Phalanx CIWS for close defense. With all of those, Long Beach was a complete multi-role combatant.
It could protect carrier task forces from aerial attack, strike land targets several hundred miles away, and protect against submarines—all without spending nearly as much time in port as a traditional ship. Long Beach experienced its fair share of activity in its service life.
It had a significant role during the Vietnam War, transporting U.S. aircraft deep into enemy territory and protecting carriers operating off the Vietnamese coast. Its range allowed it to stay on station for months without having to fear fuel depletion. It then participated in the Mayagüez rescue operation, performed humanitarian duties by evacuating Vietnamese refugees, and even engaged in combat duty during the 1991 Gulf War. Long Beach also brought an era to an end.
It was the last cruiser built on the standard cruiser hull before the Navy started transitioning to building ships on destroyer platforms due to the cost and efficiency problems. But its influence could not be escaped. The SCANFAR radar was a precursor to the phased-array systems currently dominant in wide-scale naval warfare, and its nuclear engine initiated the unheard-of advantages of lifetime and mobility that only reactors were capable of delivering. The vessel was decommissioned in 1995 following over three decades on active duty.
The Navy had long since given up on nuclear-powered surface warships by then because they were too expensive to refuel and maintain. Submarines and aircraft carriers would be nuclear-powered, while cruisers and destroyers would be conventionally powered. But USS Long Beach is a legend. It was an odd ship that broke the rules in technology, showed new concepts in war, and left its mark as one of the most innovative warships ever constructed.
Even to this day, naval historians recall it not only as a cruiser, but also as an experiment that would never be afraid to work. Long Beach demonstrated that warships don’t necessarily need to be merely pieces of steel and cannons—they could be a tool of the newest technology that created the future of the fleet.