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gre CCTetary tbe Navy John Lehman’s then681 tr'umph in his quest to build up Re „eet probab|y bas been his having the „rea8an a<Jministration request and Con- two 95,000-ton nuclear-pro- a'rcraft carriers in the fiscal year Carri aUc*get. Not since 1945 had two one'erS *36en aPProvc(i f°r construction in Port'^ear ^ success of nearly equal pro- Leh10nSl ^Ut more controvers>ab is Mr. fou T"1 S ProSranl of reactivating the „-.*X)-t°nIowa (BB-61)-class bat-
^>hips: The potential roles of the ■he ceShips were iess dear than those of thearriers, and the move to bring back in patt'esbips had numerous opponents °ngress, the press, and the Navy.
Many critics believed the administration and Congress simply would not provide the resources to reactivate all four Iowas, and that one or two ships could not make a meaningful contribution. One senator recommended reactivating two mothballed heavy cruisers, each with nine eight-inch guns, as a possible alternative to one of the battleships.
Also, the battleships’ vulnerability was constantly raised, with critics citing the sentiments of William “Billy” Mitchell, the Pearl Harbor attack, and the success of the Exocet missile in the Falklands as rationales for not bringing back the four ships. These questions are generally dismissed almost out of hand by the Navy’s leadership, leaving much of the public
(and probably Congress) perplexed.
But Mr. Lehman garnered the support for the battleships, and during the 198283 crisis in Lebanon, the New Jersey (BB-62) made an extended deployment to the eastern Mediterranean in support of U. S. interests. At this writing two battleships are in service, the Iowa and New Jersey. The Missouri (BB-63) is in the Long Beach Naval Shipyard being reactivated, and the Wisconsin (BB-64) is at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. These two battleships will recommission in 1985 and 1989, respectively.
The Navy will then have four dreadnoughts in active service, with updated radars, SLQ-32(V)3 electronic counter-
BB-6l
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Ship/Class
Figure
Displacement (full load)
The U. S. Navy’s Surface Combatants
Reserve
Force
Building*
Commissioned
Active
Iowa | 57,500 | tons | 1943-44 | 2 | — | 2** |
Ticonderoga | 9,530 | tons*** | 1983- | 3 | — | 13 |
Virginia | 11,000 | tons | 1976-80 | 4 | — | — |
California | 10,105 | tons | 1974-75 | 2 | — | — |
Truxtun | 9,200 | tons | 1967 | 1 | — | ------ ‘ |
Belknap | 7,930 | tons | 1964-67 | 9 | — | — |
Bainbridge | 8,580 | tons | 1962 | 1 | — | — |
Leahy | 7,800 | tons | 1962-64 | 9 | — | — |
Long Beach | 17,350 | tons | 1961 | 1 | — | — |
Arleigh Burke | 8,400 | tons | (1990) | — | — | 1 |
Kidd | 8,140 | tons | 1981-82 | 4 | — | — |
Farragut | 5,800 | tons | 1959-61 | 10 | — | — |
Charles F. Adams | 4,500 | tons | 1960-64 | 23 | — | ____ |
Spruance | 7,800 | tons | 1976-83 | 31 | — | __ |
Edson | 4,050 | tons | 1958 | — | 1 | __ |
Oliver Hazard Perry | 3,650 | tons | 1977- | 41 | 4 | 6 |
Brooke | 3,245 | tons | 1966-67 | 6 | — | __ |
Glover | 3,426 | tons | 1965 | 1 | — | __ |
Knox | 4,100 | tons | 1969-74 | 40 | 6 | __ |
Garcia | 3,400 | tons | 1964-68 | 6 | __ | __ |
Bronstein | 2,650 | tons | 1963 | 2 | __ | __ |
Pegasus | 242 | tons | 1977-83 | 6 | — | — |
and 9,50o*'°r'2;ei* t*lrough fiscal year 1985. “Two tons for subsequent ships.
battleships being reactivated. ‘“Later ships will displace less: approximately 9,400 tons for the CG-49 through -51,
measures, Phalanx Gatling guns, and the Harpoon and Tomahawk cruise missiles, the last including the land-attack (TLAM) version with conventional and/or nuclear warheads. The battleships’ expected service lives cannot be realistically predicted. But they have seen relatively little operational service and should be available at least for another decade if the manpower—about 1,600 men per ship— can be provided.
