What might a proper Royal Navy guided-missile cruiser on a Belfast-sized hull look like in the 1980s?
Short answerA gun-and-missile command ship with 6-inch weapons, Sea Dart and Sea Wolf, anti-ship missiles, and a three-helicopter aviation group.
NotesThe hypothetical 1980s cruiser uses a hull roughly the size and shape of Belfast to replace the Tiger class. Twin 6-inch mountings forward could preserve a substantial gun armament. Sea Dart would use conventional twin-arm launchers unless Britain funded a vertical-launch version, with a second conventional launcher aft considered in that alternative. Sea Wolf and Harpoon or Exocet would provide additional missile armament. Possible twin 3-inch guns and smaller close-defence weapons accompany a hangar for about three helicopters. Large command spaces give the design a headquarters role alongside its weapons and aviation facilities.