Editing Cruiser (section)

===Anti-aircraft cruisers===
A precursor to the anti-aircraft cruiser was the Romanian British-built protected cruiser ''[[NMS Elisabeta|Elisabeta]]''. After the start of World War I, her four 120&nbsp;mm main guns were landed and her four 75&nbsp;mm (12-pounder) secondary guns were modified for anti-aircraft fire.<ref>John Evelyn Moore, ''Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I'', Military Press, 1990, p. 294</ref>

The development of the anti-aircraft cruiser began in 1935 when the Royal Navy re-armed {{HMS|Coventry|D43|6}} and {{HMS|Curlew|D42|6}}. Torpedo tubes and {{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on|0}} low-angle guns were removed from these World War I light cruisers and replaced with ten {{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} high-angle guns, with appropriate fire-control equipment to provide larger warships with protection against high-altitude bombers.<ref>Friedman, Norman "Anti-Aircraft Cruisers: The Life of a Class" ''United States Naval Institute Proceedings'' January 1965 p. 86</ref>

A tactical shortcoming was recognised after completing six additional conversions of {{sclass2|C|cruiser|1}}s. Having sacrificed anti-ship weapons for anti-aircraft armament, the converted anti-aircraft cruisers might themselves need protection against surface units. New construction was undertaken to create cruisers of similar speed and displacement with [[dual-purpose gun]]s, which offered good anti-aircraft protection with anti-surface capability for the traditional light cruiser role of defending capital ships from destroyers.

The first purpose built anti-aircraft cruiser was the British {{sclass|Dido|cruiser|4}}, completed in 1940–42. The US Navy's {{sclass|Atlanta|cruiser|0}} cruisers (CLAA: light cruiser with anti-aircraft capability) were designed to match the capabilities of the Royal Navy. Both ''Dido'' and ''Atlanta'' cruisers initially carried torpedo tubes; the ''Atlanta'' cruisers at least were originally designed as destroyer leaders, were originally designated CL ([[light cruiser]]), and did not receive the CLAA designation until 1949.<ref>Friedman cruisers, pp. 224–229</ref><ref>Bauer and Roberts, p. 150</ref>

The concept of the quick-firing dual-purpose gun anti-aircraft cruiser was embraced in several designs completed too late to see combat, including: {{USS|Worcester|CL-144|6}}, completed in 1948; {{USS|Roanoke|CL-145|6}}, completed in 1949; two {{sclass|Tre Kronor|cruiser|2}}s, completed in 1947; two {{sclass|De Zeven Provinciën|cruiser|2}}s, completed in 1953; {{ship|French cruiser|De Grasse|C610|2}}, completed in 1955; {{ship|French cruiser|Colbert|C611|2}}, completed in 1959; and {{HMS|Tiger|C20|6}}, {{HMS|Lion|C34|6}} and {{HMS|Blake|C99|6}}, all completed between 1959 and 1961.<ref>Friedman, Norman "Anti-Aircraft Cruisers: The Life of a Class" ''United States Naval Institute Proceedings'' January 1965 pp. 96–97</ref>

Most post-World War II cruisers were tasked with air defense roles. In the early 1950s, advances in aviation technology forced the move from anti-aircraft artillery to anti-aircraft missiles. Therefore, most modern cruisers are equipped with surface-to-air missiles as their main armament. Today's equivalent of the anti-aircraft cruiser is the '''guided-missile cruiser''' (CAG/CLG/CG/CGN).