Aegis

**Aegis** ships (sometimes stylized as **AEGIS**) are a unique classification of warships, specifically referring to ships that are equipped with the Aegis Combat System, an integrated naval weapons system developed in the United States, be they cruisers, destroyers, or frigates. These warships typically feature a number of powerful weapons already, but Aegis-equipped vessels combine these weapons into one sophisticated computer array, allowing for advanced radar tracking for weapons fire.

Several examples of Aegis ships appear all throughout the *Foxtrot: Foxes in Arms* series. One such example is the USS *Kidd*, one of the various *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyers that used this design, notable by the so-called SPY radars within the superstructure.

## Development

Development on such a system began in America during the 1950s, when guided missiles were being starting to replace large-caliber guns as a warship's primary armament, and by the 1960s, the United States Navy wanted a system that the had reaction time, firepower, and operational availability in all environments to meet the ever growing anti-ship missile threat. After the failure of several earlier systems, the Advanced Surface Missile System (ASMS) began development, though it would soon be renamed "Aegis" after the shield of the Greek god Zeus.

After some time of further development, the first Aegis vessels would be deployed. USS *Ticonderoga* (CG-47), the lead ship of the *Ticonderoga*-class guided-missile cruiser, enters service in 1983. The *Ticonderoga* was armed with two twin-armed Mark-26 missile launchers, though starting with the sixth member of the class, the rest would have the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) cells. After the *Ticonderoga*-class cruisers were developed, the *Arleigh Burke*-class guided-missile destroyers were designed in the 1980s, with the first entering service in 1991. Since the development of the Aegis system, ships from other navies have also come to adapt it, including the Spanish Navy, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Norwegian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (their *Kongo*-class destroyers being the first non-US ships to deploy the system), and several others.

## Known AEGIS-equipped classes

Historically, there are several active classes in real life that operate this system that can be seen in the series. They are as follows:

* *Ticonderoga*-class cruiser
* *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyer
* *Kongō*-class destroyer
* *Hobart*-class destroyer
* *Álvaro de Bazán*-class frigate

## History

Aegis ships have been involved in several conflicts starting from the 1980s. The US Navy utilized *Ticonderoga*-class cruisers during their involvement in the Iran-Iraq War, Operation Desert Storm, the War on Terror, and many more recent conflicts, along side their *Arleigh Burke*-class destroyers.

Most recently, American Aegis ships are seeing increased use during the Urocyan conflicts. A number of cruisers and destroyers escorted aircraft carriers and other large ships on an assault on a remote island harboring a Urocyan military base, as well as engage in shore bombardment and air defense. During several later engagements, Aegis ships are continually seen throughout the conflict. During one such engagement with Urocyan forces, the cruiser USS *Princeton* had been damaged while escorting the battleship USS *Missouri* and the amphibious assault ship USS *Essex*, though the ship stayed afloat and managed to make it to Japan. And a number of ships were sunk or damaged during Operation Tidal Wave, where the Urocyan military staged an ambitious attack on American forces all over the planet, and sparked the true beginning of the Urocyan War.

On the other side of the coin, Urocyia was also deploying their own Aegis ships, a class of destroyers derived from the Spanish *Álvaro de Bazán*-class frigate. These ships were seen throughout Urocyia's own conflicts, and like the American *Arleigh Burke*-class, they are still being produced, but mainly for Urocyia's war effort in the Urocyan War.

## Named Units

### United States Navy

* USS *Leyte Gulf* (CG-55)
* USS *Princeton* (CG-59)
* USS *Cape St. George* (CG-71)
* USS *Russell* (DDG-59)
* USS *Mahan* (DDG-72)
* USS *Preble* (DDG-88)
* USS *Pinckney* (DDG-91)
* USS *Kidd* (DDG-100)

## Trivia

* Aegis being a unique classification of warships was inspired by the *Ace Combat* games, which did something similar.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegis\_Combat\_System