USS Normandy (CG-60) is a modern American missile cruiser. The keel for this unit was laid in 1987, the launch took place in March 1988, and the entry into service with the US Navy took place in 1989. The total length of the ship is 173 meters with a width of 16.8 meters. Full displacement amounts to approx. 9,600 tons, and the maximum speed is approx. 32-33 knots. The on-board armament of the ships includes, among others: two 61-rail Mk. 41 VLS, 8 RGM-84 Harpoon rocket launchers, two single 127 mm guns, two 20 mm Vulcan Phalanx sets, and two 533 mm triple torpedo tubes. The unit is based on two Sikorsky SH60 / MH60 helicopters.
USS Normandy (CG-60) is one of the 27 built and 22 active cruisers belonging to the Ticonderoga class. Units of this type were designed and built on the one hand to significantly increase the combat capabilities of the US Navy, and on the other - to replace the Virginia class cruisers. The Ticonderoga ships differ from their predecessors in many ways. First of all, they have a classic drive, based on four gas turbines, instead of an atomic drive - as in the Virginia class - which significantly reduces their operating costs. In addition, they have a completely changed interior architecture and the shape of superstructures, making the external appearance of cruisers of this class similar to the destroyers of the Spruance class. Thirdly, cruisers of this type have the revolutionary AEGIS network combat system, cooperating with the AN / SPY-1 radar, which provided them with unprecedented possibilities to control the airspace and counter air targets. Ships of this class also have extensive capabilities to combat submarines (ZOP) and surface targets. They are also adapted to serve as the flagship units of ship groups. One of the Ticonderoga-class ships is the USS Normandy (CG-60). The vessel was built at Bath Iron Works in Bath. The USS Normandy belongs to the Ticonderoga development line called Baseline 3. This means that at the time of launching it was equipped with a better air control board (AN / SPY-1B) and much more modern control consoles and new computers UYK-43 and UYK-44 . USS Normandy took an active part in the operations in the Persian Gulf area against Iraq in 1990-1991. Shortly thereafter, it operated in the Adriatic, providing support to actions against Serbia and Montenegro. Due to its name, the cruiser took an active part in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Allied landing in Normandy in 1994. Four years later, the unit received the award for the largest number of Tomahawk missiles launched by a single US Navy ship. In 2010, the USS Normandy participated in supporting the humanitarian response to the people of Haiti after the earthquake hit the country. USS Normandy (CG-60) is still in active service.