Albany-class missile cruisers. The Seven Best Cold War Missile Cruisers The Albany-class guided missile cruiser

13.03.2020

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missile cruisers"Albany" type
Albania class cruiser

Missile cruiser Albany, 1970s
Project
Country
Main characteristics
Displacement	13,700 t (standard) 17,500 tons (full)
Length	205.4 m
Width	21.3 m
Draft	9.1 m
Engines	4 boilers Babcock and Wilcox (English)Russian 4 General Electric turbines
Power	120,000 l. With.
mover	4
travel speed	32 knots
Crew	1222 (72 officers)
Armament
Radar weapons	AN/SPS-48 - 3D review; AN/SPS-43, AN/SPS-30, AN/SPS-10 - 2D overview; AN / SPG-49 - SLA "Talos"; AN / SPG-51 - SLA "Tartar"
Electronic weapons	AN / SQS-23 - stationary sonar
Artillery	2×127mm
Missile weapons	2 × 2 launchers Mk 12 Talos air defense systems (104 missiles) 2 × 2 launchers Mk 11 SAM "Tartar" (84 missiles)
Anti-submarine weapons	1 × 8 launchers Mk 112 ASROC
Mine and torpedo armament	2 × 3 TA Mk 32
Aviation group	Helicopter pad

Albany-class missile cruisers- three ships originally built as heavy cruisers types "Baltimore" and "Oregon City", in 1958-1964 converted into missile cruisers (CG).

The ships underwent a radical reconstruction, all weapons were removed, the superstructure was completely reconstructed, which took on a characteristic tower-like shape. To reduce weight and improve stability in superstructures, structural materials based on aluminum alloys.

Modernization

Initially, the cruisers CA-122 "Oregon" were chosen as objects of reconstruction. (English)Russian(type "Oregon"), CA-136 "Chicago" and CA-131 "Fall River" (English)Russian(type "Baltimore"). After reconstruction, they were to become the guided missile cruisers CG-10, CG-11 and CG-12, respectively. Over time, it was decided to replace the Oregon with the same type CA-123 Albany (English)Russian, since the latter was in the best technical condition. For the same reason, the Fall River was replaced by the same type CA-74 Columbus. (English)Russian .

The original plans also included the conversion of the CA-124 "Rochester" (English)Russian type "Oregon" and CA-130 "Bremerton" (English)Russian the Baltimore class in CG-13 and CG-14, however, due to the high cost, the reconstruction of these ships was canceled in favor of special-built frigates.

Design

When the ships were rebuilt into missile cruisers, all of their former artillery and part of the armor protection were dismantled from the hulls. The superstructures of the ships were also completely dismantled and replaced with new ones constructed (to reduce the top weight) from light aluminum alloys.

The modernized ships had a peculiar, easily recognizable silhouette. In front of the hull was a massive, very high rectangular superstructure topped with an AN/SPS-30 radar antenna. Directly in front of the superstructure, on conical bases, there was a group of four radars of the Talos nasal air defense system. At the base of the bow superstructure was a hangar, where anti-aircraft missiles were loaded before launch.

On the sides of the bow superstructure, four AN / SPG-51 radars were located on the ledges, which were used to guide the Tartar air defense system.

Directly behind the bow superstructure, a high pipe mast was mounted, which served as the basis for the antenna of the AN / SPS-48 three-coordinate radar, the AN / SPS-10 navigation radar and the communication antenna complex. The aft mast-pipe, similar in design, was topped with a rotating antenna radar for detecting air targets AN / SPS-43. A container launcher PLUR ASROC was installed between the pipe masts.

On the sides of the aft mast-pipe were placed two 127-mm guns in barbette mounts, above which were located optical directors of artillery fire.

Booking

The cruisers retained elements of the armor belt and the main armored deck. Hangars and cellars "Talos" had 30-mm anti-fragmentation protection. It was provided for the protection of ships from weapons of mass destruction by sealing the hull and installing flush systems.

Armament

Anti-aircraft weapons

The main armament of the Albany-class missile cruisers was the RIM-8 Talos ultra-long-range anti-aircraft missile system. Equipped with direct-flow engines, the missiles of the complex ensured the defeat of aerodynamic targets - including supersonic ones - at a distance of 105-150 kilometers from the ship.

Two twin beam launchers Mk 12 were located in the bow and stern of the cruiser. The installations were reloaded from hangars located in the superstructure, where missiles were fed from the underdeck magazine. Before being delivered to the launcher, mechanics in the hangar manually mounted wings and stabilizers on the rockets, which were stored separately to save space. The total capacity of each store was 52 missiles, that is, the cruiser's ammunition load consisted of 104 RIM-8 Talos missiles. The ammunition included both missiles with conventional warheads and nuclear warheads, as well as modifications of missiles to destroy ground / surface targets.

The Talos missiles had a dual control system: a "saddled beam" in the marching section of the trajectory, and semi-active radar homing in the terminal section. Guidance of missiles at the target was carried out using two groups of radars, in the bow and stern. Each group included two AN / SPW-2 radars, used to control the missile in the march area, and two AN / SPG-49 radars, which served to “highlight” the target in the terminal area. The entire missile control procedure was carried out using the Mk 77 FCS, which used two computers to control the missile and calculate the trajectory of movement.

For self-defense, the cruiser was also equipped with the Tartar short-range anti-aircraft missile system. Two twin Mk 11 launchers, reloaded from vertical below-deck drums, were located on the sides of the cruiser's massive bow superstructure. Missile guidance was carried out using four AN / SPG-51 radars (two on each side), which performed target illumination for semi-active seeker. The system's ammunition load was 42 RIM-24 "Tartar" missiles per installation. Thus, the total ammunition of the Albany-class cruisers consisted of 188 missiles, while eight targets could be simultaneously accompanied: four Talos air defense systems, and four more (but not more than two on each side) - Tartar air defense systems.

Anti-submarine weapons

In the center of the hull, between the tube masts, the cruisers carried an 8-round launcher for the RUR-5 ASROC anti-submarine missile system. The complex could be used to destroy submarines with light anti-submarine torpedoes or deep-seated nuclear charges at a distance of up to 15-20 km. The reloading of the container launcher was carried out through hatches in the aft superstructure.

Additionally, all cruisers carried two triple-tube 324 mm Mk32 torpedo tubes. (English)Russian for anti-submarine torpedoes Mk46 (English)Russian.

anti-ship weapons

Initially, Albany-class ships did not carry specialized anti-ship weapons at all. Under construction, two 127mm 38-caliber Mk-24 guns were added to the original design. (English)Russian in open, manually operated installations, located on the side at the base of the aft mast-pipe of cruisers. These obsolete short-barreled guns could only be considered as secondary weapons.

At the same time, although the Albany-class cruisers did not carry specialized anti-ship weapons, all three of them missile systems- and "Talos" and "Tartar" and ASROC - could be used regularly for firing at surface targets within the radio horizon. The impact energy of a one and a half ton RIM-8 Talos missile diving at a speed of the order of 2.8 Mach was comparable to the impact energy of a battleship's main caliber projectile, and even without a warhead, it was sufficient to sink a destroyer or severely damage a large ship. Given the possibility of using nuclear warheads, the Talos could be effectively used to destroy almost any surface ships, including battleships and heavy cruisers.

In the 1980s, it was supposed to equip the Harpoon anti-ship missile cruisers, but for economic reasons the project was not implemented.

Strategic strike weapons

In the middle part of the ship, space was reserved for the installation of eight silos for Polaris medium-range missiles, however, due to the successful deployment of missile submarines, the concept of arming surface ships with ballistic missiles was abandoned in mid-1959.

Aviation armament

The Albany-class cruisers had a flight deck for a helicopter in the stern: however, a hangar was not provided.

