A naval ship, combatal ship or warship is a military ship (or sometimes boat, depending on classification) used by a navy of a certain country. In general can be said that naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose. Generally, naval ships are damage resilient and armed with weapon systems.
In wartime, the distinction between warships and merchant ships is often blurred. Until the 17th century it was common for merchant ships to be pressed into naval service, and not unusual for more than half of a fleet to be composed of merchant ships. There was not a large difference in construction, unlike the difference between a heavily armoured battleship and an ocean liner. Until the 19th century it was a normal practice to arm larger merchant ships such as wooden galleons. Warships have also often been used as troop carriers or supply ships.
Types and classes based on size
Naval ships designed primarily for naval warfare and naval ship classification is a field that has changed over time, and is not an area of wide international agreement but many countries currently use the system as currently used by the United States Navy.
In rough order of tonnage (largest to smallest), modern surface naval ships are commonly divided into the following different classes (source: Wikipedia).
- Aircraft carrier
- Helicopter carrier
- Amphibious assault ship
- Stealth ship
- Battleship
- Battlecruiser
- Heavy cruiser
- Light cruiser
- Destroyer
- Frigate
- Corvette
- Patrol boat
- Fast attack craft
Naval ships for underwater operations:
warfare Some classes above may now be considered obsolete as no ships matching the class are in current service. There is also much blurring and gray areas between the classes, depending on their intended use, history, and interpretation of the class by different navies.
Auxiliary ships
Navies also use auxiliary ships for transport and other non-combat purposes. They are classified by different names according to their roles:
- Ammunition ships are ships to transport and replenish ammunition for warships and naval aircraft.
- Barracks ships are ships or barges for temporary accommodation for sailors, soldiers and other military personnel.
- Colliers were ships used to transport and replenish coal for warships during the Age of Steam.
- Command ships are the flagship of the commander of a fleet.
- Combat stores ships are ships to transport supplies and replenish ships in the high seas.
- Depot ships are ships used as mobile or fixed bases for destroyers, fast attack craft, minesweepers, submarines, patrol vessels, landing craft and other small ships.
- Fast combat support ships are a type of auxiliary ships designed with high speed to keep up with the carrier battle group/carrier strike group, while the multi-product station is capable of supplying all types of necessities for the fleet.
- Hospital ships are ships functioning as floating hospitals and are used to provide medical treatment in the high seas. The Second Geneva Convention prohibits military attacks on hospital ships that meet specified requirements, though belligerent forces have right of inspection and may take patients, but not staff, as prisoners of war.
- Repair ships are ships to provide maintenance and repairs to warships.Aircraft repair ships are repair vessels to provide maintenance and repairs to naval aircraft.
- Rescue and salvage ships are ships to aid stricken vessels.Submarine rescue ships are used for submarine rescue and deep sea salvage operations.
- Research ships are ships to research military concerns, such as sonar or weapons trails.
- Replenishment oilers are ships to transport oil and refuel ships in the high seas.
- Spy ships are dedicated ships to collect intelligence.
- Survey ship is any type of ship or boat that is used for underwater surveys.
- Ship’s tender is a type of ship used to serve other boats, submarines, ships or seaplanes.Destroyer tenderSubmarine tenderTorpedo boat tenderMotor torpedo boat tenderSeaplane tender
- Troopships are ships, usually repurposed passenger ships used to transport marines and soldiers.
- Training ship are ships to train students into sailors. Sail training ships are used to provide an unconventional and effective way of building many useful skills on and off the water.
- Torpedo trials craft are ships used by navies for the development of new naval torpedoes and during practice firings. These craft are designed to track and monitor, locate and retrieve the spent torpedo for analysis and refurbishment for reuse.
- Tracking ships are a type of ship fitted with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of rockets and missiles.
