Guided-missile destroyer

Destroyer equipped with guided missiles
(Redirected from Guided Missile Destroyer)

A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers which have a primary gun armament or a small number of anti-aircraft missiles sufficient only for point-defense are designated DD. Nations vary in their use of destroyer D designation in their hull pennant numbering, either prefixing or dropping it altogether.

USS Arleigh Burke, the lead ship of her class of guided-missile destroyers
The Japanese guided-missile destroyer JDS Kongō firing a Standard Missile 3 anti-ballistic missile

Guided-missile destroyers are equipped with large missile magazines, with modern examples typically having vertical-launch cells. Some contain integrated weapons systems, such as the United States’ Aegis Combat System, and may be adopted for use in an anti-missile or ballistic-missile defense role. This is especially true for navies that no longer operate cruisers, so other vessels must be adopted to fill in the gap.

Many guided-missile destroyers are also multipurpose vessels, equipped to carry out anti-surface operations with surface-to-surface missiles and naval guns, and anti-submarine warfare with torpedoes and helicopters.

Active and planned

 
Australian HMAS Brisbane

Royal Australian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy

 
Type 055 destroyer The largest and most advanced surface warship in the People's Liberation Army Navy
 
Type 052D destroyer in the People's Liberation Army Navy

Republic of China Navy

 
ROCS Tso Ying

French Navy

Although the French Navy no longer uses the term "destroyer", the largest frigates are assigned pennant numbers with flag superior "D", which designates destroyer.

Indian Navy

 
Indian Navy destroyers sailing in unison
 
Indian Navy Kolkata-class destroyer INS Kochi

Italian Navy

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

Republic of Korea Navy

Royal Navy

Russian Navy

 
Nastoychivyy, a Sovremenny-class destroyer
 
Admiral Vinogradov, an Udaloy-class destroyer

Spanish Navy

Turkish Navy

United States Navy

 
Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
File:Future USS Zumwalt's first underway at sea.jpg
Zumwalt-class destroyer

Former classes

  Australia

  Canada

  France

  Germany

  Italy

  Japan

  Soviet Union

  United Kingdom

  United States

References

  1. ^ Friedman 2004, pp. 322–323, 425
  • Friedman, Norman (2004). US Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Revised ed.). Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-442-3.