Service History

All three ships saw heavy use in the 1960s and 1970s. The Chicago was for a long time the flagship of the 3rd Fleet in the Pacific, the Albany performed similar functions in the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Both of these ships underwent upgrades to the Talos missile control system in the late 1960s. "Columbus" did not undergo modernization, in 1976 it was withdrawn from the fleet and disposed of.

"Chicago" and "Albany" served until 1980, when their further modernization was deemed inappropriate.

A photo

USS Albany (CG-10) firing missiles 1963.jpg

Launch of the Talos and Tartar missiles from the cruiser Albany, 1963

USS-Columbus-Talos-Missiles.jpg

PU SAM "Talos" on the cruiser "Columbus", 1962

USS Columbus (CG-12) Tartar.jpg

Launch of the Tartar SAM from the cruiser Columbus, Mediterranean Sea, 1965

ASROC launcher USS Columbus 1962.jpg

PU PLUR ASROK on the cruiser Columbus, 1962

USS Columbus (CG-12) 1974.jpg

Cruiser Columbus

USS Albany (CA-123) underway 1955.jpg

Cruiser Albany before reconstruction, 1955

Series Composition

Ship	№	original type of	Shipyard	Laid down	Launched	In service	decommissioned	For scrap
Albany (English)Russian	CA-123 CG-10	"Oregon"	Bethlehem Boston	06.03.1944 01.1959	30.06.1945	15.06.1946 03.11.1962	30.06.1958 29.08.1980	12.08.1990
Chicago	CA-136 CG-11	"Baltimore"	Philadelphia San Francisco	28.07.1943 01.07.1959	20.08.1944	10.01.1945 02.05.1964	01.11.1958 01.03.1980	24.10.1991
Columbus (English)Russian	CA-74 CG-12	"Baltimore"	Bethlehem Puget Sound	28.06.1943 30.09.1959	30.11.1944	08.06.1945 01.12.1962	05.08.1959 31.01.1975	01.11.1977

The table contains information about the ships before the reconstruction (upper lines) and after it. The column "Shipyard" indicates the place of the original construction and the place of reconstruction. The "laid down" column gives the dates of laying down the ships as artillery cruisers and the dates for the start of reconstruction. In the "Decommissioned" column - the dates of withdrawal from the fleet before reconstruction and the date of the final withdrawal to the reserve.

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Notes

Literature

James Charles Fahey.. - 7th ed. - Naval Institute Press, 1980. - 71 p. - ISBN 0870216465 , 9780870216466...

Links

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An excerpt characterizing the Albany-class missile cruisers

Oh, what a terrible state he is in! You can't recognize him, he's so bad, so bad; I stayed for a minute and did not say two words ...
“Annette, for God’s sake, don’t refuse me,” the countess suddenly said, blushing, which was so strange with her middle-aged, thin and important face, taking out money from under her handkerchief.
Anna Mikhaylovna instantly understood what was the matter, and already bent down to deftly embrace the countess at the right time.
- Here's Boris from me, for sewing a uniform ...
Anna Mikhaylovna was already embracing her and crying. The Countess was crying too. They wept that they were friendly; and that they are kind; and that they, girlfriends of youth, are occupied with such a low subject - money; and that their youth had passed ... But the tears of both were pleasant ...

Countess Rostova was sitting with her daughters and already with a large number of guests in the drawing room. The count ushered the male guests into his study, offering them his hunter's collection of Turkish pipes. Occasionally he would come out and ask: has she come? They were waiting for Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova, nicknamed in society le terrible dragon, [a terrible dragon,] a lady famous not for wealth, not for honors, but for her directness of mind and frank simplicity of address. Marya Dmitrievna was known by the royal family, all of Moscow and all of St. Petersburg knew, and both cities, surprised at her, secretly laughed at her rudeness, told jokes about her; yet everyone, without exception, respected and feared her.
In an office full of smoke, there was a conversation about the war, which was declared by the manifesto, about recruitment. No one has yet read the Manifesto, but everyone knew about its appearance. The count was sitting on an ottoman between two smoking and talking neighbors. The count himself did not smoke or speak, but tilting his head, now to one side, then to the other, he looked with evident pleasure at the smokers and listened to the conversation of his two neighbors, whom he pitted against each other.
One of the speakers was a civilian, with a wrinkled, bilious, and shaven, thin face, a man already approaching old age, although he was dressed like the most fashionable young man; he sat with his feet on the ottoman with the air of a domestic man, and, sideways thrusting amber far into his mouth, impetuously drew in the smoke and screwed up his eyes. It was the old bachelor Shinshin, the cousin of the countess, an evil tongue, as they said about him in Moscow drawing rooms. He seemed to condescend to his interlocutor. Another, fresh, pink, officer of the Guards, impeccably washed, buttoned and combed, held amber near the middle of his mouth and with pink lips slightly pulled out the smoke, releasing it in ringlets from his beautiful mouth. It was that lieutenant Berg, an officer of the Semyonovsky regiment, with whom Boris went to the regiment together and with which Natasha teased Vera, the senior countess, calling Berg her fiancé. The Count sat between them and listened attentively. The most pleasant occupation for the count, with the exception of the game of boston, which he was very fond of, was the position of the listener, especially when he managed to play off two talkative interlocutors.
“Well, how about it, father, mon tres honorable [most respected] Alfons Karlych,” said Shinshin, chuckling and combining (which was the peculiarity of his speech) the most popular Russian expressions with exquisite French phrases. - Vous comptez vous faire des rentes sur l "etat, [Do you expect to have income from the treasury,] do you want to receive income from the company?
- No, Pyotr Nikolaevich, I only want to show that in the cavalry there are much fewer advantages against the infantry. Now consider, Pyotr Nikolaitch, my position...
Berg always spoke very precisely, calmly and courteously. His conversation always concerned only him alone; he was always calmly silent while talking about something that had no direct relation to him. And he could remain silent in this way for several hours, without experiencing or producing in others the slightest confusion. But as soon as the conversation concerned him personally, he began to speak at length and with visible pleasure.
“Consider my situation, Pyotr Nikolaevich: if I were in the cavalry, I would receive no more than two hundred rubles a third, even with the rank of lieutenant; and now I get two hundred and thirty,” he said with a joyful, pleasant smile, looking at Shinshin and the count, as if it were obvious to him that his success would always be main goal desires of all other people.
“Besides, Pyotr Nikolaevich, having transferred to the guards, I am in the public eye,” Berg continued, “and vacancies in the guards infantry are much more frequent. Then, think for yourself how I could get a job out of two hundred and thirty rubles. And I’m saving and sending more to my father,” he continued, blowing the ring.
- La balance at est ... [The balance is established ...] The German threshes a loaf on the butt, comme dit le roverbe, [as the proverb says,] - shifting amber to the other side of his mouth, said Shinshin and winked at the count.
The Count laughed. Other guests, seeing that Shinshin was talking, came up to listen. Berg, not noticing either ridicule or indifference, continued to talk about how, by being transferred to the guard, he had already won a rank in front of his comrades in the corps, how in wartime a company commander could be killed, and he, remaining a senior in a company, could very easily be company commander, and how everyone in the regiment loves him, and how pleased his papa is with him. Berg apparently enjoyed telling all this, and seemed unaware that other people might also have their own interests. But everything he said was so sweetly sedate, the naivety of his young selfishness was so obvious that he disarmed his listeners.
- Well, father, you are both in the infantry and in the cavalry, you will go everywhere; I predict this for you, - said Shinshin, patting him on the shoulder and lowering his legs from the ottoman.
Berg smiled happily. The count, followed by the guests, went out into the drawing-room.

