Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:10:26-2:11:04

A world where cruisers never disappear

If cruiser development remained prestigious and continuous, modern fleets might field 20,000-30,000-ton cruisers in place of carriers or destroyer-heavy structures.

CruisersForce StructureNaval AviationSurface Combatants
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Question

If cruiser development had continued uninterrupted, how many navies would operate large cruisers today?

Short answer

Potentially many, with some using large cruisers instead of carriers and destroyers as their principal surface combatants.

Notes

Continued cruiser development could leave more navies operating ships of 20,000 to 30,000 tons. Some might justify them as an alternative to building aircraft carriers. A carrier navy could use destroyers as escorts, while another navy might centre its surface force on one or two cruisers with frigates. These are possible fleet structures, without a precise number of cruiser-operating navies.