The current battleship issue is their future upgrading, known as Phase II. The plan was for each battleship to be upgraded after about five years of service life. Proposals have included installing vertical launchers for perhaps as many as 300 missiles, to replace the after 16-inch triple turret. There have also been proposals for providing Harrier or assault helicopter facilities, either with or without the vertical missile launchers. Also proposed were a seagoing version of the
U. S. Army’s multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) for enhanced shore bombardment, and upgraded command and control systems to permit the battleship to serve as flagship for a battle group or surface action group. Funding considerations, however, make it unlikely that the Phase II program will be carried out. Still, these ships will be valuable for the Navy’s political presence role and in limited conflicts, while providing a limited long-range strike missile capability.
Missile Cruisers: Next in size are the nine nuclear-propelled, guided missile cruisers (CGNs), completed between 1961 and 1980. The last four ships, the Virginia (CGN-38) class, are being fitted with Tomahawk missiles. However, two of the nine nuclear ships have only Mk-13 Standard-MR missile launchers, none are planned for an Aegis electronics upgrade, and none are being provided with LAMPS III/towed-array sonar. Ac-
The John A. Moore (FFG-19) and Fanning (FF-1076), along with the other Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7)- and Knox (FF-1052)-class ships are the two largest surface ship classes in the West and are scheduled to receive improved antisubmarine warfare capabilities.
cordingly, these cruisers will be considered second-line ships with respect to antiair warfare (AAW) and antisubmarine warfare (ASW) capabilities. This is unfortunate because their nuclear plants provide virtually unlimited high-speed endurance.
There are 18 older, oil-fired missile cruisers (CGs) in service. Assuming a
122
CG-52, a vertical launch system for
missiles, these ships have the best capability of any warship afloat
destroyers, a new class of which- Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) guided mb* destroyers—the Navy is about to but ' The DDG-51s eventually are to replaC the Charles F. Adams (DDG-2)- and F<F ragut (DDG-37)-class missile destroy®r* These 33 ships were completed in 1a brief period 1959 to 1964, causing
major replacement problem because Burkes will be built at a slower rate
Only 29 of the Burke class are
SOlU®
copter support facilities, a feature
30-year service life, these 27 missis cruisers will begin being retired in 1991- By 1991, however, about 16 of dj® new Ticonderoga (CG-47)-class missi|® cruisers will be in service. With the Aeg1* electronics system, two Mk-26 Standar missile launchers or, beginning with th®
AA^
With
Halpoon (and later Tomahawk) missileij providing a major antiship capability an the most potent ASW systems availab'® in surface ships, the Ticonderogas appear to be the most capable surface combat ants yet built by any navy.1
The Navy plans to build 27 of th®s® Aegis ships—23 to support 15 aircra carriers and four to support the four b<h tleships.2 This should provide some ^ cruisers in the fleet in the early 199US' after which the numbers will decline un less a new cruiser class is initiated. * this time no new cruiser is planned- nuclear missile cruiser (CGN-42) th was proposed in 1982 for authorization1 fiscal 1987 has disappeared from 111 Navy’s planning documents and, desp1^. the continuing Soviet construction it Kirov-class nuclear “battle cruisefs' there is no real support for nuclear s face ships other than aircraft carriers- Missile Destroyers: Next in size ^
sil®
th®
no'v
planned for completion through abo® 1996. This is a reduction from the P'v. gan Administration’s earlier plan f°r - new DDGs. Further reductions are P°s ble as long-term shipbuilding plans g erally fall short of quantitative goals- DDG force could drop- precipitously the 1990s. 0f
While the Burkes will have a varian the Aegis system and 90 missiles in v® cal launchers, at 8,200 tons the ship* . 88% the displacement of the CG-52- have only 73% of the missile tubes. A the DDG-51s will have no LAMPS n naval officers and analysts believe to ^ severe shortcoming. While the ship* have several advanced features, nUsS numbers and LAMPS capability are nificant measurements of a modern ship’s effectiveness.
