Leahy-class cruiser
 USS Leahy (CG-16) | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Leahy class destroyer leader / cruiser |
| Builders: | Several |
| Operators: | United States Navy |
| Preceded by: | Albany-class cruiser |
| Succeeded by: | Belknap-class cruiser |
| Subclasses: | Bainbridge-class cruiser |
| Built: | 1959–1964 |
| In commission: | 1962–1995 |
| Completed: | 9 |
| Active: | 0 |
| Retired: | 9 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Guided missile cruiser |
| Displacement: | 7,800 tons (full load) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × steam turbines providing 85,000 shp (63 MW); 2 shafts 4 × boilers |
| Speed: | 32 knots |
| Range: | 8,000 nm @ 20 knots |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
AN/SPS-39 followed by AN/SPS-48 3D air search radar AN/SPS-43 followed by AN/SPS-49 2D air search radar AN/SPS-10 surface search radar AN/SPG-55 missile fire control radar AN/SQS-23 bow mounted sonar |
| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
AN/SLQ-32 Mark 36 SRBOC |
| Armament: |
2 × Mark 10 Terrier SAM 1 × ASROC ASW system 4 × 3 in(76 mm)guns (replaced by Harpoon missiles during 1980s) 6 × 12.75 in(324 mm)ASW TT 2 x Phalanx CIWS |
| Aircraft carried: | None |
Leahy class cruisers were a class of guided missile cruisers built for the United States Navy. They were originally designated as Destroyer Leaders (DLG), but in the 1975 cruiser realignment, they were reclassified as guided missile cruisers (CG).
They were a new "double-ender" class fitted with Terrier (later Standard ER) missile launchers fore and aft, and the first and only frigate class designed without a main gun battery for shore bombardment or ship-vs.-ship engagements—the gun armament was reduced in order to carry a larger missile load. One of the principal missions of these ships, like their predecessors the Farragut class, was to form part of the anti-air and antisubmarine screen for carrier task forces, while also controlling aircraft from the carrier by providing vectors to assigned targets.
The ships carried over the propulsion plant of the Farragut class, fitted into a longer hull designed with a knuckled “hurricane” bow that reduced plunging in a rough sea, thus keeping the forecastle dry as needed to operate the forward missile launcher. Other features included an expanded electrical plant and increased endurance. A major design innovation was the use of "macks"—combined masts and stacks—on which the radars could be mounted without smoke interference.[1]
Description
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The first three ships were constructed at Bath Iron Works, the next two at New York Shipbulding Corp, and the rest at Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Company, Todd Shipyards, San Pedro, CA, San Francisco Naval Shipyard and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
Modernizations were accomplished between 1967 and 1972, upgrading air warfare capabilities. Nearly all modernizations were completed at Bath Iron Works, but Leahy received the modernization at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard at a cost of $36.1 million.[2]
All Leahy class ships were modernized again in the late 1980s New Threat Upgrade program. This program added advanced air search and track radars (AN/SPS-49 and AN/SPS-48E), updated targeting radars (AN/SPG-55), and combat direction systems. The upgrade included massive remodeling of the ship from food service space rehabilitation to a main propulsion system overhaul.[3] Entire systems were removed and replaced, for example the AN/SPS-40 air-search radar was replaced with the AN/SPS-49 air-search radar. The upgrade was also quite expensive and the ships didn't serve much longer after the modification. For example, USS Gridley (CG-21) received NTU in 1991 at a cost of $55 million, but was decommissioned in early 1994.
The Leahy class was taken out of service in the early 1990s, stricken from the naval register, and transferred to the maritime administration for disposal.
The sole Bainbridge class cruiser, USS Bainbridge (CGN-25), was largely identical to the Leahy class; the main difference being that it was nuclear powered.
Ships in class
| Ship Name | Hull No. | Commission– Decommission |
Fate | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leahy | (CG-16) | August 4, 1962 – October 1, 1993 (31.2 years) | Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, July 6, 2005 | |
| Harry E. Yarnell | (CG-17) | February 2, 1963 – October 29, 1993 (30.7 years) | Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, April 17, 2002 | |
| Worden | (CG-18) | August 3, 1963 – October 1, 1993 (30.2 years) | Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, June 17, 2000 | |
| Dale | (CG-19) | November 23, 1963 – September 27, 1994 (30.8 years) | Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, April 6, 2000 | |
| Richmond K. Turner | (CG-20) | June 13, 1964 – April 13, 1995 (30.8 years) | Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, August 9, 1998 | |
| Gridley | (CG-21) | May 25, 1963 – January 21, 1994 (30.7 years) | Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, March 31, 2005 | |
| England | (CG-22) | December 7, 1963 – January 21, 1994 (30.1 years) | Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, October 20, 2004 | |
| Halsey | (CG-23) | July 20, 1963 – January 28, 1994 (30.5 years) | Disposed of by scrapping, dismantling, November 30, 2003 | |
| Reeves | (CG-24) | May 15, 1964 – November 12, 1993 (29.5 years) | Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise, June 1, 2001 |
See also
- List of United States Navy destroyer leaders
- List of United States Navy cruisers
References
- ↑ "A Historical Review of Cruiser Characteristics, Roles and Missions". Future Concepts And Surface Ship Design Group (05D), Naval Sea Systems Command, Department of the Navy. 28 March 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ↑ Jane's American fighting ships of the 20th century / compiled and edited by John Moore; preface by M. Staser Holcomb. New York, N.Y. Mallard Press, 1991. ISBN 0-7924-5626-2
- ↑ CG-16 Leahy class
External links
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