Belknap-class (CG-26)

Summary

Description

The Belknap-class cruiser was a series of single-ended guided-missile cruisers constructed for the United States Navy in the 1960s. Initially designated as DLG frigates, suggesting their role as destroyer leaders akin to the powerful frigates of the sailing era, these vessels were reclassified as guided missile cruisers (CG) following the 1975 naval realignment.

Designed with their missile armament only situated forward, the Belknap-class cruisers differed from the "double-ended" missile cruisers that featured armament both fore and aft. At their commissioning, the primary offensive capabilities of the Belknap class included a 5-inch/54-caliber Mk. 42 gun and a twin-rail RIM-2 Terrier Mk 10 Missile Launcher capable of firing both missiles and the RUR-5 ASROC for anti-submarine warfare. The missile system was colloquially referred to as the Ter/AS (tear-ass) launcher. For defense against subsonic aircraft threats, the cruisers were armed with two twin 3"/50 caliber guns. In the 1980s, the Terrier missiles were upgraded to the more advanced RIM-67 Standard missiles. Moreover, under the New Threat Upgrade (NTU) program in the late 1980s and early 1990s, improvements included updating the Standard SM-1 missile system to the SM-2ER Block II version, replacing the 3-inch guns with Harpoon Surface-to-surface missile launchers, and installing two Phalanx CIWS systems for point-defense against incoming threats.

One exceptional vessel derived from the Belknap class was the USS Truxtun. Though it shared the same weapons systems, the Truxtun was distinct in being nuclear-powered and larger in size. Its design was distinct and more closely related to the nuclear cruiser Bainbridge, featuring various systems positioned differently compared to the standard Belknap-class cruisers. Information about nuclear-powered cruisers largely remains classified, but available reports suggest the Truxtun resembled a nuclear variant more akin to a Belknap adaptation than the other way around.

The Belknap-class cruisers served as a significant component of the United States Navy’s Cold War fleet. They engaged in various missions throughout their operational history, contributing to the Navy's capability to project power and protect interests across the world's oceans. The evolution of these cruisers' armaments and technologies reflected the changing nature of naval warfare and the need to adapt to new threats. The operational use of the Belknap-class cruisers was exclusive to the United States, consistent with their role as a core asset of the U.S. naval strategy during that period.

Technical specifications