There are four missile ships of the A
have h ®^ver Hazard Perry-class ships ar^ een criticized for their limited gun Pha]ament (one 76-mm. Mk-75 and one shaft nX Gfaitling gun), single propeller hull sonar, and lack of With ,i P°tential. Until they are fitted $ona ”e LAMPS III and towed-array tfernei ^C'r ASW effectiveness is ex- launc.y limited. Their single Mk-13-4 ttiisjii ^ ^°r fitandard-MR and Harpoon nif,Caes’ w>th 40 reloads, provides a sig- ered jHl caPahihty, hut must be consid- disDi.,n l"e context of the ships’ 3,650-ton Pacenient.
c°mm'h,S Writin8 there are 45 FFG-7s in by CqISs'on, of which four are manned Npp ,P?slte active-reserve crews in the
A final
n n ^'^93) class, modern ships origi- Sh ^°rdered ky Iran before the fall of the as[1] [2] [3] h [4] 20vernment- Generally referred to s the “Ayatollah” class, these ships 3Ve CG-47 Spruance (DD-963) hull and ropulsion plant, with twin Mk-26 mis- l e aunchers forward and aft, and will e fitted with LAMPS III SH-60B ASW nelicopters.
Destroyers: There are 31 Spruce-class destroyers in service. These hiui ar°C’ 7,800-ton ships with the same and propulsion plant as the CG-47/ ASw"3 classes. They are primarily tw i S^'PS> now being fitted to embark o LAMPS III helicopters and the SQR- mj 0vved-array sonar. All older ASW and cemr destr°yers have been retired, ex- 'vh' i!°r destr°yerEdson (DD-946),
asICa serves at Newport, Rhode Island, p a training ship for the Naval Reserve Schc)61 and Officer Candidate
shi^6^Pruances were among the first with eight Harpoon antiship nosdes in cannisters. These ships are hawk C'n® fitted w'tfi either eight Toma- 0r . missiles in armored box launchers lav ln, most ships, 61 missiles in vertical sid Ctlers’ While these ships were con- ren(red nnderarmed when built, the cur- tpm rtllssile installations make them po-
Warships.
nUmhfafe-S' ^*le reducti°n in destroyer by ers is being compensated, in part, ■he f|C 'ar8c numbers of frigates joining ard pCt' The 51 ships of the Oliver Haz- ■he i £rry (FFG‘7) class will represent built a.r®est class of surface combatants The m dle West since World War II.3 g ^SCJ’h'Ps are the product of Admiral c°nt , Urnwalt’s strategy to build a sea land' ^°rCe °h vertical/short takeoff and fr, 'n8 tWSTOLj/helicopter carriers and exCe6s’ lhe former ships being stillborn, that Jj1 ^°r lhePrincipe De Asturias of St).. .C,s'l?n recently commissioned in the
six are under construction,
with a total of 18 of the ships scheduled for assignment to the NRF by 1988.
There are six older Brooke (FFG-1)- class frigates, with less missile capability and facilities for only one LAMPS I SH-2F helicopter. These ships have an antisubmarine rocket launcher and, hence, a nuclear ASW capability, and a five-inch (127-mm.) gun instead of the 76-mm. weapon in the later ships.
The Navy’s second largest frigate class consists of 46 Knox (FF-1052)-class ships, now being fitted with the SQR-18 towed array to augment their large, hull- mounted sonar and can embark a single SH-2F helicopter. Of the 46 ships, 18 are being assigned to the NRF with active- reserve crews, six having already been transferred to the NRF roster.
