Biggest U.S Cruiser

The title of the Biggest U.S. cruiser belongs to the Ticonderoga class of guided-missile cruisers.

They are multi-role warships, and their Mk 41 VLS can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles at land targets or anti-aircraft SM-2MR/ERs defend against aircraft or anti-ship missiles.

The LAMPS III helicopters, RUM-139 ASROCs, and sonar enable anti-submarine operations. They are designed to be a part of carrier strike groups or amphibious ready groups, along with performing missions like interdictions or escorts.

They can also function as anti-ballistic missile and anti-satellite platforms, thanks to upgrades to their AN/SPY-1 systems and their missile payloads as a part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defence System.

There are 27 such ships, 19 built by Ingalls Shipbuilding and 8 by Bath Iron Works. As of now, 9 ships are active and due to the high costs of their maintenance and age, the class is being retired by 2027.

Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers will be short-term replacements until the commissioning of DDG (X) destroyers in the 2030s.

The Ticonderoga-class (CG-47) is renowned for its Aegis Combat System and advanced missile capabilities.

• Displacement: 9,600 tons (full load)
• Length: 173 m
• Beam: 16.8 m
• Speed: 32.5 knots
• Range: 6,000+ nautical miles at 20 knots
• Crew: 24–30 officers, 300–340 enlisted
• Unit Cost: ~$1 billion per ship

Missile Systems

• CG-52 to CG-73: Two Mk 41 Vertical Launch Systems (122 cells total) for: SM-2/3/6 Standard Missiles (air defence/ballistic missile interception)
• Tomahawk Cruise Missiles (land-attack)
• ASROC (anti-submarine)
• Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM)
• CG-47 to CG-51: Older twin Mk 26 launchers (88 missiles total)
• Additional: 8 × Harpoon anti-ship missiles

Guns & Close-In Weapons

• Primary: 2 × Mk 45 5-inch/54 calibre guns (22 km range)
• CIWS: 2 × Phalanx 20mm Gatling systems (Block 1B with thermal imaging)
• Torpedoes: 6 × Mk 46/50/54 via twin triple mounts

Propulsion

• Engines: 4 General Electric LM2500 gas turbines (80,000–86,000 hp)
• Shafts: 2 controllable-pitch propellers

Combat Systems

• AN/SPY-1D(V) Radar for littoral warfare and electronic countermeasures
• Integrated Command Suite for federated architecture linking radar, weapons, and decision systems.
• Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD): Upgraded on select ships for SM-3 interceptor capability

The ships received upgrades in computing infrastructure with COTS-based systems for improved processing and mechanical and technical upgrades. They also received BMD enhancements, including integration of SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.

The Ticonderoga-class is critical to U.S. naval power, combining unmatched radar integration with versatile weapon systems for global power projection.

You might also like to read-

• Cruisers vs Destroyers: What are the Differences?
• Biggest U.S Battleship Ever Built
• World’s Biggest Warship
• 10 Biggest Navies of the World

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