The Ticonderoga-class cruiser was the U.S. Navy's first officially Aegis-based main battleship, equipped with an integrated surface warfare system centered on an AN/SPY-1 phased array radar. It is the only first-class cruiser in active service of the U.S. Navy.
Ticonderoga class Ilihu
There were 27 Ticonderoga-class cruisers, all of which, with the exception of the USS Thomas S. Gates CG-51, were named after the famous ancient battlefields of American history, and 12 of them inherited the names of aircraft carriers from World War II.
The Ticonderoga-class cruiser sailed in formation with the USS Enterprise
The Ticonderoga-class cruisers serve as the main command center for aircraft carrier battle groups (CVBGs) and amphibious assault battle groups, as well as providing protection for aircraft carriers. As the number one escort force in the aircraft carrier battle group, the Ticonderoga-class ships equipped with the Aegis system provide excellent air defense capabilities, so that the aircraft carrier battle group has sufficient strength to resist the missile attacks of the former Soviet Union from surface, air and underwater forces. In addition, the Aegis system also has excellent anti-submarine capabilities.
1. Development background
In the mid-1960s, in response to the Soviet Red Navy's concept of anti-ship missile saturation attack, the U.S. Navy began the Advanced Surface Missile System (ASAM) program, which aims to develop an advanced shipboard combat system equipped on the frigates of aircraft carriers, with excellent air defense control capabilities, able to simultaneously handle a large number of targets and effectively deal with threats from the air, surface and underwater, which is the Aegis Combat System. The U.S. Navy originally planned to install the Aegis system on a nuclear-powered missile cruiser modified from the Virginia class, but it was abandoned because it was too expensive; then the U.S. Navy successively planned Aegis platform solutions such as DG/Aegis, DG(N), CSGN, and CGN 42. In 1977, the nuclear-powered strike cruiser (CSGN) that was planned to carry the Aegis system was too risky due to the soaring tonnage and cost, so the U.S. Navy proposed a high/low scheme, intending to use the remaining 1,000 tons of weight surplus of the highly successful Spruance-class destroyer hull to modify into a low-end traditional powered Aegis ship, called DDG-47, numbered after the last Faraget-class destroyer.
Spruance-class destroyer
2. Construction process
The U.S. Naval Ship Engineering Center, which previously designed the Spruance-class hull, now continues to plan all the changes needed to place the Aegis system on this hull. Compared with the Si-Class, the design changes of the DDG47 include a redesign of the superstructure to accommodate the SPY-1A phased array radar, and in order to reduce the weight of the superstructure, its superstructure is heavily made of lightweight aluminum alloy. In order to compensate for the weight of the superstructure, increase the maximum displacement and the increase in the center of gravity, and improve the resilience in the event of damage at a low level, the main transverse compartment bulkhead height of the DDG47 is extended from the original S-class no. 1 deck to the higher deck 01, which increases the maximum displacement of the DDG 47 hull design from 8800 tons to 9700 tons. Due to the increase in draft due to the increase in weight, the DDG47 added a 1.1 m high windshield to the bow, increasing the hull length by 1.2 m compared to the Si class.
In 1977, the U.S. Navy proposed a $510 million construction budget for the first ship, the DDG-47, and signed a contract with Ingalls Shipyard on September 22, 1978 for the detailed design and construction of the first ship. In January 1979, CGN-42 was canceled by the U.S. government, leaving only the DDG-47 alive for all Aegis ships. The U.S. Navy initially intended to order 16 DDG-47s, which were increased to 18 after the CGN-42 was cancelled. After Reagan came to power in the 1980s and proposed the U.S. Navy's policy of maintaining six hundred ships, the U.S. Navy planned to maintain 15 aircraft carrier battle groups (CVBGs), each of which needed three Ticonderoga classes to provide escorts; so the total demand for the Ticonderoga class increased to 26, and by the mid-1980s it had increased to 27. The 1980s were a boom in U.S. military and armament expansion, and the ever-expanding and built orders like the Ticonderoga class were unimaginable after the end of the Cold War.
