Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 36:24-40:23

Could Tiger-class cruisers become guided-missile ships?

A conversion was physically possible, but Britain lacked a Talos-like dual-purpose missile and gained more from the ships as anti-submarine flagships.

Anti-Submarine WarfareCleveland Class CruisersCounty Class DestroyersCruisersRIM-2 TerrierRIM-8 TalosSeaslug MissileTiger Class Cruisers
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Question

Would the Tiger class have made a better guided-missile conversion than the Cleveland class?

Short answer

It was technically possible, but the available British missiles made the conversion less worthwhile than the Tiger class's historical ASW flagship role.

Notes

Tiger-class hulls were newer than the American Cleveland-class ships but smaller, so a guided-missile conversion was technically possible without necessarily being the better choice. The weapons available in Britain were the larger obstacle. Talos and Terrier are credited with useful air- and surface-target capability, while Sea Slug's practical value against ships is strongly doubted despite its theoretical surface role. County-class destroyers already supplied Sea Slug to the fleet. With no more attractive British missile available, the helicopter conversion into an anti-submarine flagship is judged the best use of the Tiger hulls.