California-class

The two California-class cruisers were commissioned into the USN between 1974 and 1975, serving as ideal fast carrier task force escorts with their effectively unlimited range. Designed from the ground up around nuclear power, these ships were described as the first nuclear-powered surface units intended for series production (vs the proceeding Long Beach, Bainbridge, and Truxtun, all singular ships). Construction proved very expensive, and follow on units were canceled in favor of the later Virginia-class cruisers. In service, these were capable ships which mounted fore and aft Mark 13 missile launchers and 5" guns, with an ASROC launcher and reloads forward. Refits in the early 1980s added Phalanx CIWS and updated the electronic warfare suite to the AN/SLQ-32(V)3. Both ships were retired in the late 1990s, despite expensive refueling refits undertaken only a few years prior.