Tiger-class cruiser

HMS Tiger in 1963 before conversion
Class overview
Name	Tiger class
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Minotaur class
Succeeded by	None
Built	1941–1961
In commission	1959–1979
Completed	3
Retired	3
General characteristics
Class and type	Light cruiser
Displacement	11,700 tons (12,080 tons after conversion of Blake and Tiger)
Length	555.5 ft (169.3 m)
Beam	64 ft (20 m)
Draught	23 ft (7.0 m)
Installed power	80,000 shp (60 MW)
Propulsion	Four Admiralty-type three drum boilers Four shaft Parsons steam turbines
Speed	31.5 knots (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph)
Range	8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement	716 (Tiger and Blake: 885 post-conversion)
Sensors and processing systems	Tiger and Blake post-conversion: 1 × Type 965 air-surveillance radar with outfit AKE(1) aerial 1 × Type 992Q target-indication radar 2 × Type 903 gunfire-control radars (MRS 3 system) 2 × Type 904 Seacat fire-control radars (GWS 22 system)
Armament	As built: 2 × twin QF 6-inch Mark N5 guns 3 × twin QF 3-inch Mark N1 guns Tiger and Blake post-conversion: 1 × twin 6-inch Mk. N5 guns 1 × twin 3-inch N1 guns 2 × quad SeaCat missile launchers
Armour	Belt 3.5–3.25 in (89–83 mm) Bulkheads 2–1.5 in (51–38 mm) Turrets 2–1 in (51–25 mm) Crowns of engine room and magazines 2 in (51 mm)
Aircraft carried	Tiger and Blake post-conversion: 4 × Westland Wessex helicopters Later replaced by: 4 × Westland Sea King helicopters

The Tiger class were a class of three British warships of the 20th century and the last all-gun cruisers of the Royal Navy. Construction of three Minotaur-class cruisers (under the names Blake, Defence and Bellerophon) began during World War II but, due to post-war austerity, the Korean War and focus on the Royal Air Force over the surface fleet, the hulls remained unfinished. Against a background of changing priorities and financial constraints, approval to complete them to a modified design was given in November 1954 and the three ships – Tiger, Lion and Blake – entered service from March 1959.

In January 1964, due to postponement of the Escort Cruiser programme, the cruisers were approved for conversion into helicopter-carrying cruisers. At first they were intended to carry four Westland Wessex helicopters for amphibious operations and anti-submarine protection operating "East of Suez" then four Westland Sea Kings for anti-submarine work. The conversion of Blake and Tiger, carried out between 1965 and 1972, was more expensive and time-consuming than expected and, with the UK Treasury opposing each cruiser's conversion, the conversion of Lion was cancelled and she was scrapped in 1975, having been used for spares for her sister ships.

Described in one book as "hideous and useless hybrids" after conversion^[1] and with limited manpower, resources, and better ships available, Tiger and Blake were decommissioned in the late 1970s and placed in reserve. Blake was scrapped in 1982 and Tiger in 1986.