The Long Beach was destined to be a unique ship in that the navy politics were against her from the start. Even while she was being assembled and the long range AN/SPS 32/33 radars were being installed there was a move afoot in NAVSEA to replace her with the AEGIS series of ships being lobbied by a certain commander and a certain electronics company to replace the 32/33, made by Hughes Aircraft Comany, with that of the AEGIS rada made by RCA. Are you starting to get the picture. Politics and career jocking were far nmore important than the millions of dollars and dedicated hours from thise of us who poured our blood sweat and tears into the old girl. So even though the Long Beach proudlky served the fleet, Talos and Terrier were under attack by the "standard missle" vertical launch system. The buzz word around NAVSEA and the Pentagon was "better is the enemy of good enough." So the Navy was slowly changed over from the great ships like the Long Beach to a poor sea keeping vessle like the AEGIS ship. NAVSHIPS had on hell ove a time in the design of the AEGIS and it ability to keep above decks light enough to recover from rolling seas. The RCA radar design was too heavy and needed some of the innovative technology cfeated by Hughes Aircraft Company. Ironic that the very company that RCA was trying to sink would be that dsalvation of the their own radar design. So, in time the SPS 32/33 radar was scrapped in favor of the AEGIS ship(s). For thise of us in the know, the USS Long Beach could outperform AEGIS on its worst day. Long live the memory of the Long Beach, Admiral Rickover and Captain Captian Eugene Wilkinson and the first Exec - Captain Swarz who met an untimley death meeting the ship in Long Beach. CA. I will never forget the US long Beach and the hundreds and hundreds of sailors and officers she held from harms way. I know a ship is just steel but I tell you the CGN 9 had a soul and a ghost that still sails the oceans of the world.

Joe Bradley