There was that time before a dinner party when the assembled guests do not start a long conversation in anticipation of a call for an appetizer, but at the same time find it necessary to stir and not be silent in order to show that they are not in the least impatient to sit down to the table. The owners glance at the door and occasionally exchange glances with each other. From these glances, guests try to guess who or what else they are waiting for: an important late relative or food that has not yet ripened.
Pierre arrived just before dinner and sat awkwardly in the middle of the living room on the first chair that came across, blocking everyone's way. The countess wanted to make him talk, but he naively looked around him through his glasses, as if looking for someone, and answered all the questions of the countess in monosyllables. He was shy and alone did not notice it. Most of the guests, who knew his history with the bear, looked curiously at this big, fat and meek man, wondering how such a lumpy and modest man could do such a thing with the quarter.
- Have you just arrived? the Countess asked him.
- Oui, madame, [Yes, ma'am,] - he answered, looking around.
- Have you seen my husband?
- Non, madam. [No, ma'am.] - He smiled quite inappropriately.
- You seem to have recently been in Paris? I think it's very interesting.
- Very interesting..
The countess exchanged glances with Anna Mikhailovna. Anna Mikhaylovna realized that she was being asked to keep this young man busy, and, sitting down beside him, she began to talk about her father; but, like the countess, he answered her only in monosyllables. The guests were all busy with each other. Les Razoumovsky… ca a ete charmant… Vous etes bien bonne… La comtesse Apraksine… [The Razumovskys… It was delightful… You are very kind… Countess Apraksina…] was heard from all sides. The Countess got up and went into the hall.
— Marya Dmitrievna? – I heard her voice from the hall.
“She’s the best,” a rough female voice was heard in response, and after that Marya Dmitrievna entered the room.
All the young ladies and even the ladies, except for the oldest ones, stood up. Marya Dmitrievna stopped at the door and, from the height of her corpulent body, holding high her fifty-year-old head with gray curls, looked around the guests and, as if rolling up, unhurriedly straightened the wide sleeves of her dress. Marya Dmitrievna always spoke Russian.
“Dear birthday girl with children,” she said in her loud, thick voice that overwhelms all other sounds. “Are you an old sinner,” she turned to the count, who was kissing her hand, “do you miss tea in Moscow?” Where to run the dogs? But what, father, to do, this is how these birds will grow up ... - She pointed to the girls. - Whether you like it or not, you need to look for suitors.
- Well, what, my Cossack? (Marya Dmitrievna called Natasha a Cossack) - she said, caressing Natasha with her hand, who approached her hand without fear and cheerfully. - I know that the potion is a girl, but I love it.
She took out pear-shaped yakhon earrings from her huge reticule and, giving them to Natasha, who was beaming and flushed with a birthday, immediately turned away from her and turned to Pierre.
– Eh, eh! kind! come here,” she said in a mockingly quiet and thin voice. - Come on, my dear...
And she rolled up her sleeves menacingly even higher.
Pierre came up, naively looking at her through his glasses.
"Come, come, dear!" I told your father the truth alone, when he happened to be, and then God commands you.
She paused. Everyone was silent, waiting for what was to come, and feeling that there was only a preface.
- Okay, nothing to say! good boy! ... The father lies on the bed, and he amuses himself, he puts the quarter on a bear on horseback. Shame on you, dad, shame on you! Better to go to war.
She turned away and offered her hand to the count, who could hardly help laughing.
- Well, well, to the table, I have tea, is it time? said Marya Dmitrievna.
The count went ahead with Marya Dmitrievna; then the countess, who was led by a hussar colonel, the right person with whom Nikolai was supposed to catch up with the regiment. Anna Mikhailovna is with Shinshin. Berg offered his hand to Vera. Smiling Julie Karagina went with Nikolai to the table. Behind them came other couples, stretching across the hall, and behind them all alone, children, tutors and governesses. The waiters stirred, chairs rattled, music played in the choir stalls, and the guests settled in. The sounds of the count's home music were replaced by the sounds of knives and forks, the voices of guests, the quiet footsteps of waiters.
At one end of the table, the countess sat at the head. On the right is Marya Dmitrievna, on the left is Anna Mikhailovna and other guests. At the other end sat a count, on the left a hussar colonel, on the right Shinshin and other male guests. On one side of the long table, older youth: Vera next to Berg, Pierre next to Boris; on the other hand, children, tutors and governesses. From behind the crystal, bottles and vases of fruit, the count glanced at his wife and her high cap with blue ribbons and diligently poured wine to his neighbors, not forgetting himself. The Countess, also, because of the pineapples, not forgetting her duties as a hostess, threw significant glances at her husband, whose bald head and face, it seemed to her, were sharply distinguished by their redness from gray hair. There was a regular babble at the ladies' end; voices were heard louder and louder on the male, especially the hussar colonel, who ate and drank so much, blushing more and more that the count already set him as an example to other guests. Berg, with a gentle smile, spoke to Vera about the fact that love is a feeling not earthly, but heavenly. Boris called his new friend Pierre the guests who were at the table and exchanged glances with Natasha, who was sitting opposite him. Pierre spoke little, looked at new faces and ate a lot. Starting from two soups, from which he chose a la tortue, [tortoise,] and kulebyaki, and up to grouse, he did not miss a single dish and not a single wine, which the butler in a bottle wrapped in a napkin mysteriously stuck out from behind his neighbor’s shoulder, saying or “drey Madeira, or Hungarian, or Rhine wine. He substituted the first of the four crystal glasses with the count's monogram, which stood in front of each device, and drank with pleasure, looking more and more pleasantly at the guests. Natasha, who was sitting opposite him, looked at Boris, as girls of thirteen look at the boy with whom they had just kissed for the first time and with whom they are in love. This same look of hers sometimes turned to Pierre, and under the look of this funny, lively girl he wanted to laugh himself, not knowing why.
Nikolai was sitting far away from Sonya, next to Julie Karagina, and again, with the same involuntary smile, he spoke something to her. Sonya smiled grandly, but apparently she was tormented by jealousy: she turned pale, then blushed, and with all her might listened to what Nikolai and Julie were saying to each other. The governess looked around uneasily, as if preparing herself for a rebuff, if anyone thought of offending the children. The German tutor tried to memorize the categories of foods, desserts and wines in order to describe everything in detail in a letter to his family in Germany, and was very offended by the fact that the butler, with a bottle wrapped in a napkin, surrounded him. The German frowned, tried to show that he did not want to receive this wine, but was offended because no one wanted to understand that he needed wine not to quench his thirst, not out of greed, but out of conscientious curiosity.

In the second half of the twentieth century, 180 independent states appeared on the world map, but out of this wild variety of countries and peoples, only two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, had a powerful ocean fleet. For example, no one, except us and the Americans, massively built missile cruisers. Four more European countries, in order to maintain the former status of "sea powers", made efforts to create their own missile cruisers, but all their attempts ended with the construction of a single ship with predominantly American weapons and systems. "Ships of prestige", nothing more.

The pioneers in the creation of missile cruisers were the Americans - by the end of the 40s, their military industry had created the first combat-ready air defense systems suitable for installation on a ship. In the future, the fate of US Navy missile cruisers was determined exclusively by escort functions as part of aircraft carrier groups; American cruisers never counted on a serious sea battle with surface ships.

But the missile cruisers were especially respected in our country: during the existence of the USSR, dozens of the most different designs: heavy and light, surface and underwater, with a conventional or nuclear power plant, there were even anti-submarine cruisers and aircraft carrier cruisers! It is no coincidence that missile cruisers have become the main strike force of the Soviet Navy. In a general sense, the concept of "Soviet missile cruiser" meant a large multi-purpose surface ship with a powerful anti-ship missile system.

The story of the seven best missile cruisers is just a brief digression into the maritime history associated with the development of this unique class of warships. The author does not consider himself entitled to place any specific ratings and create a rating of "best of the best". No, this will be just a story about the most outstanding designs of the Cold War era, indicating their known advantages, disadvantages and interesting facts associated with these death machines. However, the nature of the presentation of the material will help the reader to independently determine which of this "magnificent seven" is still worthy of the highest pedestal.