The remaining frigate force is comprised of the Glover (FF-1098)-, ten Garcia (FF-1040)-, and two Bronstein (FF- 1037)-class ships, all with limited AAW/ ASW capabilities.
The older frigates are expected to be retired beginning in the early 1990s, with more than 20 being dropped by the year 2000. Conceptual studies of an experimental frigate (FFX) have begun, but it will be many years before metal is cut for these ships.
Patrol Missile Hydrofoils: The Navy has six Pegasus (PHM-l)-class patrol combatants, the survivors of another Zumwalt-era program. When Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt had envisioned a minimum of 30 of these ships, to be based in forward areas. After Zumwalt stepped down in 1974, this program was cut to one PHM, but Congress persuaded the Navy to accept the six funded units. Now based at Key West, Florida, these ships provide coastal patrol and interdiction, while their eight Harpoons provide a potent antiship capability.
The Navy began planning a class of 19 special warfare craft, medium—SWCM (formerly PBM—multi-mission patrol boats), that were to have a special mission capability and a coastal patrol/inter- diction role. Their surface effects ship (SES) configuration would reduce their effectiveness in the covert delivery of sea, air, land (SEAL) forces, while their potential effectiveness in patrol/interdic- tion operations has also been questioned.
The prototype is being built by RMI of National City, California. The remainder of the program has been put on “hold” and the probability of their being built is small.
Missile Corvettes: There are indications that the Navy may procure one or more 1,000-ton missile corvettes of an Israeli design. The Israeli Navy is planning to procure four of the corvettes built in a U. S. shipyard, with that shipyard, in turn, helping the Israelis build three diesel-electric submarines in the Haifa shipyard. The corvette has met opposition within the Israeli Navy from officers who prefer that the Israelis instead procure smaller missile craft in larger numbers. The ship also can be expected to run afoul of the critical Israeli economic situation and strong opposition in Congress. These factors, coupled with the traditional U. S. Navy opposition to small warships, make procurement of the 1,000-ton corvettes for the United States unlikely. (At 1,000 tons, the corvettes are to have Gabriel and Harpoon antiship missiles, Phalanx, a single ASW helicopter, towed-array sonar, and a speed in excess of 30 knots.)
The U. S. surface combat force is being increased from its post-Vietnam War nadir of the mid-1970s. From the 150-odd cruisers, destroyers, and frigates in active service in the mid-1970s, there are now 205 ships, plus the Iowa and New Jersey.
In the mid-1970s there were several destroyers operated by the naval reserve, but those were modernized World War II ships with virtually no effectiveness but gunfire support. Today’s 207 surface combatants include 11 NRF ships, all but one of which are relatively modem ships.
Most of the numerical increase in surface combatants has been in the frigate category, the least capable ships, which were authorized under previous administrations. The installation of new weapons and sensors, however, has significantly increased the overall force capability. In particular, the provision of Tomahawks in the battleships, CG-52 cruisers, and DDG-51 and DD-963 destroyers will provide the Navy with a very impressive strike capability to supplement the aircraft carriers, which contained virtually all of the Navy’s non-strategic strike weapons for the past 40 years.
There are many questions that still must be answered about the future of the surface forces: Will a new “large” combatant be developed? Will the DDG-51 be built in sufficient numbers to replace the older ships? What will the FFX look like? Can the increasingly complex surface force be adequately manned? For the moment the Navy is developing a large and well-armed surface combatant force.
*****
‘The ships with vertical launchers will, like all other cruisers and most destroyers, also have eight Harpoon missiles in cannisters, i.e., a total of 130 missiles for the CG-52 and later ships.
‘Three CG-47s for each two-carrier battle group and two CG-47s for a one-carrier battle group.
[2]Four additional ships were built in the United States
for the Australian Navy, while more units are being
built in Australia and Spain.