CG47 - Ticonderoga Class Guided Missile Cruiser

Aegis equipped guided missile cruiser

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History

The USS Ticonderoga (CG47) is the lead ship of the Ticonderoga class guided missile cruisers. Ordered in September of 1978, the Ticonderoga, which is built using the same hull and machinery layout as the Spruance class (DD963) destroyers, was originally classified herself as a destroyer (DDG47) until reclassified as a cruiser prior to her keel being laid. The Ticonderoga's keel was laid down at the Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, MS. in January of 1980 and later launched in April of 1981. The Ticonderoga was commissioned in January of 1983.

In total, 27 Ticonderoga class cruisers were constructed, the first being the USS Ticonderoga, while the last was the Port Royal (CG73) which was commissioned in July of 1994. Construction of CG47-50, CG52-57, CG59, CG62, CG65-66, CG 68-69, and CG 71-73 was accomplished at the Ingalls facility, while cruisers CG51, CG58, CG60-61, CG63-64, CG67 and CG70 were built at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, ME.

While system upgrades have been incorporated continuously into the ship's design, the class can essentially be divided into two categories; pre-VLS (vertical launch system) and post-VLS ships. The pre-VLS cruisers are CG47-51. These ships are equipped with two twin Mk 26 mod 5 missile launcher systems. Fed from 44 round magazines, the pre-VLS ships rates of fire were limited by the speed with which the launchers could be reloaded.

Beginning with the Bunker Hill (CG52) the Mk 26 system was replaced by two Mk 41 VLS, a bay of 61 vertically aligned launch tubes. Since the missile tubes also serve as the launch platform, the rate of fire is not launcher dependent; missiles can be launched as fast as they can clear the launcher.

In 1991 the USS Normandy (CG60) became the first warship since 1945 to go to war (desert Storm) on her maiden cruise, and also holds the distinction of having fired the most cruise missiles from a cruiser.

In May of 2005 the USS Cape St. George (CG71) became the first naval vessel certified to use digital nautical charts in lieu of paper charts. This was made possible through the implementation of the voyage management system, a component of the Smart Ship Integrated Bridge System. The conversion eliminated over 12,000 paper charts and replaced them with 29 computer disks.

Cruisers Lake Erie (CG70) and Port Royal (CG73) have been modified to serve as ship-based theater anti missile defense platforms. These modifications include upgrading the Aegis and Standard Missile tracking radars with a long range surveillance and track (LRS&T) capability, as well as modifying the Mk 41 VLS to fire the SM-2 Block IVA TMD (Theater Missile Defence) long range missile.

As of December 2005, all of the pre-VLS Mk 26 armed cruisers (CG47-51) have been decommissioned.

Description

General Characteristics:
The Ticonderoga class cruisers are 567 feet long, have a beam of 55 feet, and draw 31 feet of water. The full load displacement for CG47-48 is 9,590 tons, while the displacement for CG49-51 is 9,407 and the displacement for the remainder of the class (CG52+) is 9,957 tons. The cruiser's compliment is 24 officers and 334 enlisted though there is berthing for 405 provided. The Ticonderogas have a top speed of 30+ knots, and a cruising speed of 20 knots. Their operational range at 20 knots is 6,000 miles.

Cruisers CG-47-48 were equipped with two SH-2F LAMPS I ASW helicopters. All subsequent cruisers (CG49+) were equipped with two SH-60B LAMPS III helicopters.

Propulsion:
The Ticonderoga class cruisers are powered by four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines, producing 86,000 horsepower combined. Propulsion is provided by two shafts with variable pitch screws.

Electronics:
Cruisers CG47-58 are equipped with the SPY-1A three-dimensional phased array E/F band air search and fire control radar. Follow-on ships (CG59+) are equipped with the SPY-1B three-dimensional phased array E/F band air search and fire control radar. All members of this class are equipped with the SPS-49(v)8 C/D band long range air search radar, SPS-55 I/J band surface search radar, and an SPS-64(v)9 I-band navigation radar.

The Ticonderoga class cruisers are all sonar equipped. All feature the SQQ-89(v)3 sonar suite which incorporates the SQS-53 C/D bow mounted medium frequency active search and attack sonar, the SQR-19 TACTAS passive towed array, and the SQQ-28 LAMPS.

Fire control systems include the SPQ-9 A/B surface surveillance and tracking radar (gunfire control), and four SPG-62 I/J band continuous wave illuminating radar. Tomahawk fire control is provided by the SWG-3 weapon control system, while Harpoon launch management is provided by the SWG-1A system.

Command and control systems include the Cooperative Engagement Capability sensor data integration system, the maritime Global Command and Control System (GCCS-M), and the SQQ-28 LAMPS sonobouy datalink.

Defensive and electronic warfare systems include eight Mk 36 SRBOC chaff launchers, the SLQ-36 Nixie passive electro-acoustic torpedo decoy system, the Nulka active missile decoy system, and the SLQ-32A(v)3 electronic warfare system

Armament:
Cruisers CG47-51 are armed with two fore and aft mounted twin Mk 26 mod 5 missile launchers and 68 missiles. Cruisers CG52 onward are equipped with two Mk 41 VLS cells with a total of 122 missiles available. Missile loadout is variable, depending on mission requirements, but may include any number of the following: RIM-67 SM-2 standard missile, BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile, and RUM-139 ASROC anti submarine rocket. All members of this class carry eight RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, mounted in twin quad launch canisters on the stern of the ship. In addition, all Ticonderoga class cruisers are equipped with two Mk 45 5"/54 caliber lightweight gun systems, as well as two Mk 15 mod 2 Phalanx CIWS anti-missile systems and two triple Mk 32 mod 14 324mm torpedo tubes capable of launching either the Mk 46 mod 5 or the Mk 50 ASW torpedoes. For ship's defense, the Ticonderoga class cruisers are equipped with two Mk 38 25mm Bushmaster guns as well as four M2 .50 caliber machine guns.