USS Arkansas (CGN-41)
USS Arkansas (CGN-41) is the fifth, and most recent, vessel to bear the name of our state. Designed in the 1970s, she was a Virginia-class nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser.
Background
By definition, a modern U.S. Navy cruiser is a multi-mission vessel, capable of carrying out anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and shore bombardment missions. They are also capable of operating independently or as a member of a large task force. Cruisers also have extra command and control capabilities, enabling them to operate, at least for a reasonable amount of time, as flagships for a group of smaller vessels.
AIMM has the following artifacts on permanent display:
- The ship's anchor
- Anchor chain
- The ship's bell
- The ship's sternplate
- The ship's helm station
- The Captain's chair
We also have a MK-26 missile launcher, but currently do not have the outdoor space to properly display it.
Other vessels to be named in honor of the 25th state are:- USS Arkansas, a screw steamer purchased by the U.S. Navy for service during the Civil War
- CSS Arkansas, a Confederate Navy ram that saw combat on the Mississippi river.
- USS Arkansas (BM-7), one of the last "monitor"-type warships built
- USS Arkansas (BB-33), a battleship that saw action in both the First World War and WWII