Albany-class guided missile cruiser

1944-1962 Full displacement 17,500 tons. Crew 1200 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - 9000 miles (at 15 knots).
Armament:
- Talos long-range air defense systems (2 launchers, ammunition 104 missiles);
- Tartar short-range air defense systems (2 launchers, ammunition 84 anti-aircraft missiles);
- anti-submarine missile system ASROC (ammunition 24 missile-torpedoes);
- 8 Polaris intercontinental ballistic missiles (never installed);
- two universal guns of 127 mm caliber.

Three American monsters rebuilt from World War II heavy cruisers. After the first successful experiments with missile weapons, the US Navy decided on a global modernization of the Baltimore-class artillery cruisers - they dismantled all weapons from the ships, cut off the superstructure and turned their insides. And now, after 4 years, an incredible “thug” with a tall superstructure and mast-pipes studded with secret radio-electronic equipment entered the sea. The fact that this ship was once a Baltimore-class heavy artillery cruiser was only reminiscent of the shape of the bow.

Despite its ugly appearance, the Albany series of cruisers were cool warships capable of providing high-quality air defense carrier formations (by the standards of those years) - the range of fire of the Talos air defense system was more than 100 km, and two hundred missiles on board made it possible to fight off enemy aircraft for a long time.

Advantages of Albany:
- 15 cm armor belt inherited from the Baltimore heavy cruiser
- 8 fire control radars,
- high radar installation height.

Disadvantages of Albany:
- lack of strike weapons,
- superstructures made of aluminum alloys,
- an archaic, in general, design.

Belknap-class missile cruiser

1964 Gross displacement 8,000 tons. Crew 380 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - 7000 miles (at 20 knots).
Armament:
- universal launcher Mk.10 (80 anti-aircraft and anti-submarine missiles);
- automated artillery installation Mk.42 caliber 127 mm;
- 3 DASH unmanned anti-submarine helicopters (subsequently replaced by a conventional SH-2 Sea Sprite helicopter);
- two auxiliary guns of 76 mm caliber (subsequently replaced by anti-aircraft guns);
- 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles (added after modernization in the early 1980s).

A series of 9 light escort cruisers, on which great hopes were pinned - already at the birth of the Belknap-class cruiser, they received a universal set of naval weapons, including the original computerized CICS, unmanned helicopters and a new AN / SQS-26 under-wing sonar, supposedly capable of hear the propellers of Soviet boats tens of miles from the side of the ship.

It is noteworthy that after a short disappearance, 127 mm caliber guns returned to the ship again - the American sailors did not dare to completely abandon artillery.

In the 1960s and 1970s, cruisers of this type regularly patrolled off the coast of Vietnam, firing anti-aircraft missiles at North Vietnamese MiGs that inadvertently flew into the zone of destruction of the cruisers. But Belknap became famous not for its feats of arms - in 1975, the lead ship of this type was crushed in the Mediterranean Sea by the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy.

The cruiser was costly by its navigational error - the flight deck of the aircraft carrier literally “cut off” all the superstructures, and from above, a kerosene shower from the torn fuel lines of the aircraft carrier fell on the mangled remains of the ship. The ensuing eight-hour fire completely destroyed the cruiser. The restoration of Belknap was clean political decision, otherwise such a stupid death of the ship could undermine the prestige of the US Navy.

Advantages of "Belknap":
- computerized combat information and control system NTDS;
- the presence of a helicopter on board;
- small size and cost.

Disadvantages of Belknap:
- the only launcher, the failure of which left the ship essentially unarmed;
– fire hazardous aluminum superstructures;
- the absence of strike weapons (which, however, is dictated by the purpose of the cruiser).

Project 58 missile cruiser Grozny

1962 Gross displacement 5,500 tons. Crew 340 people.
Full speed - 34 knots. Cruising range - 3500 miles (at 18 knots).
Armament:
- anti-ship complex P-35 (2 launchers, 16 anti-ship missiles);
- short-range air defense system M-1 "Volna" (16 anti-aircraft missiles);
- two automatic twin guns of 76 mm caliber;
- 6 torpedoes caliber 533 mm;
- 2 x 12 jet launchers;
- Helipad

Favorite ship of Nikita Khrushchev. A small Soviet cruiser with colossal strike power for its size. The world's first warship equipped with anti-ship missiles. Even with the naked eye, it is noticeable how much the baby was overloaded with weapons - according to the plans of those years, the Terrible had to carry watch almost alone in the far latitudes of the oceans. You never know what tasks may arise before the Soviet cruiser - the Terrible must be ready for anything!

As a result, a universal weapon system appeared on board the ship, capable of fighting any air, surface and underwater targets. Highly high speed travel - 34 knots (more than 60 km / h), universal artillery, equipment for receiving a helicopter ...

But the P-35 anti-ship complex was especially impressive - eight four-ton blanks capable of breaking off the rails at any moment and rushing over the horizon at supersonic speed (firing range - up to 250 km). Despite doubts about the P-35's long-range target designation capabilities, powerful electronic countermeasures and anti-aircraft fire from American AUGs, the cruiser posed a deadly threat to any enemy squadron - one of the four missiles of each launcher was with a megaton nuclear "surprise".

Advantages of Grozny:
- exceptionally high saturation with fire weapons;
- great design.

Disadvantages of Grozny:
Most of the shortcomings of the Terrible were one way or another connected with the desire of the designers to place the maximum number of weapons and systems in the limited destroyer hull.
- short cruising range;
— weak air defense;
- imperfect weapon control systems;
- fire hazard design: aluminum superstructure and synthetic interior trim.

Missile cruiser "Long Beach"

1961 Gross displacement 17,000 tons. Crew 1160 people.
Full speed - 30 knots. Cruising range - 360,000 miles.
Armament:
- Terrier medium-range air defense systems (2 launchers, ammunition 102 missiles)
- Talos long-range air defense systems (1 launcher, ammunition 52 missiles)
- ASRO anti-submarine missile system (ammunition 24 rocket torpedoes)
- two universal guns of 127 mm caliber;
- two Phalanx anti-aircraft guns, 8 Harpoon anti-aircraft missiles, 8 Tomahawk missiles (modernization in the early 1980s).

The world's first nuclear cruiser is undoubtedly worthy of mention in the list of the best ships of the twentieth century. In combination, Long Beach became the world's first purpose-built missile cruiser - all previous designs (Boston-class missile cruisers, etc.) were just improvisations based on World War II artillery cruisers.

The ship turned out great. Three missile systems for various purposes. The unusual "box" shape of the main superstructure, dictated by the installation of SCANFAR phased radars, also unique radio systems of its time. Finally, the nuclear heart of the cruiser, which made it possible to accompany everywhere nuclear aircraft carrier"Enterprise", for interaction with which this miracle was created.

In addition, it turned out that Long Beach did not have the opportunity to put their advantage into practice. Firstly, the autonomy of the ship is limited not only by fuel reserves. Secondly, in the retinue of an aircraft carrier there were many ships with conventional power plants, which made it difficult for the nuclear cruiser to move quickly.

"Long Beach" honestly served 33 years. During this time, he left a million nautical miles behind the stern, while managing to fight in Vietnam and Iraq. Due to its exceptional complexity and cost, it remained the lone "white elephant" of the fleet, however, it had a significant impact on the development of world shipbuilding (including the birth of our next "hero").

Advantages of "Long Beach":
— unlimited autonomy in terms of fuel reserves;
— radars with HEADLIGHTS;
- versatility.

Disadvantages of Long Beach:
- monstrous cost;
- less survivability compared to conventional cruisers.

