List of United States Navy cruisers
Encyclopedia
This list of cruiser
s of the United States Navy
includes all ships that were ever called "cruiser". Since the nomenclature predates the hull numbering system, and there were several confusing renumberings and renamings, there are multiple entries referring to the same physical ship.
A } following the entry indicates a ship that was canceled before completion.
Heavy cruisers CA-149 and CA-151 to CA-153, and light cruisers CL-154 to CL-159 were canceled before being named.
The missing numbers in the guided-missile cruiser series, 43–46, were not used so that DDG-47 Ticonderoga and DDG-48 Yorktown could be redesignated without re-numbering. It has been argued in some sources that the DDG-993 Kidd class
guided missile destroyers, which were essentially identically armed to the Virginia class
cruisers, should have been redesignated CG-43 through -46. Likewise, CG-13, CG-14 and CG-15 were skipped so the Leahy-class guided missile frigates (DLG-16 class) could be redesignated without renumbering.
CG-1 through 8 and CG-10 through 12 were converted from World War II cruisers. CAG-1 USS Boston and CAG-2 USS Canberra retained most of their World War II-vintage gun armament and were later returned to their gun cruiser designations CA-69 and CA-70. Before 30 June 1975, CG-16 USS Leahy through CGN-38 USS Virginia were designated DLG or DLGN (Guided Missile Frigate (Nuclear powered)). They were redesignated cruisers in the 1975 ship reclassification
. CGN-39 USS Texas and CGN-40 USS Mississippi were laid down as DLGNs but redesignated CGN before commissioning. CG-47 Ticonderoga and CG-48 Yorktown were ordered as guided missile destroyers (DDG) but were redesignated to guided missile cruisers (CG) before any ship was laid down. CGN-9 Long Beach, CGN-41 Arkansas and CG-49 through 73 were ordered, laid down and delivered as guided missile cruisers. Long Beach was the only cruiser since World War II
built on a true "cruiser hull", and for over ten years was the only new-build guided missile cruiser in the fleet.
As of 2011 only CG-52 through CG-73 remain in active service.
See also List of light cruisers of the United States.
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
includes all ships that were ever called "cruiser". Since the nomenclature predates the hull numbering system, and there were several confusing renumberings and renamings, there are multiple entries referring to the same physical ship.
A } following the entry indicates a ship that was canceled before completion.
Heavy cruisers CA-149 and CA-151 to CA-153, and light cruisers CL-154 to CL-159 were canceled before being named.
The missing numbers in the guided-missile cruiser series, 43–46, were not used so that DDG-47 Ticonderoga and DDG-48 Yorktown could be redesignated without re-numbering. It has been argued in some sources that the DDG-993 Kidd class
Kidd class destroyer
The Kidd class guided missile destroyers were a series of four warships based upon the hull of the Spruance class destroyers. These ships were originally ordered by the Shah of Iran for service in the Persian Gulf in an air defense role...
guided missile destroyers, which were essentially identically armed to the Virginia class
Virginia class cruiser
The Virginia-class nuclear guided-missile cruisers were a series of four double-ended guided-missile cruisers commissioned in the late 1970s, which served in the US Navy until the mid- to late-1990s...
cruisers, should have been redesignated CG-43 through -46. Likewise, CG-13, CG-14 and CG-15 were skipped so the Leahy-class guided missile frigates (DLG-16 class) could be redesignated without renumbering.
CG-1 through 8 and CG-10 through 12 were converted from World War II cruisers. CAG-1 USS Boston and CAG-2 USS Canberra retained most of their World War II-vintage gun armament and were later returned to their gun cruiser designations CA-69 and CA-70. Before 30 June 1975, CG-16 USS Leahy through CGN-38 USS Virginia were designated DLG or DLGN (Guided Missile Frigate (Nuclear powered)). They were redesignated cruisers in the 1975 ship reclassification
United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification
The United States Navy reclassified many of its surface vessels in 1975, changing terminology and hull classification symbols for cruisers, frigates, and ocean escorts.- Classification prior to 1975 :...
. CGN-39 USS Texas and CGN-40 USS Mississippi were laid down as DLGNs but redesignated CGN before commissioning. CG-47 Ticonderoga and CG-48 Yorktown were ordered as guided missile destroyers (DDG) but were redesignated to guided missile cruisers (CG) before any ship was laid down. CGN-9 Long Beach, CGN-41 Arkansas and CG-49 through 73 were ordered, laid down and delivered as guided missile cruisers. Long Beach was the only cruiser since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
built on a true "cruiser hull", and for over ten years was the only new-build guided missile cruiser in the fleet.
As of 2011 only CG-52 through CG-73 remain in active service.
See also List of light cruisers of the United States.
---- Cruisers without hull designations
Armored CruisersNote: in the pre-1920 period abbreviations were informal and nonstandardized; officially these ships were, e.g., "Armored Cruiser No. 1"
Protected and Peace cruisersNote: in the pre-1920 period abbreviations were informal and nonstandardized; officially these ships were, e.g., "Cruiser No. 1"
Scout cruisersNote: in the pre-1920 period abbreviations were informal and nonstandardized; officially these ships were, e.g., "Scout Cruiser No. 1", and sometimes abbreviated SC or CS
Projected Battlecruisers
Heavy and Light cruisers
Battlecruisers/"Large" Cruisers
Guided missile cruisers
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