3. Ship-electrical system
The Ticonderoga class four-sided SPY-1A phased array antennas are divided into two groups, with antennas facing the front and right side mounted on the bow structure, while the rear-facing and left-facing antennas are mounted above the tail hangar structure, and each of the two array antennas has a parallel radar transmitter to provide RF energy. Due to the limitations of computer technology at that time, the SPY-1A radar back end could not handle the huge amount of information brought by the radar, so the system only carried out intensive search in the hemisphere within 85 kilometers, and usually only occasionally assigned some beams (only scanned several times per minute) to targets 300 km away, which could not meet the requirements of continuous long-range air-to-air surveillance. Therefore, the Ticonderoga class is equipped with a traditional AN/SPS-49 two-dimensional long-range air-to-air search radar to conduct a continuous search of the 450 km long-range airspace; once a suspicious target is found, the area is intensively tracked in SPY-1A;
Aegis Battle System
The power consumption of the SPY-1A phased array radar is much greater than that of conventional radar, and if it is continuously started up, it will reduce the endurance range of the Ticonderoga class by 2,000 nautical miles. Although the Ticonderoga-class ships use a large number of automated modern equipment to streamline manpower, the living space is still crowded due to the small hull and the large number of equipment. The four LM-2500 gas turbines of the Ticonderoga class are exactly the same as those of the Spruance class, and although the limit output power setting has been adjusted, the maximum speed of the 30 knots of this class is still 1 to 2 knots lower than that of the Spruance class, but it is still standard.
Aegis antenna at the bow of the ship
4. Shipboard armament
The first five Ticonderoga class (CG-47-51) were equipped with an MK-26 Mod5 twin-arm missile launcher at the bow and stern, each capable of loading 44 missiles, which could also be filled with Aslok anti-submarine missiles in addition to the main standard SM-2; in addition, there were two sets of quad harpoon anti-ship missile launchers on the left side of the stern, and a set of MK-32 triple 324mm torpedo launchers on each side of the stern. Originally, the Ticonderoga class, like the Spruance class, was intended to install an MK-71 eight-inch 55 caliber naval gun developed in the 1970s, but this gun was cancelled in 1978, so two MK-45 five-inch 54 caliber naval guns (one at the end and one at the end) were continued.
Since the USS Bunker Hill CG-52, the Ticonderoga class ships have replaced the MK-26 two-arm launcher with the MK-41 vertical launch system (VLS) (sixteen sets of eight-mounted launchers, eight groups in front of and eight in the rear, with a total ammunition load of 122 pieces, and the space of the adjacent three tubes of the front and rear of the eight-pack launcher is used to install a sea reloading crane), which greatly increases the ability to face saturated air attacks. It can also play the strength of the Aegis system to deal with a large number of targets at once.
Starting with the USS Vincenens CG-49, the helicopter deck was equipped with a RAST auxiliary descent system, replacing the LAMPS-1 SH-2F used by the previous two lambs-3 SH-60B anti-submarine helicopters. The Uss valley Forge (CG-50) was selected by the U.S. Navy as an installation test ship for fiber optic cables, and a total of 6,000 feet of fiber optic fiber was installed with a fiber-optic lattice cable service system (ICCS) for remote monitoring of the host/generator set, which initially confirmed the feasibility of the fiber optic data network on the ship, while the Mobile Bay (CG-53) was the second experimental ship to install ICCS and expanded its application scope to the monitoring of damage pipes. Also starting with mobile bay, all Ticonderoga class will carry boats from 7.92m long dinghies to 7.32m long hard-shell expansion dinghies.
