light cruiser

Light cruisers have various combat capabilities, mainly large surface warships used in ocean warfare. Used in maritime offensive and defensive operations, covering aircraft carrier formations and other fleet formations, defending oneself or disrupting enemy maritime traffic lines, attacking enemy ships, bases, ports, and shore targets, providing firepower support during landing operations, and serving as a command ship for maritime formations. Due to its cruiser equipped with attack and defense weapon systems that are proportional to its displacement, precise detection and calculation equipment, and command and control communication systems. Therefore, according to the caliber of the main gun, it is divided into heavy cruisers and light cruisers. Light cruisers have a main gun between 127mm and 155mm, while heavy cruisers have a main gun between 155mm and 203mm.

Cruisers are large surface combatant that are second only to battleships in terms of displacement, firepower, armor protection, etc. Cruisers have the ability to deal with multiple combat targets at the same time. In history, cruisers initially referred to warships that could operate independently, while destroyers in contrast required the assistance of other ships (such as supply ships). But in modern times, this distinction has disappeared.

Modern cruisers typically have a displacement of 8000 to 20000 tons and are equipped with weapons such as missiles, artillery, and torpedoes. Most cruisers can carry helicopters. Most power plants use steam turbines, while a few use nuclear power plants. With the rise of naval aviation, the status of cruisers is gradually declining. In modern warfare, cruisers have actually disappeared and their role has been completely replaced by destroyers. The most famous cruisers in the contemporary world are two classes: the American Ticonderoga class missile cruiser and the Soviet Kirov class nuclear powered cruiser.