Other navies use AEGIS cruisers

[Melvin Loh]

WI other navies bsides the US decided to use AEGIS crusiers of the TICONDEROGA class ? How would say the RN have operated with an AEGIS or 2 during the Falklands, the Gulf, in the Adriatic or off Sierra Leone ? How about if the RAN purchased an AEGIS ?

[Fellatio Nelson]

If the RN had had an AEGIS cruiser in '82, they would probably have lost far fewer ships; just parked it out to sea off West Falkland, alongside 1 or both carriers, to shoot down the Argies' planes as they flew over from the mainland, whilst the main landings were underway at San Carlos. (The Argies had little time to manoeouvre over the FI, so, coupled with the range of the missiles used, would almost certainly have had to fly into its reach). Anything they couldn't get could have been mopped up by the Seaharriers.

As to the other ops, it would have helped but not amazingly so: not operating independently and no significant air threat.

One shouldn't forget that in 1991 an RN Type 42 (Gloucester?) claimed the first credited missile-vs-missile wartime kill when her Sea Dart intercepted an Iraqi SSM that was about to hit the USS Missouri (the US escort could not engage it and its CIWS began to "attack" the Missouri's chaff bloom instead). The Type 42s, particularly after the software and radar upgrades post-Falklands, during which they still claimed, IIRC, the most kills of all SAM missiles deployed, were (and still are) not that ineffective in the modern environment.

[Landshark]

IIRC the big arguement against the RAN buying a Ticonderoga is manpower. Four Ticos would need a crew of 1548 but as I haven't been able to find one single f*****g website on the entire internet that lists the current strength of the RAN I don't have any damn idea if that's a large percentage of it's manpower.

Also using Aegis in the Falklands is a no go. The USN didn't commission the Ticonderoga until January 1983.

[Fellatio Nelson]

Originally Posted by Landshark

Also using Aegis in the Falklands is a no go. The USN didn't commission the Ticonderoga until January 1983.

He was, like, being hypothetical, man!

[Michael B]

The Japanese have four destroyers equipted with Aegis (Kongo class) and are building two more.

[fhaessig]

http://www.netmarine.net/bat/fregates/forbin/index.htm


http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/horizon/

[67th Tigers]

AEGIS is simply the centralised computing system used in the Ticonderoga etc., and it's capabilities are not much different from other navies.

What you probably mean is the SPY-1D radar system, which can track a lot of targets at once. However, it's now been surpassed by more modern systems, and it's surprisingly easy to spoof.

The most obvious example is during the first Gulf War, when HMS Gloucester (Type 42) destroyed two Vampires inbound on USS Missouri, which several surrounding US ships with SPY-1D/ Aegis/ SM-2 had totally failed to track.

[UUEE]

Have the US offered to sell Aegis cruisers to anyone in fact? I seem to recall that there was an offer made to Saudi Arabia in the early 90s, but I don't know its particulars.

[67th Tigers]

The US fell over themselves to sell SPY-1D, Aegis Cooperative Engagement System and SM-1/2. Noone wanted it except Japan (bought 4 systems), and recently Spain (have bought some for some new ships, more political than due to need).

It's overoptimised for one thing, the defeat of massed air launched Ballistic ASM strikes (i.e. from Soviet Bomber Regiments). It has a serious problem with seaskimmers such as Exocet or Harpoon.

[Fellatio Nelson]

Originally Posted by UUEE

Have the US offered to sell Aegis cruisers to anyone in fact? I seem to recall that there was an offer made to Saudi Arabia in the early 90s, but I don't know its particulars.

They tried hard to sell it to European nations, but were unsuccessful with the "big 3" naval powers, UK, France and Italy, who went with Aster missiles and locally produced radars. The Dutch and Germans developed their own systems, even though using US missiles.

Bizarrely, the USN even offered the RN some Perry frigates to cover for long delays with the Type 45, provided they went on to purchase Aegis/Standard combo to equip them. Fortunately, it was declined.

Re. problems with Aegis. It does have quite a few, but some of the work that has gone into developing Sampson - the British system for Aster, as distinct from the less capable Franco-Italian one - will be incorporated into Aegis upgrades.

[UUEE]

Thank you; but I should really have emphasized 'cruisers' in my previous post. To my knowledge, the Ticos were offered only to KSA.