5. Combat system
Twenty-seven Ticonderoga-class ships completed successively, their Aegis systems have been upgraded in stages. The Aegis system version used by CG-47-51 is the earliest baseline 1, but the CG-49-51 uses several improvements, including expanding the display of the war center, automating electronic combat procedures, connecting communication systems to national command networks, strengthening operational guidelines and reliability, installing tactical intelligence systems, and adding SQQ-28 helicopter datalink/sonar signal processing systems to match the SH-60B anti-submarine helicopter (CG-47, The 48 is still equipped with the SH-2F LAMPS I anti-submarine helicopter system). The CG-52-58 Aegis system is the second baseline (Baseline2), and its improvements include the SWG-2 Tomahawk weapon fire control system (TWCS) equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the improved SQQ-89 anti-submarine combat system and Link-11 data link, etc., and began to replace the MK-26 with MK-41 VLS, from the CG-54 and began to install SQR-19 towed array sonar, After the CG-56, the original SCS-53B bow sonar was replaced by THE SCS-53B, and the anti-submarine warfare system was upgraded to the SQQ-89(V)3.
The CG-59-64 Aegis system is Baseline 3, with new improvements including a new SPY-1B phased array radar and auto-locking system, the ship's radar in tandem operation, and the replacement of some displays with UYQ-21. The CG-65~73 Aegis system is Baseline 4, which replaces the original UYK-7 computer with UYK-43/44, increases the computing speed by four to six times, and fully replaces the UYQ-21 monitor. In addition, the CG-56-67 was equipped with the new SCRS-53B bow sonar, the CG-65 anti-submarine warfare system remained the SQQ-89(V)3, integrating the SQS-53B(V)2 bow sonar, SQR-19B(V)3 towed sonar and MK-116 Mod7 anti-submarine fire control system; [10] The CG-66 and 67 anti-submarine fire control systems were THEQQ-89(V)7, while since CG-68 the newer SQS-53C bow sonar was used. The anti-submarine fire control system is SQQ-89(V)6.
6. Improve and upgrade
The design of the third Ticonderoga-class ship (CG-49) underwent several modifications, including changes to some of the hull compartments, expansion of the pipeline of the fire protection system, changes to helicopter support facilities to operate the SH-60B LAMPS III anti-submarine helicopter, increased small-caliber weapons and ammunition carrying, etc. It was the first Ticonderoga-class ship equipped with SH-60B, which also led to a 20-ton increase in the weight of the CG-49 in conjunction with the SH-60B change. In order to improve the increasingly serious problem of excessive superstructure of the first two ships of this class, the CG-49 also introduced a number of weight reduction designs, first eliminating the ballast of the first two ships, and then replacing the reciprocating compressors used by the first two ships with lighter, smaller and quieter screw low-pressure air compressors, modifying the configuration of some cabins and cold storage, and applying a number of measures that had been proposed earlier but were too late to be used in the first two ships, such as the main engine hybrid exhaust pipe and generator exhaust pipe of the honeycomb configuration (which can be reduced by 10.6 tons).
The Ingalls plant proposed a further weight reduction plan, first replacing the hull material, replacing the 01 deck originally built with HTS high-tension steel plate (yield strength of about 50ksi, equivalent to 345MPa) from a higher strength (yield strength of about 80ksi, about 549MPa) HY-80 high-tension steel plate (which has always been used for submarines); and the sideboard and bulwark plate (below deck 01, near the waterline) originally built with HY-80 also reduced the thickness, and under this board, The side ship plate part originally made of HTS steel was also replaced by HY-80 and reduced in thickness, the thickness of the HTS steel plate on the side of the first deck was also reduced, and the bow baffle originally made by HTS was changed to aluminum, and the skeleton part was still maintained as the original HTS steel.
In addition to changing the materials, Ingles also changed several designs and layouts:
Vincent, pay attention to its missile launchers
Thomas equipped with a vertical launch system
First of all, the front and rear main masts were changed from the original four-corner type to the triangular type, which can reduce the weight by 8.9 tons.
Change the cooling system layout of the Aegis system, the system cooling module of the command decision system (C&D) is moved from the second cooler room of deck 01 to the position of the original storage room of deck 01, the third cooling room of the Aegis system is moved to deck 03, the front SPY-1A radar cooling system room is moved from deck 03 down to the first auxiliary room of the second deck, and the rear SPY-1A radar cooling system is also moved from below deck 03 to the original aviation equipment storage room of the second deck. The above measures can reduce the weight of the ship by 0.08 feet.