Heavy nuclear missile cruiser project 1144.2 "Orlan"

1998 Gross displacement 26,000 tons. Crew 635 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - not limited by fuel reserves.
Armament:
- anti-ship (20 launchers, ammunition 20 missiles);
- S-300F "Fort" long-range air defense system (6 launchers, 48 missiles ammunition);
- S-300FM long-range air defense system "Fort-M" (6 launchers, ammunition 46 missiles);
- short-range air defense system "Dagger" (12 launchers, ammunition 128 missiles);
- anti-submarine complex "Waterfall" (ammunition 20 rocket torpedoes);

- 6 anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems "Kortik";
— three jet bombers;
- three helicopters.

For comparison, TAVKR "Peter the Great" was chosen - the last and most advanced of the heavy atomic ones. A real Imperial cruiser with an amazing set of weapons - it has on board the entire range of systems that are in service with the Russian Navy.

Theoretically, in a one-on-one battle, the Orlan has no equal among all the ships of the world - a huge ocean killer will be able to deal with any enemy. In practice, the situation looks much more interesting - the enemy against whom the Orlans were created does not go alone. What awaits "Orlan" in a real battle with an aircraft carrier and its escort of five missile cruisers? Glorious Gangut, Chesma or the terrible Tsushima pogrom? Nobody knows the answer to this question.

The appearance of the first Orlan in 1980 excited the whole world a lot - in addition to its cyclopean size and heroic stature, the Soviet heavy cruiser became the world's first warship with under-deck vertical launch systems. A lot of fears were caused by the S-300F anti-aircraft complex - nothing like that at that time simply did not exist in any country in the world.

In fact, the first ship with the S-300F experimental complex installed was the Azov BOD. In addition, the S-300F guides are not installed quite vertically, but at an angle of 5 ° to the normal to prevent the missile from falling to the deck in the event of a failure of the starting engine..

As in the case of the American "Long Beach", when discussing the "Orlan" one often hears an opinion about the adequacy of creating such a Miracle. Firstly, for the destruction of the AUG, nuclear submarine missile carriers, pr. 949A, look more attractive. The stealth and security of the submarine is an order of magnitude greater, the cost is less, while the 949A salvo is 24 Granit missiles.

Secondly, 26 thousand tons of displacement is a direct consequence of the presence of nuclear reactors, which do not provide any real advantages, only taking up space in vain, complicating maintenance and worsening the survivability of the ship in battle. It can be assumed that without the YaSU, the Orlan's displacement would have been halved.

By the way, a paradoxical coincidence, the bald eagle is the national emblem of the United States!

Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser

1986 Gross displacement 10,000 tons. Crew 390 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - 6000 (at 20 knots).
Armament:
- 122 Mk.41 vertical launchers (launching almost all types of missiles in service with the US Navy, with the exception of submarine-launched ballistic missiles);
- 8 anti-ship missiles "Harpoon";
- two lightweight universal artillery systems Mk.45 caliber 127 mm;
- six anti-submarine torpedoes of caliber 324 mm;
- two anti-aircraft guns "Phalanx";
- two automatic guns "Bushmaster" caliber 25 mm.

"Stand by admiral Gorshkov: "Aegis" - at sea!" - "Beware, Admiral Gorshkov: Aegis is at sea!" - it was with such a message that the first Ticonderoga went to sea - an unsightly ship from the outside, with the most modern electronic filling. For comparison, the cruiser CG-52 "Bunker Hill" was chosen - the lead ship of the second series of "Ticonderogues", equipped with UVP Mk.41.

Thought out to the smallest detail, a modern ship with unique fire control systems. The cruiser is still focused on providing air defense and anti-submarine defense of aircraft carrier formations, however, it can independently deliver massive strikes along the coast with the help of Tomahawk cruise missiles, the number of which on board can reach hundreds of units.

The highlight of the cruiser is the combat information and control system. Together with the fixed phased panels of the AN / SPY-1 radar and 4 fire control radars, the ship's computers are capable of simultaneously tracking up to 1000 air, surface, and underwater targets, while automatically selecting them and, if necessary, attacking the 18 most dangerous objects. At the same time, the energy capabilities of the AN / SPY-1 are such that the cruiser is able to detect and attack even pinpoint fast-moving targets in low Earth orbit.

Advantages of Ticonderoga:
- never before seen versatility at minimal cost;
- huge striking power;
- the possibility of solving missile defense problems and destroying satellites in low orbits.

Disadvantages of Ticonderoga:
- limited dimensions, and, as a result, dangerous congestion of the ship;
- Widespread use of aluminum in the design of the cruiser.

Missile cruiser project 1164 "Atlant"

1983 Gross displacement 11,500 tons. Crew 510 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - 6000 (at 18 knots).
Armament:
- anti-ship missile system P-1000 "Volcano" (8 twin launchers, ammunition 16 missiles);
- anti-aircraft missile system S-300F "Fort" (8 drum launchers, ammunition 64 missiles);
- two short-range anti-aircraft missile systems "Osa-MA" (2 beam launchers, ammunition 40 missiles);
- anti-submarine complex "Waterfall" (ammunition 10 rocket torpedoes);
- one twin automated artillery installation of 130 mm caliber;
- three batteries (total 6 guns + 3 fire control radars);
— two jet bombers;
- an anti-submarine helicopter and a hangar for its long-term storage.

Two Atlant missile cruisers, by the way, are 32 Vulkan supersonic anti-ship missiles and 128 S-300F anti-aircraft missiles. As well as 2 helipads, 2 AK-130 artillery mounts, two Frigate radars and two hydroacoustic stations. And all this instead of one "Orlan"! That is, the obvious conclusion suggests itself - the missile cruiser pr. 1164 is the very “golden mean” between the size, cost and combat capabilities of the ship.

Even despite the general moral and physical obsolescence of these cruisers, the potential inherent in them is so high that it allows the Atlantes to still act on an equal footing with the most modern foreign missile cruisers and URO destroyers. For example, the S-300F complex, which has no analogues - even modern US Navy anti-aircraft missiles, due to the limited size of standard Mk.41 UVP cells, are inferior in terms of energy characteristics to Fort missiles (in other words, they are twice as light and twice as slow).

Well, it remains to be wished that the legendary "grin of socialism" be modernized as often as possible and remain in combat service as long as possible.

Advantages of Atlanta:
— balanced design;
- excellent seaworthiness;
- S-300F and P-1000 missile systems.

Disadvantages of Atlanta:
- the only fire control radar of the S-300F complex;
- lack of modern self-defense air defense systems;
- an overly complex design of the gas turbine.

The pioneers in the creation of missile cruisers were the Americans - by the end of the 40s, their military industry had created the first combat-ready air defense systems suitable for installation on a ship. In the future, the fate of US Navy missile cruisers was determined exclusively by escort functions as part of aircraft carrier groups; American cruisers were never designed for a serious sea battle with surface ships.

But missile cruisers were especially respected in our country: during the existence of the USSR, dozens of very different designs appeared on the expanses of the World Ocean: heavy and light, surface and underwater, with a conventional or nuclear power plant, there were even anti-submarine cruisers and aircraft carrier cruisers! It is no coincidence that missile cruisers have become the main strike force of the Soviet Navy.

In a general sense, the concept of "Soviet missile cruiser" meant a large multi-purpose surface ship with a powerful anti-ship missile system.

About the seven best missile cruisers - just a brief digression into the maritime history associated with the development of this unique class of warships. The author does not consider himself entitled to place any specific ratings and create a rating of "best of the best". No, this will be just a story about the most outstanding designs of the Cold War era, indicating their known advantages, disadvantages and interesting facts associated with these death machines. However, the nature of the presentation of the material will help the reader to independently determine which of this "magnificent seven" is still worthy of the highest pedestal.

Albany-class missile cruisers

1944/1962 Full displacement 17,500 tons. Crew 1200 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - 9000 miles (at 15 knots).
Armament:
- Talos long-range air defense systems (2 launchers, ammunition 104 missiles);
- Tartar short-range air defense systems (2 launchers, ammunition 84 anti-aircraft missiles);
- anti-submarine missile system ASROC (ammunition 24 rocket torpedoes);
- 8 Polaris intercontinental ballistic missiles (never installed);
- two universal guns of 127 mm caliber.

