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Frigate: small surface combatant 4-6000 tons. Designed to do convoy escort, maritime patrol, anti-submarine mission, limited air defense capabilities. Usually has one or two ASW capable helicopters embarked.

Destroyer: 6-15000 tons Multi-mission combatant designed as carrier escort with the emphasis on anti-air warfare, capable of service warfare and a submarine warfare an area air defense. The Burke class DDG carries air defense weapons capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles as well as aircraft. Usually has two ASW helicopters embarked. 96 VLS magazines a Variety of missiles including Standard missile for area air defense, NATO sea Sparrow for close in air defense, vertical launch ASRCOC for any submarine warfare, and Tomahawk for strike warfare.

Cruiser: The Ticonderoga Class cruisers 9000 tons (almost all of which are retired) have similar capabilities but are an older version of the Burke class destroyers. The biggest difference is 122 vertical launch magazines an improved command and control systems over the Burke…. These ships were originally DDG-47 class but when their costs went over a billion dollars per ship they became cruisers.

The proposed BBG-1 USS Defiant Would be a functional replacement for the Ticonderoga class hence 25 ships and it would be the second surface ship with hypersonic weapons the three DDG-1000 destroyers are being outfitted for hypersonic weapons now. It built these ships would be the centerpiece of naval operations for the next 40 years defending carriers and amphibious ships as well as being the centerpiece of surface action groups which we will be willing to risk in areas that we would not be willing to send an aircraft carrier. A surface Action Group based on one of these BBG’s would be able to handle most of the world’s navies with the exception of China.

NAVSEA has struggled over the last decade or so with almost every shipbuilding program being troubled. With a focused effort these new ships should be in the fleet in 2030 or 2031. Our focus needs to be on rebuilding our shipbuilding capability and reopening the Philadelphia shipyard is a good first step.

The defining characteristics and roles of the Cruiser, Destroyer, and Frigate depend entirely on the time period being discussed.

The oldest of the three ship types are the Frigates. During the age-of-sail, they were the ships who were considered too small and lightly armed to stand in the Line-of-Battle, whence Battleships got their name. They they ranged from the small 32-gun up to the 64 gun ships-of-the-Line cut down, or razéed, to 44-gun frigates. The most successful was HMS Indefatigable which was commanded by Sir Edward Pellew.

Frigates of this time were the all purpose gophers of the fleet. They were used for anything and everything. There were NEVER enough of them.

Modern frigates are generally considered to be ASW ships although they may carry guns and missiles.

Destroyers were originally designed and built to destroy Torpedo Boats that threatened the Battleships and cruisers. Before World War II, destroyers were light vessels with little endurance for unattended ocean operations. Now they are fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warships intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of threats. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are 9600 tonnes compared to the 1247 tonne Wickes-class of WW1.

The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hundred years, has changed its meaning over time. During the Age of Sail, the term cruising referred to certain kinds of missions—independent scouting, commerce protection, or raiding—usually fulfilled by frigates or sloops-of-war, which functioned as the cruising warships of a fleet.

In the mid 1800s, cruiser came to be a classification of the ships intended for cruising distant waters, for commerce raiding, and for scouting for the battle fleet. Cruisers came in a wide variety of sizes, from the medium-sized protected cruiser to large armored cruisers that were nearly as big (although not as powerful or as well-armored) as a pre-dreadnought battleship.

Modern Cruisers are, after Aircraft Carriers and Ballistic Missile Submarines, the Capital ships of any nation's fleet. They primarily fill the anti-air and strike role.

SpyNavy

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