USS South Carolina (CGN-37)

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USS South Carolina underway on 9 October 1997
History
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	Callsign: NLVQ Hull number: CGN-37
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	2 × Mk 141 Harpoon missile launchers 2 × 5-inch/54 caliber Mk 45 lightweight guns 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 1 × ASROC missile launcher 2 × Mk 13 missile launchers for RIM-66 Standard missiles (MR) Mark 46 torpedoes
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".