The deck room originally located on Deck 04 to store 20mm ammunition for the Dense Array was cancelled, and the ammunition was stored in a new compartment at the bottom of the 03 deck triangle mast (i.e., in front of the new engine room of the third cooler of the Aegis system), and the support equipment of the dense array system was moved to the location of the original Aegis system third cooling room in front of the helicopter hangar. The above changes to the system layout and cabin measures can reduce the center of gravity by 0.09 feet (68.575 px).
Expand the use of new marine cables (AMC) to replace the original MIL-C-915 cables; the total length of the CG-49 AMC increased from 55,000 feet (16,764 meters) of the CG-48 to 85,000 feet (25,908 meters), accounting for 80% of all cables. Compared to MIL-C-915, AMC is not only lighter in weight, but also emits less smoke when burned, and does not produce toxicity.
The hangar ventilation ducts were replaced with lighter materials and construction, which reduced the weight by 4.1 tons.
After the terrorist attack on the USS Cole DDG-67 in Yemen in October 2000, the Ticonderoga class installed 2 to 4 human-operated 12.7mm machine guns on deck in response to the needs of overseas duty missions, such as near-shore surface firefights, threats from enemy small speedboats and temporary inspection services, and two manned MK-38 Mod1 25mm cannons. The MK-38 was developed by the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center and has been in service with the U.S. Navy since 1986, with a Boeing/ATK M-242 Bushmaster 25mm chain gun; the naval version of the M242 uses MK210 high-explosive incendiary tracer shells (HEI-T), with a rate of fire of five stages, from a single round to 180 rounds per minute, an effective range of 2000 yards (1830 m), and a two-way feed (200 rounds of magazine capacity), The vertical pitch range of the gun body is -20 to +40 degrees.
A dense array of close-in guns aboard the Vincent
7. Install a vertical launch system
In view of the gradual development of the MK-41 vertical launch system (VLS) that began in 1975, the U.S. Navy decided in early 1980 to switch to this revolutionary missile launch system for the Ticonderoga class contracted after the 1982 budget year; at the same time, it also took the opportunity to make larger hull design changes to solve the problems that had plagued the displacement margins and high center of gravity of the previous ships. As mentioned earlier, the first two CG-52 and 53, which had undergone design changes, were handed over to the Ingalls Shipyard for construction.
Vertical launch system at the stern
Because the relevant design parameters of the MK-41 (especially the weight, as involved in the distribution of the ammunition) were still uncertain, the U.S. Navy's displacement/center of gravity requirements for the CG-52 remained conservative. The U.S. Navy's initial requirements for CG-52 issued to the Ingles plant had a displacement of 9,200 tons and a center of gravity height of 23.07 feet, similar to the data at the time of the first review of center of gravity calculations by the CG-47 in May 1979, which was much looser than the requirements when the U.S. Navy approved the CG-49 design in October 1980. Considering that the MK-41 was planned to have a standard module (4.72 m deep) that could accommodate a standard SM-2 anti-aircraft missile launch box and a long module (6.25 m deep) that could accommodate Tomahawk cruise missiles, the U.S. Navy initially instructed that when the CG-52 was designed, the ship's 122-tube MK-41 VLS was all calculated based on the weight of the heaviest Tomahawk cruise missile, as the standard for the design load limit;
After Ingles calculated the displacement and center of gravity based on this criterion in April 1981, the U.S. Navy considered that the integration of the newly developed Tomahawk missile and the Aegis system was still in progress and there were many uncertainties in the design, so it changed the VLS index of the CG-52 to 96 lighter SM-2s and 26 Tomahawks, reducing the hull load by 80 tons, leaving a greater design margin. In September 1981, Ingles presented the final report on the CG-52 design, with a full load displacement of 9,425 tons and a center of gravity height of 23.27 feet (7.093 m). On January 15, 1982, the U.S. Navy signed a contract with the Ingles Plant for the construction of CG-52 and 53.
