Home Page

Specifications

U.S.S. Gridley (DLG-21/CG-21)
Leahy Class Guided Missile Cruiser

Name	Builder	LD	LCH	COM	STATUS
DLG/CG.21 Gridley	Puget Sound Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.	Jul.15/60	Jul.31/61	May.25/63	anti-air upgrade Sep.10/68-Jan.17/70 New Threat Upgrade 1989 DECOM Jan.21/94 stricken Jan.21/94 MARAD - Maritime Administration (National Defense Reserve Fleet) Jan.28/94 moored at Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, Benecia, CA to be scrapped

Reclassified as guided missile cruiser (CG) on Jun.30/75

Dimensions

Length (O/A)	533.0'
Length (W/L)	N/A
Beam	55'
Draft	25'

Displacement

Full Load	8,200 tons
Standard	7,570 tons

Propulsion

Boilers	4 Foster-Wheeler "D" Type 1,280 psi (850-950 superheated output) (per John Mcdaniel)
Turbines	2 De Laval geared steam, 42,500 SHP each (per John Mcdaniel)
Shafts	4 See remarks below
Horsepower	60,000 shp
Endurance	8,000 NM @ 20 knts
Max Speed	30-31.5 knts

Armament

Main Gun	4 x 3"/50 in 2 twin mounts aft removed in favor of the Harpoons./80
SAM	1 twin Terrier Mk-10 Mod 5 launcher forward 1 twin Terrier Mk 10 Mod 6 launcher aft w/80 Terrier missiles modified in AAW upgrade to fire GDC Standard SM-1ER (RIM-87B) modified to fire SM-2ER in early 1980's
SSM	8-RGM-84A Mk-141 Harpoon in two quad launchers replaced 3"
ASuW	1 Mk 16 Mod 7 w/8 Honeywell ASROC
CIWS	2 GE/GD 20mm/76 Phalanx 6-barreled (Mk-15) aft 1 starboard 1 port (installed ./80)
Torpedoes	6 x 12.75" tubes (2 triple)

Countermeasures

Decoys

4 Loral Hycor SRBOC 6-barreled Mk-36
SLQ-26 Nixie towed torpedo decoy

Radars

Air Search	ITT SPS 48A (Wasn't this originally SPS-43 and SPS-39?) Raytheon SPS 49(V)3/5 (See Comments below)
NTDS	OE-82 satellite communications antenna SSR 1 receiver 3 x WSC-3 transceivers SLQ 32 ECM
Surface Search	Norden SPS 67 or 10F
Navigation	Marconi LN 66
Fire Control	1 Mk 114 antisubmarine warfare 4 Sperry/RCA SPG 55B 4 Mk 76 missile control systems
Sonars	GE/Hughes SQS 23 bow-mounted

Aircraft

Helicopters

Platform for medium helicopter (VERTREP)

Complement

Usual

359 enlisted
18 officers

Notes:

Radar: 1. A quick comment on your question regarding the AN/SPS-48 3D radar.. I don't know which 3D radar was onboard at commissioning, but the AN/SPS-39 3D radar was the predecessor of the AN/SPS-48 3D radar.. I do know that in 1979 she had an ANSPS-48 3D radar and an AN/SPS-43 2D radar which was replaced in the mid-80's by the AN/SPS-49 2D radar. (Don Morrison)

2. Looking at the ship's specs, I noticed a question about the air search radar. I was the ETR3 assigned to maintenance of the AN/SPS-43 long-range air search radar from 1974 to 1976. Its antenna was the big rectangular "bedspring" one. We could detect aircraft up to 300 miles away. There was also a SPA-63 countermeasures set attached to the radar, but we never used it (at least while I was maintaining the system).

The ship ALSO mounted the AN/SPS-48 height-finding radar (using the black square antenna). The SPS-48 was a height-finding radar, range about 50 miles (the SPS-43 could only show bearing & distance, not height).

Usually, the -43 would pick up aircraft wayyyy out; the -48 would use that information to pick them up closer and then supply bearing/distance/height to the SPG-55 fire-control radar. (The SPG-55's could also be used in a "scan" mode in an emergency, but that was not a very efficient use of it. The Terrier missles were "beam-rider" missles, following the track produced by the SPG-55.)

While I was onboard (1974-1979), the other radar was the SPS-10 surface search. (Ray Haas)

Propulsion - We made a speed run from Adalaide to Port Lyttleton in 67. 25 Knots all the way. Same leaving Port Lyttleton to Wellington.

The Gridley could do 26 and a bit on Two Boilers and 32 even on four. She was a slug. Remember I was on it twice.

I do not believe that Gridley did over 32 unless someone towed it. The Horne could do 37 and a bit on 4 and 30 even on 2.

Ships with Foster Wheeler and Babcock and Wilcock boilers, 16 and 26 class CG's top out at 33, some slower. Ships with Combustion Engineering Boilers, the 29,30,31 all were faster than the sister ships. Why I don't know but were. With Horne being at the head of the class. We beat Truxton to Subic once to get alongside the pier as we were junior to their Capt. and our CO didn't like him. Hope this adds some clarity to the discussion. (Jim Hampton)

Robert (MM1) says: Phil, I was reading the info on Gridley engineering and was wondering why it reads 4 propulsion shafts...She had 2 shafts with 42,000 shp each, but true to say she had 4 foster and wheeler "D" type propulsion boilers (2 in each fireroom). Just wanted to let you know.

Leahy class guided missile cruisers

Displ: 7,800 tons full load Dim: 547 x 55 x 25 ft Prop: Steam turbines, 4 1200 psi boilers, 85,000 hp, 2 shafts, 30+ knots Crew: 395 Arm: 2 twin Terrier (80 missiles total), 1 ASROC, 2 dual 3/50, 6 12.75 inch TT Armor: none Purpose-built double-end guided missile "frigates" (DLG). The entire class was given an AAW upgrade during the late-1960's and early 1970's, Terrier launchers modified to fire Terrier or Standard SM-1ER. Became CGs 30 June 1975 as part of the Cruiser/Frigate realignment. The 3/50s were replaced by 8 Harpoon missiles, the Terrier launchers were upgraded to fire the Standard SM-2ER missile (all complete by 1985), and 2 Phalanx CIWS were added. All were upgraded under the late-1980's NTU program. This included new radars, a new combat system, new fire control systems, and upgraded missiles and missile launchers. The entire class was taken out of service in the early 1990's, stricken and transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal.

DLG 21/CG 21 Gridley Built by Puget Sound SB&DD. Laid down 15 July 1960, launched 31 July 1961, commissioned 25 May 1963. AAW upgrade at Bath Iron Works 10 Sept 1968 to 17 Jan 1970. NTU 9 Jan 1989 to ???. Decommissioned and stricken 21 Jan 1994, MarAd 28 Jan 1994.