Cruiser

:For the type of motorcycle, see motorcycle.

Later 20th century

The rise of air power during World War II dramatically changed the nature of naval combat. Even the fastest cruisers could not outrun an airplane, which were increasingly able to attack at longer distances over the ocean. This change led to the end of independent operations by single ships or very small task groups, and for the second half of the 20th century naval operations were based around very large fleets able to fend off all but the largest air attacks. This has led most navies to change to fleets designed around ships dedicated to a single role, anti-submarine or anti-aircraft typically, and the large "generalist" ship has disappeared from most forces. The United States Navy, the Russian Navy, and the Peruvian Navy are the only remaining navies which operate cruisers.

Related Topics:
World War II - Anti-submarine - Anti-aircraft - United States Navy - Russian Navy - Peruvian Navy

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In the Soviet Navy, cruisers formed the basis of their combat groups. In the immediate post-war era they built a fleet of large-gun ships, but replaced these fairly quickly with very large ships carrying huge numbers of guided missiles and anti aircraft missiles. The most recent ships of this type, the four Kirovs, were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and are in very poor repair today. The last operational Kirov-class cruiser, Petr Velikiy, was recalled to port in March 2004 with severe reactor problems.

Related Topics:
Soviet Navy - Guided missile - ''Kirovs'' - 1970s - 1980s - ''Petr Velikiy'' - 2004 - Reactor

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The United States Navy has centered on the aircraft carrier since WWII. The Ticonderoga-class cruisers, built in the 1980s, were originally designed and designated as a class of destroyer, intended to provide a very powerful air-defense in these carrier-centered fleets. The ships were later "mis-named" largely as a public relations move, in order to highlight the capability of the Aegis combat system the ships were designed around. In the years since the launch of USS Ticonderoga in 1981 the class has received a number of upgrades that have dramatically improved their capabilities for anti-submarine and land attack (using the Tomahawk missile), and today the name is not mis-applied at all. Like their Soviet counterparts, the modern Ticonderogas can also be used as the basis for an entire battle group.

Related Topics:
Aircraft carrier - ''Ticonderoga''-class - 1980s - Destroyer - Public relations - Aegis combat system - USS ''Ticonderoga'' - 1981 - Anti-submarine - Tomahawk missile

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