Missiles Replacing U.S. Navy’s Guns

Press, Volume C, Issue 29548, 24 June 1961, Page 8

Missiles Replacing U.S. Navy’s Guns

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter) (By MARY BUBBI CAPE CANAVERAL. Missiles are replacing guns aboard the United States Navy's latest warships. A forerunner of the American navy of the future, which is likely to consist of allmissile surface ships, recently put into port at this huge missile centre to demonstrate the formidable striking power of the modern “floating missile base.”

The U.S.S. G-alvaston is a light cruiiser with a difference. Like her sister ships, the USB. Little Rock and the U.S.S. Oklahoma City, she is probably among the most powerful surface vessels afloat today. The Galvaston is on duty In the Atlantic and the other two in the Mediterranean and .the Pacific respectively. To'gebher, they form a nuclear [striking force based on con-venttonally-built vessels, [wibicth constitutes one of the [principal United States deterretrts to attack until the 'new and specially designed missile ships are built. I The first of these new| ships, the U.S.S. Long Beach, a nuclear-powered cruiser equipped entirely with missiles instead of guns, is due to be commissioned next autumn. The Galvaston and her sister ships still carry a formidable battery of guns on their forward decks, but about one quarter of their after-deck space has been [cleared for the mounting of mssiles. I The ships have a two-fold mission—to protect aircraft carriers and fleets of ships from air attack; and to reach out and bring down aircraft which might be moving towards land for a mass attack, either a conventional bomb or a nuclear attack. Advantages Although far more expensive than nuclear gunpowder,

| the missiles have unique advantages. The usual range of six-inch guns aboard a ship is in ' the neighbourhood of nine miles. The Talos missile, on the other hand, can reach out and hit a target which say, is "over 65 miles” and more probably is closer to 100 males. At this distance, the massile could hit oncoming aircraft long before they were in a position to drop bombs. The Tablos, unlike a gun does not have to be girned very accurately in order to hit its target. It has two means of getting 'where it is going. Once it is [fired, it ’'rides” a radio [beam, which directs its flight. 'Then, when it is close [enough, a special "homing" device in the nose cone takes it to the target in much the same way as a piece of steel is drawn to a magnet.