Cruiser Baseline

Artist conception of the Cruiser Baseline by Richard Allison
Class overview
NameGuided Missile Cruiser Baseline (CGBL)
BuildersNever built
Operators United States Navy
Preceded byTiconderoga class
Succeeded byCG(X)
General characteristics
TypeGuided missile cruiser
Displacement13,675 long tons (13,894 t) (full load)
Length620 ft (189.0 m) (pp)
Beam69.0 ft (21.0 m)
Propulsion4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, two shafts, 105,000 shp (78 MW)
Speed30.5 knots (56.5 km/h)
Sensors &
processing systems
Same as CG-52:
AN/SPY-1A/B multi-function radar
AN/SPS-49 air search radar
AN/SPG-62 fire control radar
AN/SPS-73 surface search radar
AN/SPQ-9 gun fire control radar
AN/SQQ-89(V) Sonar suite
ArmamentSame as CG-52:
2× 61-cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems for a total of 122 VLS cells:
RIM-66 Standard (SM-1MR/SM-2MR)
RUM-139 VL-ASROC
BGM-109 Tomahawk
RGM-84 Harpoon missiles
5-inch/54-caliber Mark 45 gun
Phalanx CIWS
Mk 38 25 mm Machine Gun Systems
Mark 32 surface vessel torpedo tubes
ArmorKevlar splinter protection in critical areas
Aircraft carriedSH-60 helicopters

The Guided Missile Cruiser Baseline (CGBL), or Cruiser Baseline for short, was a design study for a guided missile cruiser that would have the combat capabilities of VLS-capable Ticonderoga-class cruiser (CG-52 onwards) while designing the hull to DDG-51 (Arleigh Burke-class destroyer) standards and technology. The resulting cruiser design was considerably larger than the Ticonderoga-class design, owing to increased margins and reserves for weight and mission growth throughout the anticipated service life.