The Probert Encyclopaedia of Ships

TICONDEROGA CLASS

The Ticonderoga Class is an American guided missile cruiser class of ship. Twenty-seven Ticonderoga Class guided missile cruisers were built between 1983 and 1994. Thirteen ships are operational in the US Navy Atlantic Fleet and fourteen in the Pacific Fleet, two of which are based in Japan in the US Naval Forces Base at Yokosuka. A number of Ticonderoga Class cruisers were deployed in the Gulf crisis in 1991 where the USS Princeton sustained mine damage. Tomahawk missiles were deployed in 1993 against targets in Iraq enforcing 'no fly' zone restrictions. The ships also deployed the Tomahawk missile against targets in Bosnia during 1995. The Ticonderoga has a full load displacement of 9,500 tons and the ship design is based on a larger version of the successful Spruance Class 8,000 ton destroyer.

The Ticonderoga Class, like the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers, are equipped with the Aegis Combat System which integrates the ship's electronic sensors and weapons systems to engage anti-ship missile threats. Twenty-two of the twenty-seven Ticonderoga Class are fitted with two Mark 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), each armed with eight Tomahawk missiles. Two quadruple launchers for the Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missile system are installed on the gun deck at the stern of the ship. The Ticonderoga Class ships are armed with the Raytheon Standard Missile 2MR surface-to-air missile 60 missiles are carried for each of the two Mark 41 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS). The first five of the Ticonderoga Class ships are not fitted with Vertical Launchers and are armed with conventional twin launchers. The ships' anti-submarine rocket is the Lockheed Martin Vertical Launch ASROC armed with the Mark 50 or Mark-46 torpedo and is launched from the Mark 41 VLS launcher. A triple tube torpedo launcher is installed in each side of the hull below the helicopter deck and at about 5.5 metres above sea level. The 324 mm tubes are capable of launching the Mark-46 Mod 5 torpedo and Mark 50 torpedo.

The ships' main guns are the United Defense MK-45 127mm/54 naval guns installed on the gun decks at the bow and stern of the ship. The guns are each capable of firing 32 kg shells to a target range of 22 kilometres at a maximum firing rate of 20 rounds per minute. In the midship position, two Raytheon Phalanx Mark 15 close in weapon systems are installed, one port and one starboard. Phalanx has a 20 mm/53 calibre six barrel gun capable of firing 3,000 rounds per minute to a target range of 1.5 kilometres. The ships support two Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk helicopters fitted with the LAMPS mission avionics which provides the capability of directing tactical actions by the ship and air team. The ships' propulsion system consists of four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines which provide a sustained power level of 86,000 horsepower. The engines drive two shafts with controllable pitch propellers. The propulsion system provides a maximum speed over 30 knots. At an economical speed of 20 knots the ships have a range over 6,000 miles.
Research Ticonderoga Class