Belknap-class cruiser

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The Belknap-class cruiser was a class of single-ended guided-missile cruisers (their missile armament was installed only forward, unlike "double-ended" missile cruisers with missile armament installed both forward and aft) built for the United States Navy during the 1960s. They were originally designated as DLG frigates (destroyer leaders; the USN use of the term frigate from 1950 to 1975 was intended to evoke the power of the sailing frigates of old), but in the 1975 fleet realignment, they were reclassified as guided missile cruisers (CG).

Description

When commissioned, the main armament of the Belknap class was a 5-inch/54-caliber Mk. 42 gun on the quarterdeck and a twin-rail RIM-2 Terrier Mk 10 Missile Launcher on the foredeck. The Mk 10 Mod 7 launchers in this class were also capable of launching RUR-5 ASROC to eliminate need for a separate Mk 112 ASROC launcher. These were unofficially spoken of as Ter/AS (tear-ass) launchers. The class was also equipped with two single 3"/50 caliber guns for defence against sub-sonic aircraft. In the early 1980s, the Terrier missiles were replaced with RIM-67 Standard missiles; and during the NTU program in the late 1980s and early 1990s the class had its Standard SM-1 system upgraded to utilize SM-2ER Block II, the 3-inch guns were replaced with two 4 cell Harpoon Surface-to-surface missile launchers, and two Phalanx CIWS systems were installed.

The derivative USS Truxtun shared the weapons systems outfit of the Belknap class, but was nuclear-powered, larger and substantially unrelated in design (for example, many weapons systems in different locations, such as the aft-facing GMLS). Most information related to nuclear cruisers is still classified, but Truxtun appears to be more a Belknap-like derivative of the nuclear cruiser Bainbridge than the other way around.

Ships in class

Name	Pennant	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Fate
Belknap-class conventional cruiser
Template:USS	CG-26	Bath Iron Works, Bath	5 February 1962	20 July 1963	7 November 1964	15 February 1995	Sunk as target, 24 September 1998
Template:USS	CG-27		23 April 1962	2 December 1963	8 May 1965	21 January 1994	Broken up at Brownsville, 1999
Template:USS	CG-28		2 July 1962	25 April 1965	8 January 1966	15 November 1993	Sunk as target, 12 June 2002
Template:USS	CG-29	Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton	25 September 1962	30 June 1964	3 December 1966	28 January 1994	Sunk as target, 10 August 2007
Template:USS	CG-30	San Francisco Naval Shipyard, San Francisco	12 December 1962	30 October 1964	15 April 1967	4 February 1994	Sunk as target, 29 June 2008
Template:USS	CG-31	Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton	25 September 1962	30 June 1964	8 April 1967	24 March 1994	Broken up at Brownsville, 2005
Template:USS	CG-32	Bath Iron Works, Bath	29 July 1963	19 December 1964	9 July 1966	11 February 1994	Sunk as target, 25 June 2005
Template:USS	CG-33	Todd Shipyard, San Pedro	15 January 1963	21 November 1964	8 May 1966	15 April 1994	Broken up at Brownsville, 2008
Template:USS	CG-34	Bath Iron Works, Bath	9 December 1963	2 July 1965	21 January 1967	30 November 1993	Broken up at Philadelphia, 2001
Truxtun-class nuclear-powered cruiser
Template:USS	CGN-35	New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden	17 June 1963	19 December 1964	27 May 1967	11 September 1995	Disposed of through Ship-Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, 1999

See also

• List of cruisers of the United States Navy
• List of United States Navy destroyer leaders
• Nuclear powered cruisers of the United States Navy

External links

• Belknap-class frigates at Destroyer History Foundation
• FAS write-up