Displacement: full load 9465t Dimensions: 172.8 x 16.8 x 6.5 m Aviation: flight deck and hangar midships for two SH-2F
(early) or SH-60B
helicopters Armament: 2 x Mk 26 twin arm launchers for SM-2MR SAMs and
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: The Ticonderoga class cruisers were the first
vessels in the US Navy to mount the AEGIS combat system and the
associated SPY-1 Passive Phased Array Radar. These were originally
planned to be mounted on a nuclear propelled platform but the cost
of the new technologies along with the expense of nuclear propulsion
was too much even for the US Navy. Instead the Ticonderoga class
uses the same hull as the Spruance and Kidd class destroyers. The
revolutionary radar and control system allow the Ticonderoga class
to track hundreds of contacts and engage 16 simultaneously with
SM-2MR SAMs fired from the two twin arm Mk 26 launchers. Their main
role is as AAW escorts for carrier groups, surface action groups
and amphibious groups. Two Mk 141 quad Harpoon launchers give a
useful surface punch while the ship mounted sonar systems and the
pair of SH-60 helicopters make them potent ASW platforms. These
five non-VLS ships are now decommissioning.
