USS California ( CGN - 36 ) USS " California " ( CGN - 36 ) , the lead ship of the " California " - class of nuclear - powered guided missile cruisers , was the seventh warship of the United States Navy to be named for the State of California and the first non - battleship ever to be named after a state . The USS " California " and her sister ship , the were equipped with two single - armed Mk 13 launchers , fore and aft , for the Standard Missile , one ASROC missile launcher , and two Mk - 141 launchers for the " Harpoon " missiles . These cruisers were equipped with two 5 inch / 54 calibre Mk 45 guns rapid - fire cannons , fore and aft . These two cruisers also had a unique arrangement aft of their superstructures with a flight deck and lowerable safety fences . Both cruisers also had full suites of anti - submarine warfare equipment . Thus , these warships were designed to combat all threats , in the air , on the surface , and underwater . History . The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News , Virginia , on 13 June 1968 and her keel was laid down on 23 January 1970 . She was launched on 22 September 1971 sponsored with a " near miss " of the champagne bottle by First Lady of the United States Pat Nixon , and commissioned on 16 February 1974 by The Honorable James E . Johnson , Assistant Secretary , US Navy ( Manpower and Reserve Affairs ) , with Captain Floyd H . Miller , Jr . , in command . She was commissioned as a guided - missile frigate ( DLGN ) , but her designation was changed to a guided - missile cruiser ( CGN ) on 30 June 1975 . The USS " California " represented the U . S . Navy in the Silver Jubilee naval review in Portsmouth , England in 1977 , honoring Queen Elizabeth II . In January 1980 , the USS California was diverted from a Med Cruise to the Indian Ocean because of the hostage situation in Iran . The ship left the Med and ran at flank speed south through the Atlantic , around Africa , and up into the Indian Ocean . In April 1980 , this ship along with forces from the Air Force , Marines , and Army participated in the failed Iranian hostage rescue attempt " Operation Eagle Claw " . In 1981 , the USS " California " circumnavigated the globe , becoming the first nuclear - powered warship to do so since the and her task force of two nuclear - powered escorts had done so in 1964 , in " Operation Sea Orbit " . In September 1983 , the " Golden Grizzly " left Norfolk for the last time , steaming through the Panama Canal to its new homeport , Naval Air Station , Alameda , California . The ship embarked on its first Western Pacific and Indian Ocean cruise in February 1985 as a member of the battle group . During the spring of 1986 , " California " conducted several weeks of Bering Sea operations and became the first cruiser to visit Adak , Alaska , since World War II . She again deployed to the Western Pacific and completed a second " Around - the - World " cruise in 1987 . The year 1988 brought continued high - tempo operations as " California " cruised the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans for a third time . The ship served as battle group Anti - Surface Warfare Commander during the RIMPAC 88 exercise as well as for Olympic Presence Operations off the Korean Peninsula . Subsequently , during her 1988 - 1989 deployment , " California " assumed duties as Anti - Air Warfare Commander for operations in the North Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf . While assigned patrol duties in the Strait of Hormuz in December 1988 , " California " conducted the last USN Earnest Will convoy mission through the strait . The summer of 1989 saw " California " tasked with Northern Pacific operations as part of a CNO project to study the effects of Near - Land Operating Areas on carrier battle group operations . In September and October 1989 , the " Golden Grizzly " participated as an anti - air - warfare picket ship in PACEX 89 , the largest combined sailing of U . S . and allied naval units since World War II . In April 1990 , " California " entered the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton , Washington for a three - year refueling complex overhaul , including two new D2G high endurance reactor cores in her engineering plant with adequate fuel capacity to power the ship for more than 20 years of normal operations , and the New Threat Upgrade Combat Systems Suite . The overhaul cost approximately $ 425 million . Upon completion of the overhaul in January 1993 , " California " began a series of exercises and evaluations in preparation for deployment . These included independent training in all aspects of its mission as well as coordinated battle group exercises . The timing of this overhaul would prove crucial to the ship ' s longevity , as it allowed the two California - class cruisers ( USS California and USS South Carolina ) to survive their successor CGNs . Two years later , when the four newer Virginia - class cruisers came up for refueling , the Navy balked at the cost . The Virginia - class cruisers were decommissioned shortly afterwards , while the three - year overhaul on the California - class cruisers improved a platform whose nuclear propulsion system gave it immense flexibility . In June 1994 , " California " joined the battle group in the Western Pacific for the ship ' s first deployment in five years . " California " exchanged personnel with the Republic of Korea Navy for a combined exercise and with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force for ANNUALEX 06G and Keen Edge 95 . The cruiser also took part in a LINKEX exercise with United States forces in and near Korea , establishing the most extensive tactical data link ever in this region . The deployment wrapped up with participation in Tandem Thrust 95 , a joint exercise with the armed forces of the United States , Australia , and several allied nations . " California " then returned to her home at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard just before Christmas 1994 . In 1995 , " California " completed a four - month maintenance availability , improving the reliability of her propulsion plant and updating her combat systems . In September 1995 , " California " sailed in a parade of ships through Pearl Harbor as part of the ceremony commemorating the end of World War II . In May 1996 , " California " left for the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Persian Gulf on a routine six - month deployment with the Battle Group . " California " received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for operations Southern Watch and Desert Strike for shared duties as Air Warfare Commander for the Carl Vinson Battle Group . Having completed a short but intense maintenance period in the spring of 1997 , " California " conducted a series of training operations and evaluations including a live - fire missile exercise , and Operational Reactor Safeguards Examination , and a Final Evaluation Period . " California " was awarded the Battle Efficiency Award for outstanding operational readiness throughout 1997 . In January 1998 , " California " deployed to the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea in support of Counterdrug Operations as the Air Warfare Commander for the Joint Inter - Agency Task Force ( JIATF ) East . In July , she gave her last " Grizzly Roar " by participating in RIMPAC 98 as a member of the Bilateral force . The improvements made during 1990 overhaul could not save either of the California - cruisers . By 1998 , they cost about $ 38 . 8 million to man , operate , and maintain . A typical Ticonderoga - class cruiser cost about $ 29 . 5 million annually . California - class ships lacked helicopter hangars , antisubmarine warfare weapons , and required costly nuclear - trained crews . The California - class took on board roughly 600 officers and crewmen , while the conventionally powered Ticonderoga - class cruisers carry fewer than 400 . The USS " California " deactivation ceremony was held on 28 August 1998 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton , Washington . The California received an impressive number of awards and commendations during her career . She received the Meritorious Unit Commendation four times , in 1980 , 1986 , 1987 and 1996 ; she received the Battle Efficiency “ E ” for outstanding combat preparedness in 1976 , 1977 , 1980 , 1994 , 1995 , 1997 and 1998 . Decommissioning . USS " California " was deactivated on 1 October 1998 , then decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 9 July 1999 . She was disposed of in the U . S . Navy ' s Nuclear - Powered Ship - Submarine recycling program at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard . Her recycling and scrapping was completed on 12 May 2000 . In fiction . The writer J . Lanier Yeates served aboard the USS " California " in 1974 and 1998 . In 2005 , he wrote the novel " Bay of One Hundred Fires , " an alternate history work of fiction in which the USS " California " is overhauled and upgraded , and then plays a key role in fighting the armed forces of the Iraqi President , Saddam Hussein , who had created a stockpile of weapons of mass destruction . Author Dale Brown featured the USS " California " in his novel " Silver Tower " . The main character ' s father was Captain .