Naval Series

Naval ship classification is a field that has changed over time, and is not an area of wide international agreement. The following terms include the system classification currently used by the United States Navy.

• Aircraft carrier - ships that serve as mobile seaborne airfields, designed primarily for the purpose of conducting combat operations by aircraft which engage in attacks against airborne, surface, sub-surface and shore targets.

• Surface Combatant - large, heavily armed surface ships which are designed primarily to engage enemy forces on the high seas, including various types of battleship, battlecruiser, cruiser, destroyer, and frigate.

• Submarine - self-propelled submersible types regardless of whether they are employed as combatant, auxiliary, or research and development vehicles which have at least a residual combat capability.