Subsequent construction of the Ticonderoga class adopted the basic design of the CG-52, a total of 22 ships, commonly known as the "VLS carry-on type". In addition to the first four (CG-47-50) named by the Ingles plant, the 23 Ticonderoga-class (CG-51-73) ordered since the 1982 budget year were competed by Ingles and the BIW plant, of which Ingles received 17 and BIW built 8.
8. Performance data
Reference data
Length 172.8 meters
The port width is 16.8 meters
Draft 6.5 metres
Displacement CG-47: Full load 9589 tons
CG-48: Full load 9575 tons
CG-49-51: Full load 9407 tons
CG-52-73: Full load 9480 tons
Occupancy 364 people
Powertrain 4× LM2500 gas turbine/80000
Dual-axis CRP Dual Rudder
Endurance 6000 nm (20 knots)
Speed 30 knots
Marine electrical system
radar
1×AN/SPY-1 A/B 3D Phased Array Radar System (Fixed Array Antenna×4)
1×AN/SPS-49/(V)8 2D air-to-air search radar
1× AN/SPS-64(V)9 Nautical Radar
1×AN/SPS-55 plane search radar
1×AN/SLQ-32(V)3 electronic warfare system
1× AN/SPG-62 illumination radar
1× MK-86 artillery fire control system
Sonar AN/SQS-53A/B/C bow sonar
AN/SQR-19A/B Towed Array Sonar (CG-54~73)
Combat Aegis combat system
1× 726-4 Type 8 Jamming Bomb Launcher
Shipboard armament
Naval Gun 2× MK-45 five-inch 54 caliber naval gun
Missile 2× MK-26 Mod5 twin-arm launcher (CG-47 to 51, cartridge capacity: 44 at the front and rear, can be loaded with standard SM-2MR anti-aircraft missiles or Asloc anti-submarine missiles)
16× eight MK-41 vertical launchers (eight in front and behind, equipped on each ship after CG-52, loaded: 61 pieces each front and rear, can be loaded with standard SM-2 air defense missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, vertically launched anti-submarine missiles (VLA), from this century to add ESSM short-range air defense missiles, SM-3 anti-ballistic missiles, tactical Tomahawk cruise missiles, etc.)
2× quad-mount MK-141 Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher
Close Defense 2× MK-15 Block1A/B Dense Array Short-Range Defense Weapon System (MK-15 on CG-52~73 will be replaced by MK-31 Block 1 HAS Ram missile system in the future)
2× MK-38 Mod1 25mm cannon
Anti-submarine 2× triple 324mm MK-32 torpedo launcher
Carrier-based aircraft 2×LAM-1 SH-2F anti-submarine helicopter (equipped with DDG-47, 48)
2×LAMPS-3 SH-60B anti-submarine helicopter (equipped for ships after DDG49)
Ticonderoga class overall equipment layout
9. Summary
"Ticonderoga" class cruiser, is the pioneering work of the Aegis ship, once also the world's most powerful combat power of the benchmark work, but it is undeniable, it is also a low-end traditional power "Aegis" ship, with a strong World War II destroyer style, the hull is not only slender and long, and the width is obviously insufficient, belongs to the typical large aspect ratio ship type, is conducive to the high-speed movement ability of warships at sea, but also brings the instability of this type of ship in the wind and waves, Including disadvantages such as the generally poor living conditions of ship crews.
This type of cruiser of the US Navy, the appearance is relatively ugly, does not have stealth performance, is easy to be detected and attacked, the shipboard computer system is the "Aegis" baseline 7 level, can not reach the US Navy "Burke" class destroyer "Aegis" baseline 9 level, the comparison between the two makes the "Ticonderoga" class cruiser appear old and backward.
The Ticonderoga-class cruiser is the culmination of the Cold War on U.S. Navy warships, and the world's first Aegis cruiser, witnessing almost all eras of the modern development of the U.S. Navy, but no matter how advanced and unshakable the technological creations were at that time, they would be kicked off the altar by latecomers.