Belknap class cruiser

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Belknap-class guided missile cruiser

Class Overview
Class type:	Guided missile cruiser
Class name:	In honor of Rear Admiral George Eugene Belknap
Preceded by:	Bainbridge-class cruiser
Succeeded by:	Truxtun-class cruiser
Ships of the line:	Belknap (CG-26), Josephus Daniels (CG-27), Wainwright (CG-28), Jouett (CG-29), Horne (CG-30), Sterett (CG-31), William H. Standley (CG-32), Fox (CG-33), Biddle (CG-34)

The Belknap class cruiser was a class of single-ended guided missile cruisers (their missile armament was installed only forward, unlike "double-ended" missile cruisers with missile armament installed both forward and aft) built for the United States Navy during the 1960s. They were originally designated as DLG frigates (destroyer leaders; the USN use of the term frigate from 1950 to 1975 was intended to evoke the power of the sailing frigates of old), but in the 1975 fleet realignment, they were reclassified as guided missile cruisers (CG).

The derivative Truxtun class was virtually identical to the Belknap class in weapons systems, but was nuclear-powered, larger, and often had the weapons systems in different locations (such as the missile system, which was an aft-firing). ^[1]

When commissioned, the main armament of the Belknap class was a 5 Inch/54-caliber Mk. 42 gun on the quarterdeck and a twin-rail RIM-2 Terrier Mk 10 Missile Launcher on the foredeck. ^[1] The class used two twin 3"/50 caliber guns for AAW. ^[2] During the NTU program in the late 1980's and early 1990's, the class had its Terrier systems replaced with Mk. 26 Guided Missile Launching Systems utilizing standard missiles, the 3 inch guns were replaced with two Harpoon missile launchers, and two Phalanx CIWS systems were installed. ^[2]

1 General characteristics
2 The Belknap class ships
3 References
4 External links

[edit] General characteristics

Lead Ship: USS Belknap (CG-26)
Number of Ships: 9
Displacement: 7,930 tons ^[3] (7,190 tonnes)
Length: 547 ft ^[3] (167 m)
Beam: 55 ft ^[3] (17 m)
Draft: 29 ft ^[2] (9 m)
Speed: 32 knots ^[3] (59 km/h)
Propulsion: four 1200 psi (8300 kPa) boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts. ^[3]
Performance: 85,000 shp ^[3]
Complement: 27 officers, 450 enlisted ^[3]
Armor: none ^[2]
Aircraft: (final configuration) 1 × SH-2 Seasprite ^[3]
Armament: (final configuration) 1 × Mk. 26 Guided Missile Launching System with standard missiles, 1 × Mk. 16 ASROC, 2 × 4 Harpoon missile launchers, 2 × 3 Mark 46 torpedo launchers, 1 × 5 Inch/54-caliber Mk. 42 gun, 2 × Phalanx CIWS. ^[2] ^[3]

[edit] The Belknap class ships

	Keel laid	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned
Belknap (CG-26)	1962 February	1963 July	1964 November	1995 February
Josephus Daniels (CG-27)	1962 April	1963 December	1965 May	1994 January
Wainwright (CG-28)	1962 July	1965 April	1966 January	1993 November
Jouett (CG-29)	1962 September	1964 June	1966 December	1994 January
Horne (CG-30)	1962 November	1964 October	1967 April	1994 February
Sterett (CG-31)	1962 September	1964 June	1967 April	1994 March
William H. Standley (CG-32)	1963 July	1964 December	1966 July	1994 February
Fox (CG-33)	1963 January	1964 November	1966 May	1994 April
Biddle (CG-34)	1963 December	1965 July	1967 January	1993 November