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USS South Carolina underway on 9 October 1997
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | South Carolina |
Namesake | State of South Carolina |
Ordered | 13 June 1968 |
Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding Co. |
Laid down | 1 December 1970 |
Launched | 1 July 1972 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. J. Fred Buzhardt |
Acquired | 15 November 1974 |
Commissioned | 25 January 1975 |
Decommissioned | 30 July 1999 |
Stricken | 30 July 1999 |
Identification |
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Motto | Prepared in mind and in resources |
Fate | Recycling completed 10 May 2010. |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | California-class cruiser |
Displacement | 10,500 long tons (10,700 t) |
Length | 597 ft (182 m) |
Beam | 61 ft (19 m) |
Draft | 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m) |
Propulsion | 2 × General Electric D2G nuclear reactors |
Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h)+ |
Complement | 40 officers and 544 enlisted |
Armament |
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Aviation facilities | Helicopter deck aft able to accommodate SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS Mk1, SH-3 Sea King, and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. No hangar facility. |
USS South Carolina (CGN-37) was the second ship of the California class of nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers in the United States Navy.
USS South Carolina and her sister ship, USS California, were equipped with two Mk-13 launchers, fore and aft, for the RIM-24 Tartar surface-to-air missiles, ASROC missiles, and Harpoon missiles. They were equipped with two 5-inch rapid-fire cannons, fore and aft. Unlike the later Virginia-class cruiser which had a unique arrangement aft of the superstructure, with a flight deck and a below-decks hangar for two LAMPS helicopters, these two cruisers had only a landing pad aft and basic refuelling equipment. There was also a full suite of anti-submarine warfare equipment. Thus, these ships were designed to face all threats, in the air, on the surface, and underwater.
South Carolina was sometimes referred to by her crewmembers as "The Socar" or "The Mighty Socar".