As we mentioned in earlier posts,words like "destroyer","cruiser" and "frigate" can mean different things to different navies.
The meaning of these words has also changed over time.
No where is this more the case than in the United States' Navy.
To take just one example,the Leahy class,these ships were considered to be frigates but were commissioned as Guided missile Destroyer Leaders (D.L.G.) until being reclassified as Guided missile Cruisers (C.G.).
Originally,a frigate was a cruising ship,or cruiser.
Today the United States' Navy considers frigates,cruisers and destroyers to be different kinds of ships.
A modern American "frigate" is an escort ship with far more basic weapons,sensors and machinery than it's equivalents in other navies.
A modern American "destroyer" is a fleet escort equivalent to the most powerful surface combatants in other navies.
A modern American "cruiser" is a fleet escort with more weapons,sensors and command facilities than a destroyer.
The relationship between the Ticonderoga class cruisers and the Burke class destroyers is such that in the past the cruisers might have been classed as "destroyer leaders" - more powerful ships which led flotillas of destroyers.
The relationship between the Ticonderoga class cruisers and the Burke class destroyers is such that in the past the cruisers might have been classed as "destroyer leaders" - more powerful ships which led flotillas of destroyers.
Today the United States' Navy is yet again redefining the word "destroyer" with the (Destroyer,Destroyer,Guided missile) D.D.G. 1,000 Zumwalt class.
These ships are far larger than current American destroyers and cruisers,and larger than most Second World War era light and heavy cruisers.
They have an emphasis on land attack which during two world wars was the job of vessels known as "monitors".
A term which was in it's self a perversion of the name of a vessel designed specifically to attack ships during the American Civil War and subsequent eponymic type of low freeboard turreted warship.
The Zumwalt class has a number of problems,the most serious of which is their huge cost which has seen a class of 32 ships cut to just 3.
This class of just 3 vessels is expected to cost $11,894.8 Million,or $3,964.9 Million per ship.
There also appear to be numerous design problems on the Zumwalt class beyond those responsible for it's enormous cost.
Main guns conflict with each other and with forward missile launch silos.
Main guns conflict with each other and with forward missile launch silos.
Aft missile launch silos conflict with helicopter operations and the 57mm guns.
Short range guns conflict with each other,helicopter operations (this is practically unavoidable),the aft missile silos and with the superstructure.
The cost of the Zumwalt class has resulted in the United States' Navy planning to succeed them with updated "Flight III" versions of the now 22 year old Burke class destroyers.
This was considered to be a cheaper option but some now suggest that these ships could cost $3,000 - $4,000 Million each (even the current Burke Flight IIA ships cost twice as much as the British Daring class destroyers).
The cost of both the Zumwalt class and the Burke Flight III ships far exceeds their utility.
The United States' Navy needs is a surface combatant which is both capable and affordable (in United States' Navy terms).
We shall have a look at such a ship in future parts of "A New American Destroyer".
