Top 10 Warships in the world include the South Korean King Sejong the Great (KDX-III) Class Destroyer, the American Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer, the Atago Class Destroyer, the Kongō Class Destroyer and the Chinese Type 052D or West Luyang III Class Destroyer.
Accurately ranking the world’s top ten warships requires measuring the invisible: sensor integration and radar capability.
Four Top Warships, One Combat System
In terms of weapons systems and design, several warships immediately stand out.
The South Korean King Sejong the Great (KDX-III) Class Destroyer is reported to have the largest missile battery of its class with a capacity of 128 missiles, which includes long-range cruise missiles. While it has a smaller overall battery, the American Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer features the advanced Mark 99 fire control system and vertical missile launch technology capable of intercepting enemy aircraft and missiles mid-flight. Several Japanese vessels, including the Atago Class Destroyer and the Kongō Class Destroyer, stand out for their triple torpedo tube launch systems and advanced gas turbine propulsion systems.
Most importantly, the King Sejong the Great Class Destroyer, Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer, Atago Class Destroyer, and Kongō Class Destroyer all have multi-function phased-array radar, integrated fire control systems, and next generation electronic warfare capabilities. All four of the most advanced warships in the world use the Aegis Combat System.
According to developer Lockheed Martin, the Aegis Combat System is an automated command and control (C2) system. Its main features include ballistic missile defense (BMD), the MK41 vertical launch system (VLS), and AN/SPY-1 passive radar technology. It also integrates the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP)’s next generation Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities.
070426-N-0000X-001.PACIFIC OCEAN (April 26, 2007) – A Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) is launched from the Aegis-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), during a joint Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Navy ballistic missile flight test. Approximately three minutes later, the SM-3 intercepted a unitary (non-separating) ballistic missile threat target, launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. Within moments of this launch, the USS Lake Erie also launched a Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) against a hostile air target in order to defend herself. The test was the eighth intercept, in 10 program flight tests. The test was designed to show the capability of the ship and its crew to conduct ballistic missile defense and at the same time defend herself. This test also marks the 27th successful hit-to-kill intercept in tests since 2001. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED)
Individually, each of these systems enhance a vessel’s operational capabilities. The Aegis Combat system combines them over a common network and integrated C2 system to create an even more effective warship.
For example, as part of the Aegis system, the BMD system is networked with the AN/SPY-1 radar and a MH60R helicopter. Both the radar system and helicopter platform collect sensory and tactical data and work together with the EW technology’s intercept capabilities to create a comprehensive battlespace picture. This picture can then be evaluated by command stations and the integrated fire control system of the MK 41 VLS, which is capable of launching anti-surface and anti-ballistic SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.
The Aegis destroyer JS Maya.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) celebrates the 10th anniversary of the ship’s commissioning while transiting the South China Sea.
The AN/SPY-1 radar is a critical technology in its own right. It is a passive phased array radar, which means it is comprised of a centralized transmitter or stationary antenna. This transmitter is made up of high-power microwave tubes, which are tubular vacuums that create and amplify high frequency signals within the range of 300 MHz to 300GHz. These generate power for the beam-radiating elements. Each radiating element can be moved to certain angles by electronically-controlled ferrite or diode phase shifters.
Through this process, the AN/SPY-1D radar featured on the Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer can project electromagnetic beams in multiple directions and can reportedly track hundreds of targets simultaneously.
The Aegis-integrated EW system is designed to both detect and counter hostile radar or guided missile signals. The King Sejong the Great Class Destroyer features the SLQ-200K Sonata EW suite, which uses a wideband signal and digital receiver with analysis and identification capabilities to detect hostile activity and omni-directional jamming technology to counter it.
How should the top four warships be ranked given that they share crucial combat system capabilities?
One answer is that it’s likely that each vessel has uniquely modified components of the Aegis Combat System. However, those technical details are classified.
If the electronic information systems are assumed to be reasonably constant between all four, then firepower can server as the tie-breaker.
In third place: the Atago Class Destroyer. It is equipped with one Mark 45 five-inch/62 caliber gun, two Mark-141 missile launchers compatible with the SSM-1B anti-ship missile, and two Mark-15 Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS), which are designed to neutralize short-range incoming missiles. However, it only has one helicopter hangar and 96 launch system cells.
A view of an RGM-84 surface-to-surface Harpoon missile, immediately after leaving a canister launcher aboard the cruiser USS LEAHY (CG-16), near the Pacific Missile Test Center, Calif.
Meanwhile, the second place Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer can either feature a flight deck or hangar, depending on the version. It also has two Mark Phalanx CIWS, and two Mark-141 missile launchers. However, the launchers fire rGM-84 Harpoon SSM missiles, which are reportedly slightly less advanced than the Japanese SSM-1B anti-ship missiles.
With a battery of 128 missiles, the King Sejong the Great leads the top warships in terms of fire power. It only has one CIWS, but capacity for RIM 116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM), 16 SSM-700K anti-ship missiles, and two helicopters with hangar space.
Type 052D/West Luyang III Class Destroyer: Active Array Radar Technology
Number five on the list is the Chinese Type 052D or West Luyang III Class Destroyer. Its surface-to-air, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and cruise missiles are launched from only a 32-cell VLS, implying a smaller arsenal than its competitors. However, this vessel also houses a highly advanced combat system. It may even be advanced enough to overcome the warship’s firepower limitations.