Three American monsters rebuilt from World War II heavy cruisers. After the first successful experiments with the missile, the US Navy decided on a global modernization of the Baltimore-class artillery cruisers - they dismantled all the weapons from the ships, cut off the superstructure and turned their insides around. And now, after 4 years, an incredible “thug” with a tall superstructure and mast-pipes studded with secret radio-electronic equipment entered the sea. The fact that this ship was once a Baltimore-class heavy artillery cruiser was only reminiscent of the shape of the bow.

Despite its ugly appearance, the Albany series of cruisers were cool warships capable of providing high-quality air defense for aircraft carrier formations in the near zone (by the standards of those years) - the Talos air defense missile range was more than 100 km, and two hundred missiles on board allowed fight off enemy aircraft for a long time.

Advantages:

15 cm armor belt, inherited from the heavy cruiser Baltimore,
- 8 fire control radars,
- high installation height of radars,

Flaws:
- lack of strike weapons,
- superstructures made of aluminum alloys,
- an archaic, in general, design.

Baltimore-class heavy artillery cruiser - this is what the Alban cruisers looked like before modernization

Belknap-class missile cruisers

1964 Gross displacement 8,000 tons. Crew 380 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - 7000 miles (at 20 knots).
Armament:
- universal launcher Mk.10 (80 anti-aircraft and anti-submarine missiles);
- automated artillery installation Mk.42 caliber 127 mm;
- 3 DASH unmanned anti-submarine helicopters (subsequently replaced by a conventional SH-2 Sea Sprite helicopter);
- two auxiliary guns of 76 mm caliber (subsequently replaced by anti-aircraft guns "Phalanx");
- 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles (added after modernization in the early 1980s).

In some ways, the ship justified itself, in some ways it didn’t, for example, the daring project of an unmanned helicopter DASH turned out to be of little use for real use on the high seas - the control systems were too imperfect. I had to expand the hangar and the helipad for the deployment of a full-fledged anti-submarine helicopter.
It is noteworthy that after a short disappearance, 127 mm caliber guns returned to the ship again - the American sailors did not dare to completely abandon artillery.

The cruiser was costly by its navigational error - the flight deck of the aircraft carrier literally “cut off” all the superstructures, and from above, a kerosene shower from the torn fuel lines of the aircraft carrier fell on the mangled remains of the ship. The ensuing eight-hour fire completely destroyed the cruiser. The restoration of Belknap was a purely political decision, otherwise such a stupid death of the ship could undermine the prestige of the US Navy.

Advantages of "Belknap":
- computerized combat information and control system NTDS;
- the presence of a helicopter on board;
- small size and cost.

Flaws:
- the only launcher, the failure of which left the ship essentially unarmed;
- fire-dangerous aluminum superstructures;
- the absence of strike weapons (which, however, is dictated by the purpose of the cruiser).

Burnt "Belknap"

Missile cruisers of project 58 (code "Grozny")

1962 Gross displacement 5,500 tons. Crew 340 people.
Full speed - 34 knots. Cruising range - 3500 miles (at 18 knots).
Armament:
- anti-ship complex P-35 (2 launchers, ammunition 16 anti-ship missiles);
- short-range air defense system M-1 "Volna" (16 anti-aircraft missiles);
- two automatic twin guns of 76 mm caliber;
- 6 torpedoes caliber 533 mm;
- 2 x 12 rocket launchers RBU-6000;
- Helipad

Favorite ship of Nikita Khrushchev. A small Soviet cruiser with colossal strike power for its size. The world's first warship equipped with anti-ship missiles.
Even with the naked eye, it is noticeable how much the baby was overloaded with weapons - according to the plans of those years, the Terrible had to carry watch almost alone in the far latitudes of the oceans. You never know what tasks may arise before the Soviet cruiser - the Terrible must be ready for anything!

As a result, a universal weapon system appeared on board the ship, capable of fighting any air, surface and underwater targets. Very high speed - 34 knots (more than 60 km / h), universal artillery, equipment for receiving a helicopter ...
But the P-35 anti-ship complex was especially impressive - eight four-ton blanks capable of breaking off the rails at any moment and rushing over the horizon at supersonic speed (firing range - up to 250 km).

Despite doubts about the P-35's long-range target designation capabilities, powerful electronic countermeasures and anti-aircraft fire from the American AUGs, the cruiser posed a deadly threat to any enemy squadron - one of the four missiles of each launcher was with a megaton "surprise".

Advantages:
- exceptionally high saturation with fire weapons;
- great design.

Flaws:
Most of the shortcomings of the Terrible were one way or another connected with the desire of the designers to place the maximum number of weapons and systems in the limited destroyer hull.
- short cruising range;
- weak air defense;
- imperfect weapon control systems;
- fire hazard design: aluminum superstructure and synthetic interior trim.

Sea power of the USSR

Missile cruiser "Long Beach"

The ship turned out great. Three missile systems for various purposes. The unusual "box" shape of the main superstructure, dictated by the installation of SCANFAR phased radars, also unique radio systems of its time. Finally, the nuclear heart of the cruiser, which made it possible to accompany the nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise everywhere, for interaction with which this miracle was created.

However, an incredible price was paid for all this - $ 330 million (about 5 billion at the current exchange rate!), In addition, the imperfection of nuclear technologies did not allow the creation of a compact nuclear control system of the required power in the 50s - the cruiser rapidly "grew" in size, reaching, finally, 17 thousand tons. Too much for an escort ship!
In addition, it turned out that Long Beach did not have the opportunity to put their advantage into practice. Firstly, the autonomy of the ship is limited not only by fuel reserves. Secondly, in the retinue of an aircraft carrier there were many ships with conventional power plants, which made it difficult for the nuclear cruiser to move quickly.

Advantages of "Long Beach":
- unlimited autonomy in terms of fuel reserves;
- radars with headlamps;
- versatility.

Flaws:
- monstrous cost;
- less survivability compared to conventional cruisers.

Heavy nuclear missile cruiser pr. 1144.2 (code "Orlan")

1998 Gross displacement 26,000 tons. Crew 635 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - not limited by fuel reserves.
Armament:
- anti-ship complex "Granit" (20 launchers, ammunition 20 missiles);
- S-300F "Fort" long-range air defense system (6 launchers, 48 missiles ammunition);
- long-range air defense system S-300FM "Fort-M" (6 launchers, ammunition 46 missiles);
- short-range air defense system "Dagger" (12 launchers, ammunition 128 missiles);
- anti-submarine complex "Waterfall" (ammunition 20 rocket torpedoes);

- 6 anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems "Kortik";
- three jet bombers;
- three helicopters.

For comparison, TAVKR "Peter the Great" was chosen - the last and most advanced of the heavy nuclear missile cruisers of the "Orlan" type. A real Imperial cruiser with an amazing set of weapons - it has on board the entire range of systems that are in service with the Russian Navy.

As in the case of the American "Long Beach", when discussing the "Orlan" one often hears an opinion about the adequacy of creating such a Miracle. Firstly, for the destruction of the AUG, nuclear submarine missile carriers, pr. 949A, look more attractive. The stealth and security of the submarine is an order of magnitude greater, the cost is less, while the 949A salvo is 24 Granit missiles.

Secondly, 26 thousand tons of displacement is a direct consequence of the presence of nuclear reactors, which do not provide any real advantages, only taking up space in vain, complicating maintenance and worsening the ship's survivability in battle. It can be assumed that without the YaSU, the Orlan's displacement would have been halved.
By the way, a paradoxical coincidence, the bald eagle is the national emblem of the United States!

Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser

1986 Gross displacement 10,000 tons. Crew 390 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - 6000 (at 20 knots).
Armament:
- 122 Mk.41 vertical launchers (launching almost all types of missiles in service with the US Navy, with the exception of submarine-launched ballistic missiles);
- 8 anti-ship missiles "Harpoon";
- two lightweight universal artillery systems Mk.45 caliber 127 mm;
— six anti-submarine torpedoes caliber 324 mm;
- two anti-aircraft guns "Phalanx";
- two automatic guns "Bushmaster" caliber 25 mm.

"Stand by admiral Gorshkov: "Aegis" - at sea!" - "Beware Admiral Gorshkov: Aegis is at sea!" - it was with such a message that the first Ticonderoga went to sea - an unsightly ship from the outside, with the most modern electronic filling.
For comparison, the cruiser CG-52 "Bunker Hill" was chosen - the lead ship of the second series of "Ticonderogues", equipped with UVP Mk.41.

The highlight of the cruiser is the Aegis combat information and control system. Together with the fixed phased panels of the AN / SPY-1 radar and 4 fire control radars, the ship's computers are capable of simultaneously tracking up to 1000 air, surface, and underwater targets, while automatically selecting them and, if necessary, attacking the 18 most dangerous objects. At the same time, the energy capabilities of the AN / SPY-1 are such that the cruiser is able to detect and attack even pinpoint fast-moving targets in low Earth orbit.

Advantages of Ticonderoga:
- unprecedented versatility at minimal cost;
- huge striking power;
- the possibility of solving missile defense problems and destroying satellites in low orbits;

Disadvantages of Ticonderoga:
- limited dimensions, and, as a result, dangerous congestion of the ship;
- Widespread use of aluminum in the design of the cruiser.

Missile cruiser project 1164 (code "Atlant")

1983 Gross displacement 11,500 tons. Crew 510 people.
Full speed - 32 knots. Cruising range - 6000 (at 18 knots).
Armament:
- anti-ship missile system P-1000 "Volcano" (8 twin launchers, ammunition 16 missiles);
- anti-aircraft missile system S-300F "Fort" (8 drum launchers, ammunition 64 missiles);
- two short-range anti-aircraft missile systems "Osa-MA" (2 beam launchers, ammunition 40 missiles);
- anti-submarine complex "Waterfall" (ammunition 10 rocket torpedoes);
- one twin automated artillery installation of 130 mm caliber;
- three batteries of automatic anti-aircraft guns AK-630 (total 6 guns + 3 fire control radars);
- two jet bombers;
- an anti-submarine helicopter and a hangar for its long-term storage.

With a displacement 2.25 times less than the huge nuclear-powered Orlan, the Atlant cruiser retains 80% of its strike power and up to 65% of its anti-aircraft weapons. In other words, instead of building one Orlan super cruiser, you can build two Atlants!
Two Atlant missile cruisers, by the way, are 32 Vulkan supersonic anti-ship missiles and 128 S-300F anti-aircraft missiles. As well as 2 helipads, 2 AK-130 artillery mounts, two Frigate radars and two hydroacoustic stations. And all this instead of one "Orlan"! Those. the obvious conclusion suggests itself - the missile cruiser pr. 1164 is the very “golden mean” between the size, cost and combat capabilities of the ship.

Even despite the general moral and physical obsolescence of these cruisers, the potential inherent in them is so high that it allows the Atlantes to still act on an equal footing with the most modern foreign missile cruisers and URO destroyers.
For example, the S-300F complex, which has no analogues - even modern US Navy anti-aircraft missiles, due to the limited size of standard Mk.41 UVP cells, are inferior in terms of energy characteristics to Fort missiles (in other words, they are twice as light and twice as slow).

Well, it remains to be wished that the legendary "grin of socialism" be modernized as often as possible and remain in combat service as long as possible.

Advantages of Atlanta:
- balanced design;
- excellent seaworthiness;
- S-300F and P-1000 missile systems.

Flaws:
- the only fire control radar of the S-300F complex;
- lack of modern self-defense air defense systems;
- an overly complex design of the gas turbine.

Maltese sunset, November 1989. The stern of the cruiser "Slava" is visible, in the foreground - the bow of the cruiser "Belknap"

USS Albany (PG-36/CL-23)

Historical data

common data

real

dock

Booking

Armament

Artillery of the main caliber

6 x 1 152mm/50 Mark 5 guns;
4 x 1 120mm/50 Mark 3 guns.

Anti-mine and small-caliber artillery

10 x 1 57 mm Hotchkiss guns;
4 x 1 37 mm Hotchkiss gun;
4 x 1 Gatling guns.

Torpedo armament

3 x 1 457 mm TA.

Ships of the same type

USS Albany (PG-36/CL-23)(rus. "Albany") - armored cruiser of the type New Orleans US Navy. The ship took part in the Philippine-American and World Wars I. In the 1920s she was reclassified as gunboat PG-36, later light cruiser CL-23. From 1922 to 1929 he was in reserve, after which he was deleted from the list of the fleet and in 1930 was scrapped.

History of creation

Cruiser USS Albany passes through the Suez Canal

3340 ton cruiser USS Albany was built in a shipyard Whitworth & Company in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was originally intended for the Brazilian Navy and was called Almirante Abreu, but was bought out on March 16, 1898 by the US Navy and renamed. A war was brewing between the United States and Spain, and the former believed that the size of their fleet was insufficient for the coming confrontation. Therefore, the US Navy purchased two of the latest cruisers being built for Brazil at British shipyards. The first ship to bear the name Amazonas, has been renamed to USS New Orlean. The second ship was called Almirante Abreu.

General information

USS Albany was launched only in February 1899 (the ship was christened by the wife of the US Naval Attaché in London Mrs. John C Colwell) and was unable to take part in the war with Spain, which ended in August 1898. She entered service on May 29, 1900 on the River Tyne (Great Britain) and became the first (along with her sistership) US Navy cruiser with a steel hull hull, the underwater part of which was additionally sheathed with copper on a wooden lining.

USS Albany was approximately 354 feet long, 43 feet wide, developed up to 20.5 knots. The team consisted of 353 sailors and officers. Initially, the cruiser's armament consisted of six 152 mm/50 guns, four 120 mm/50 rapid fire guns, ten 6-pounder and four 1-pounder guns, as well as three torpedo tubes.

Modernizations and conversions

In 1903, the four 120 mm main battery guns were replaced by American-made 152 mm/50 Mark 5 guns. In 1907, the remaining six British-made guns were replaced with the same model, giving the cruiser a unified main battery consisting of ten 152 mm/50 Mark 5 guns.

Service History

Asian Fleet and Mediterranean

USS Albany at anchor

Guns of the main caliber of the same type USS New Orleans

June 26, 1900 USS Albany left England and went to the Philippines. He passed the Strait of Gibraltar, crossed the Mediterranean Sea, passed the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. On November 22, 1900, the ship anchored in the port of Cavite. next seven months USS Albany served with the US Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines. At the same time, he visited Hong Kong, where from December 28, 1900 to February 17, 1901 he was docked and Maintenance. On July 3, 1901, the cruiser left Cavite and entered the Mediterranean on September 15.

next nine months USS Albany served in the Mediterranean, visiting the ports of Greece, France, Italy, Spain and Egypt. On June 18, 1902, the cruiser entered the Atlantic. The ship visited Cherbourg and Southampton, took part in maneuvers together with the battleship USS Illinois (1898) and cruisers USS Chicago (1885) and USS San Francisco (1889). July 20, 1902 USS Albany moved to the Baltic, where he visited Stockholm, Kronstadt and Copenhagen. In September 1902, the cruiser left the Baltic and, after a short stop in Plymouth, returned to the Mediterranean. After a two-month service, the ship was sent to the Western Hemisphere and arrived in the West Indies at the end of November, where it took part in tactical fleet maneuvers. January 5, 1903 USS Albany first came to the United States, embarking on a major overhaul at the Boston shipyard.

