After the Second World War and in the early years of the Cold War, the Royal Navy conducted multiple series of design studies to develop an effective missile cruiser which could carry the GWS.1 Sea Slug SAM and able to hold it's ground against the Soviet Navy's Sverdlov class cruisers. The GW (Guided Weapon) series of studies started in 1954 based on the earlier CR series of cruiser designs and finally culminated in the GW.96 and GW.96A designs of 1956 and 1957 when the project was terminated. During these years multiple variants were created ranging from gun armament of 3inch, 4,5inch, 5 inch, 5,25inch and 6inch guns all in twin turrets and a wide variety of missiles including the British GWS.1 Sea Slug and Navalised Bloodhound Mk.II to the US RIM-8 Talos and RIM-24 Tartar systems.

The final 1957 GW.96A variant was a slight modification of the 1956 GW.96 having slightly thinner deck armour (25mm instead of 38mm) and an all 3inch QF Mark N1 AA armament instead of the mixed 2 3inch and 2 40mm Bofors guns.

Due to this ship never being built, I took significant artistic license with what was not documented, primarily basing interior layout on the Tiger-class Cruisers of 1959, as well as the County-class Destroyers of 1960, two very similar ship classes. As well as my own artistic license, I would like to thank Tzoli of DeviantArt, as well as Hood of Shipbucket.



https://www.deviantart.com/tzoli/art/Design-GW96-GW96A-Missile-Cruiser-525642815



http://www.shipbucket.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6281

Type	Guided Missile Cruiser
Displacement	Standard: 16.528 tons Full: 18.450 tons
Length	687.1 ft (209.4 m)
Beam	79.9 ft (24.38 m)
Draught	22 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion	SixAdmiralty-type three drum boilers (400 psi) Four shaft Parsons steam turbines producing 110,000 shp
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h)
Range	8.300km at 37km/h (4.500nm at 20knots)
Complement	1120
Sensors and processing systems	1x Type 984 3D Radar 1x Type 992 Air Search Radar 1x Type 978 Navigation Radar 1x Telemetry Aerial 2x Type 901 Fire-Control Radar for Slea Slug Missiles 6x Type 903 / MRS 3 Gunnery Control Radar (one for each gun turret)
Armament	2x2 152mm Guns (6inch) (QF Mark N5) 2x2 76mm AA Guns (3inch) (QF Mark N1) (4x2 on GW96A) 1x2 SAM (GWS.1 Sea Slug)