Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 10:12-12:05

What a modern cruiser must do independently

A modern cruiser needs more than a large missile battery: it needs the capacity to operate independently of a carrier task group.

Carrier GroupsGuided Missile CruisersHypersonic WeaponsWarship Design
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Question

Would a large, missile-heavy CGX built on an Arleigh Burke-like hull be an effective cruiser?

Short answer

It could have useful volume, but a true cruiser must be designed for independent operations rather than only carrier-group air defence.

Notes

A deep cruiser hull offers useful volume for large vertical-launch cells, several radar bands, and future hypersonic weapons. The proposed CGX also exposes the difference between a carrier-defence ship and a cruiser. A cruiser needs the extra capabilities and flexibility required for independent action. Stealth and acoustic quieting may help, but they are only part of the design problem for a task-group command ship. The hull should follow the full set of duties rather than simply copy a destroyer.