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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Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.

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