Displacement: full load 9465t Dimensions: 172.8 x 16.8 x 6.5 m Aviation: flight deck and hangar midships for two SH-60B
helicopters Armament: 2 x 61 cell (later 64 cell) Mk 41 VLS for SM-2MR
SAMs, Tomahawk LACMs and VL ASROC, 2 x Mk 141 quad launchers for
Harpoon SSMs, 2 x 127mm Mk 45 DP guns, 2 x 20mm Mk 15 Phalanx CIWS,
2 x 324mm Mk 32 triple ASW TTs Propulsion: COGAG; 4 x LM 2500 gas turbines; 80000shp; 2
shafts; 30kts Description: USS Bunker Hill was the first of the Ticonderoga
CGs to be fitted with the Mk 41 vertical launch system (VLS). The
VLS consists of 61 (later 64 after the removal of the reloading
crane) cells into which could be loaded SM-2 SAMs or Tomahawk land
attack cruise missiles. From CG 59 onwards the lighter and improved
SPY-1B radar was introduced. The Mk 41 VLS allowed for faster launching
of SAMs to deal with incoming threats and while an individual missile
could fail at launch such an event would not prevent other cells
launching unlike the mechanical Mk 26 where a failure could jam
the launcher. The addition of the Tomahawk LACMs gave the class
an important role in the land battle. After the break up of the
Soviet Union the threat of massed missile attacks on US ships largely
evaporated and the land attack mission took precedence. This capability
was first used during the 1991 Gulf War and in other conflicts since.
In 1996 VL ASROC joined the fleet and in the future ESSM quad packs
will probably be embarked for improved self defence against sea-skimming
missiles. An important new role for the US navy's AEGIS vessels
is theatre ballistic missile defence. The SM-3 ATBM is being embarked
on a number of specially upgraded vessels to allow for the protection
of US forces from ballistic missile threats.
