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Willis A. Lee Class Guided Missile Destroyer

First built at the end of the 1970s and into the early to mid 1980s, the Willis A. Lee-class of guided missile destroyers were built to satisfy the Navy's desire for a class of fleet destroyers that could perform the anti-submarine mission as well as a Spruance, while also carrying a hefty anti-ship punch. With designs finalized and the first keels laid in 1978, these ships would be based from the Spruance-class design, but would come equipped with the brand-new RGM-111 Zeus large anti-ship missile, as well as four flush deck launchers aft for up to 16 Tomahawks. These ships would be the first to carry two new weapon systems, the RGM-109F, an anti-submarine capable variant of the TASM capable of deploying a MK46 torpedo, essentially an American Silex, and the RIM-54A Sea Phoenix, a new surface-launched variant of the Phoenix missile. Ten ships would enter service with the Navy between 1981 and 1986, and would be evenly split between Atlantic and Pacific fleets, with the Navy wanting as many Zeus-equipped hulls operational as possible to counter the growing Soviet capital ship fleet.

Right so this one was a response to the growing prevalence of RedFor capital ships and the demand for additional ships armed with the Zeus anti-ship missile, ironically both in-universe and in reality. This one brings to bear twelve RGM-111s per hull, alongside the standard Spruance air wing and Mk29 IBPDMS. Another feature to this ship, however, for now at least, is the addition of the RIM-54A Sea Phoenix, a proposed Sea Sparrow replacement in the early 1980s. The Sea Phoenix is an excellent air defence weapon, putting up similar performance to a Standard under certain profiles, successfully protecting a single ship from a mass missile assault. The RGM-109F is also an excellent standoff anti-submarine weapon, allowing a commander to use his SH-2 to find an enemy submarine, then engage said submarine from upwards of 100 nautical miles away if need be, almost guaranteeing the safety of fleet ships from enemy torpedo attack. I have plans to make additional Zeus equipped and Sea Phoenix equipped ships over the course of the next few weeks, in the interim, use these to their fullest. Enjoy!