Having passed repair work in Boston and New York, the cruiser sailed for Europe on February 15, 1903. After passing the Mediterranean Sea and Suez, the ship went to the Far East. After a stopover in Hong Kong to resupply coal, she joined the Asiatic Fleet on the Chifu roadstead. USS Albany patrolled the coasts of China, Korea, and Japan and visited Hawaii in December 1903. Having stayed off the coast of China and the Philippines until spring, the cruiser returned to the States in May 1904. On June 16, 1904, she was withdrawn from the fleet at the Puget Sound shipyard in Bremerton.

Service in the Pacific Fleet

Longitudinal section of USS Albany project

USS Albany and USS South Dakota in Vladivostok

Marines with USS Albany at the San Francisco parade in 1909

Three years later, June 10, 1907 USS Albany was returned to service and assigned to the Pacific Fleet. For the next three years, the cruiser served off the coast of North and Central America. One of the main tasks was to display the flag and protect US interests in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and especially Nicaragua. Within a few months of 1910, the USS Albany He was part of Rear Admiral Kimball's Expeditionary Force in Nicaragua. In May 1910, the cruiser returned to Puget Sound, and on August 4 went to the coast of China. After short stops in Honolulu and Yokohama, the ship arrived in Wusung on September 15, 1910. For the next three years he remained Far East visiting the ports of Japan, China and the Philippines.

October 20, 1913 USS Albany left Yokohama for the United States. On November 12, she visited San Francisco, and on December 23 she was put into reserve at the Puget Sound shipyard. After another overhaul, April 17, 1914 USS Albany was re-commissioned. The cruiser spent the period up to November 1914 off the coast of Mexico after the incident at Tampico, which led to the American occupation of the port of Vera Cruz. He then returned to Bremerton, where he was put back into reserve on 4 December. In the spring of 1915, the ship was used as a training ship for the US Navy in Washington and Oregon. On May 12, 1916, the cruiser was fully returned to service and sent to the Mexican coast. This time he took part in a punitive operation undertaken in response to the killing of American citizens in Columbus, New Mexico by the rebels of Pancho Villa.

World War I

At the beginning of 1917 USS Albany was included in the Atlantic Fleet and served off the coast of Virginia. In April, the United States entered into

The Albany-class guided missile cruisers are three ships originally built as Baltimore and Oregon City-class heavy cruisers, converted to guided-missile cruisers (CG) between 1958 and 1964. The ships have undergone a radical reconstruction,

all weapons were removed, the superstructure was completely reconstructed, which took on a characteristic tower-like shape. To reduce weight and improve stability in superstructures, structural materials based on aluminum alloys were widely used.

Modernization

Initially, the CA-122 Oregon cruisers were chosen as objects of reconstruction. (type "Oregon"), CA-136 "Chicago" and CA-131 "Fall River". (type "Baltimore"). After reconstruction, they were to become the guided missile cruisers CG-10, CG-11 and CG-12, respectively.
Over time, it was decided to replace the Oregon with the Albany CA-123 of the same type, since the latter was in better technical condition. For the same reason, the Fall River was replaced by the same type CA-74 Columbus.

Initial plans also called for the conversion of the CA-124 "Rochester" (English) Russian. Oregon-class and CA-130 Bremerton-class Baltimore in CG-13 and CG-14, however, due to the high cost, the reconstruction of these ships was canceled in favor of special-built frigates.

Design

When the ships were rebuilt into missile cruisers, all of their former artillery and most of the armor protection were dismantled from the hulls. The superstructures of the ships were also completely dismantled and replaced with new ones constructed (to reduce the top weight) from light aluminum alloys.

The modernized ships had a peculiar, easily recognizable silhouette. In front of the hull was a massive, very high rectangular superstructure topped with an AN/SPS-30 radar antenna.
Directly in front of the superstructure, on conical bases, there was a group of four radars of the Talos nasal air defense system. At the base of the bow superstructure was a hangar, where anti-aircraft missiles were loaded before launch.

On the sides of the bow superstructure, four AN / SPG-51 radars were located on the ledges, which were used to guide the Tartar air defense system.

A high pipe mast was mounted directly behind the bow superstructure, which served as the basis for the antenna of the AN / SPS-48 three-coordinate radar, the AN / SPS-10 navigation radar and the communication antenna complex.
The aft mast-pipe, similar in design, was topped with a rotating antenna for the AN / SPS-43 airborne target detection radar. A container launcher PLUR ASROC was installed between the pipe masts.

On the sides of the aft mast-pipe were placed two 127-mm guns in barbette mounts, above which were located optical directors of artillery fire.

Anti-aircraft weapons

Two twin beam launchers Mk 12 were located in the bow and stern of the cruiser. The installations were reloaded from hangars located in the superstructure, where missiles were fed from the underdeck magazine. Before being delivered to the launcher, mechanics in the hangar manually mounted wings and stabilizers on the rockets, which were stored separately to save space.
The total capacity of each store was 52 missiles, that is, the cruiser's ammunition load consisted of 104 RIM-8 Talos missiles. The ammunition included both missiles with conventional warheads and nuclear warheads, as well as modifications of missiles to destroy ground / surface targets.

The Talos missiles had a dual control system: a "saddled beam" in the marching section of the trajectory, and semi-active radar homing in the terminal section. Guidance of missiles at the target was carried out using two groups of radars, in the bow and stern.
Each group included two AN / SPW-2 radars, which were used to control the missile in the march area, and two AN / SPG-49 radars, which served to “highlight” the target in the terminal area.
The entire missile control procedure was carried out using the Mk 77 FCS, which used two computers to control the missile and calculate the trajectory of movement.

For self-defense, the cruiser was also equipped with the Tartar short-range anti-aircraft missile system. Two twin Mk 11 launchers, reloaded from vertical below-deck drums, were located on the sides of the cruiser's massive bow superstructure. Missile guidance was carried out using four AN / SPG-51 radars (two on each side), which performed target illumination for semi-active seeker.
The system's ammunition load was 42 RIM-24 "Tartar" missiles per installation. Thus, the total ammunition of the Albany-class cruisers consisted of 188 missiles, while eight targets could be simultaneously accompanied: four Talos air defense systems, and four more (but not more than two on each side) - Tartar air defense systems.

Anti-submarine weapons

In addition, all cruisers carried two triple-tube 324 mm Mk32 torpedo tubes. for anti-submarine torpedoes Mk46.

anti-ship weapons

Initially, Albany-class ships did not carry specialized anti-ship weapons at all. During the construction phase, two 127 mm 38-caliber Mk-24 guns in open manually operated mounts were added to the original design, located on the side at the base of the aft mast-tube of the cruisers. These obsolete short-barreled guns could only be considered as secondary weapons.

At the same time, although the Albany-class cruisers did not carry specialized anti-ship weapons, all three of their missile systems - both the Talos and Tartar and ASROC - could normally be used to fire at surface targets within the radio horizon. The impact energy of a one and a half ton RIM-8 Talos missile diving at a speed of the order of 2.8 Mach was comparable to the impact energy of a battleship's main caliber projectile, and even without a warhead, it was sufficient to sink a destroyer or severely damage a large ship. Given the possibility of using nuclear warheads, Talos could be effectively used to destroy almost any surface ships, including battleships and heavy cruisers.

In the 1980s, it was supposed to equip the Harpoon anti-ship missile cruisers, but for economic reasons the project was not implemented.

Strategic strike weapons

Aviation armament

The Albany-class cruisers had a flight deck for a helicopter in the stern: however, a hangar was not provided.

Service History

All three ships saw heavy use in the 1960s and 1970s. The Chicago was for a long time the flagship of the 3rd Fleet in the Pacific, the Albany performed similar functions in the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.
Both of these ships underwent upgrades to the Talos missile control system in the late 1960s. "Columbus" did not undergo modernization, in 1976 it was withdrawn from the fleet and disposed of.