Leahy class Guided Missile Cruiser
Modern US Navy Guided Missile Cruisers perform primarily in a Battle Force role. These ships are multi-mission (AAW, ASW, ASUW) surface combatants capable of supporting carrier or battleship battle groups, amphibious forces, or of operating independently and as flagships of surface action groups. Due to their extensive combat capability, these ships have been designated as Battle Force Capable (BFC) units. The Leahy-class were "double-end" guided missile Guided Missile Destroyer Leader [DLG], which as with other similar ships were reclassified as Guide Missile Cruisers [CG] on 30 June 1975. The class was given an AAW upgrade during the late-1960's and early 1970's, with Terrier launchers modified to fire Terrier or Standard SM-1ER missiles. The 3"/50 guns were replaced by 8 Harpoon missiles, the Terrier launchers were upgraded to fire the Standard SM-2ER missile, and 2 Phalanx CIWS were added. All were upgraded under the late-1980's New Threat Upgrade (NTU) program, which included combat system capability improvements to the ship's Air Search Radars (SPS-48E and SPS-49), Fire Control Radars (SPG-55B), and Combat Direction System (CDS). These improvements provided an accurate means of coordinating the engagment of multiple air targets with SM-2 Extended Range missiles. During the NTU overhaul, all spaces were renovated, berthing and food service areas were refurbished, and the engineering plant was fully overhauled.
Ships:
Units			in service	Builder
CG 16 USS Leahy			1962	Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
CG 17 USS Harry E. Yarnell			1963	Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
CG 18 USS Worden			1963	Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine
CG 19 USS Dale			1963	New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, New Jersey
CG 20 USS Richmond K. Turner			1964	New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, New Jersey
CG 21 USS Gridley			1963	Puget Sound Bridge & Drydock, Seattle, Washington
CG 22 USS England			1963	Todd Shipyards Corp., Seattle, Washington
CG 23 USS Halsey			1963	San Francisco Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, California
CG 24 USS Reeves			1964	Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington
Specifications:
Displacement:	7800 tons (full load)
Length:	162,50 meters
Beam:	16,76 meters
Draft:	7,90 meters (full load)
Max Speed:	32 knots (= 59 km/h)
Propulsion:	2 steam turbines / 4 boilers (85000 shp) 2 shafts / 2 propellers
Aviation:	none / landing platform only
Range :	8000 nmi (15000 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement:	445
Systems:	AN/SPS-39 air search radar (later AN/SPS-48) AN/SPS-43 air search radar (later AN/SPS-49) AN/SPS-10 surface search radar AN/SPG-55 missile fire control radar AN/SQS-23 bow mounted sonar AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare suite Mk-36 SRBOC (chaff/decoy system)
Armament:	2 x Mk-22 3“/50-caliber twin guns, aft (removed in favour of the harpoons in the 80’s) 1 x Mk-10 Mod 5 twin missile launcher forward + 1 x Mk-10 Mod 6 twin missile launcher aft for RIM-2 Terrier SAM (80 missiles in total) > modified in AAW upgrade to fire RIM-67A Standard SM-1ER missiles > modified to fire RIM-67B Standard SM-2ER missiles in early 1980’s 2 x Mk-141 Harpoon quad-launchers for 8 RGM-84A Harpoon SSM (replaced 3"/50) 1 x Mk-16/Mod.7 / 8-cell box launcher for 8 RUR-5 Anti-Submarine Rockets (ASROC) 2 x Mk-32 triple torpedo tubes for 6 Mk-46 12.75" torpedoes 2 x Mk-15 Phalanx close-in-weapon system (CIWS) aft / 1 starboard, 1 port (installed 1980’s)
Armament:
from left: Mk-141 HARPOON launcher / Mk-15 CIWS / Mk-32 torpedo tubes / Mk-16 ASROC launcher / Mk-10 missile launcher forward Mk-10 missile launcher and Mk-16 ASROC launcher, behind forward Mk-10 missile launcher and Mk-16 ASROC launcher, behind Mk-141 HARPOON SSM launcher (2x4) and aft Mk-10 missile launcher RUR-5 ASROC was launched from the Mk-16 8-cell box launcher Mk-22 3”/50-caliber twin guns (later replaced by Mk-141 HARPOON launchers)
class images:
USS Leahy (CG 16) - 1983 USS Harry E. Yarnell (CG 17) - 1990 USS Worden (CG 18) - 1987 USS Dale (CG 19) USS Richmond K. Turner (CG 20) - 1988 USS Gridley (CG 21) - 1991 USS England (CG 22) - 1988 USS Halsey (CG 23) - 1987 USS Reeves (CG 24) - 1991
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