Belknap-class cruiser

The Belknap-class cruiser was a class of guided-missile cruisers built for the United States Navy during the 1960s. They were single-ended, meaning their missile armament was installed only forward, unlike "double-ended" missile cruisers with missile armament installed both forward and aft. The Belknaps 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 Mod 7 Guided Missile Launching System on the foredeck. The Mk 10 Mod 7 launchers in this class were modified compared to the others of the same type, with additional 20 missiles and the capability to launch 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 Mark 10 Mod 8 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

== 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

References

== Bibliography == Bellars, Robert A. (2007). "Question 41/88?: U.S. Naval Relics". Warship International. XLIV (2): 157–158. ISSN 0043-0374.

External links

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