California-class cruiser

USS California
USS California underway
Class overview
BuildersNewport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
Operators United States Navy
Preceded by
Succeeded byVirginia class
Built1970–1974
In commission1974–1999
Completed2
Active0
Retired2
General characteristics
TypeGuided-missile cruiser
Displacement10,600 long tons (10,800 t)
Length587 ft (179 m)
Beam61 ft (19 m)
Draft31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
Propulsion2 × General Electric D2G reactors generating 60,000 shp (45,000 kW)
SpeedIn excess of 30 knots (56 km/h)
Complement40 officers and 544 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aviation facilitiesHelicopter deck aft able to accommodate SH-2 Seasprite LAMPS Mk1, SH-3 Sea King, and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. No hangar facility.

The California class was a pair of nuclear-powered guided-missile cruisers operated by the United States Navy between 1974 and 1998. Other than their nuclear power supply and lack of helicopter hangars, ships of the California class were comparable to other guided-missile cruisers of their era, such as the Belknap class. The class was built as a follow-up to the nuclear-powered Long Beach, Bainbridge, and Truxtun classes. Like all of the nuclear cruisers, which could steam for years between refuelings, the California class was designed in part to provide high endurance escort for the navy's nuclear aircraft carriers, which were often limited in range due to their conventionally powered escorts continuously needing to be refueled.