Warship

A warship is a vessel built to take an active part in naval warfare, carrying out missions principally including anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and land attack. While technically warships, vessels purpose-built for mine warfare and amphibious warfare have defensive weapons only.

Modern warships also have extensive electronics systems for target acquisition, fire control, and defensive electronic warfare, as well as for navigation and communications.

The major modern types of warships are of the types:

• Aircraft carrier [r]: A warship designed to launch and recover combat aircraft and aircraft that support military operations ^[e]
• Cruiser [r]: While definitions vary with time and doctrine, a large warship capable of acting independently, as a flagship, or a major escort; capabilities include anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, land attack, and possibly ballistic missile defense ^[e]
• Destroyer [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Ocean escort [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Fast attack craft [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Submarine [r]: A ship or boat that can travel underwater ^[e]