The United States has 27 active Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers in active service.

The vast majority of the cruiser fleet carries stockpiles of Tomahawk cruise missiles, one of the cornerstones of any US air attack.

There are also launchers for surface-to-air missiles, various gun placements, submarine attack torpedoes and two combat helicopters.

The military thinking behind a cruiser such as the Ticonderoga class is to create an offensive warship that will also provide defensive firepower for a carrier group or amphibious operation under air or sea attack.

During an assault on a target, for instance a shore landing, the vessel is responsible for providing a sustained attack on an enemy.

With this in mind, Ticonderoga-class vessels are armed with the AEGIS air defence system that can track targets 200 miles (321 kilometres) away and an array of sonar, electronic and radar jamming equipment and missile/torpedo countermeasures.

US military planners believe that the Ticonderoga-class’s defensive systems are sophisticated enough to counter attacks from ships, submarines, aircraft and missiles all at the same time over several hours.