Warship
A ship designed and equipped for naval combat. Warships include surface combatants, aircraft carriers, and submarines.
Naval gun: A large-caliber gun mounted aboard a naval vessel for engaging targets at sea, on land, or in the air. Naval guns are a longstanding means of delivering direct fire from surface warships.
Aircraft carrier: A warship built to operate, launch, and recover military aircraft at sea. Carriers project naval air power far from land-based airfields.
Naval warfare: Warfare conducted on or from the sea by naval forces. Warships are the platforms through which naval forces conduct many combat operations.
Ancient trireme: An ancient Mediterranean war galley propelled by three tiers of oars on each side. Triremes show how ramming and oar power shaped early naval combat.
Sea control: The ability to use a maritime area for one’s purposes while limiting an opponent’s use of it. Warships help establish or contest the freedom of action that sea control describes.
Naval radar: A system that uses radio waves to detect, locate, and track objects at sea or in the air. Radar gives warships detection and targeting information beyond visual range.
Destroyer: A fast, maneuverable surface warship equipped to defend a fleet and attack threats at sea. Destroyers commonly provide air defense, escort, and strike capabilities within a naval force.
Anti-submarine warfare: Military operations intended to detect, track, deter, or destroy hostile submarines. Surface ships and aircraft use sensors and weapons together to counter submarines.
Ship of the line: A large sailing warship designed to fight in a line of battle with its broadside guns. This type dominated European fleet combat before steam and armor reshaped warship design.
Power projection: The ability of a state to deploy and sustain military force beyond its own territory. Warships carry forces and weapons across oceans without relying on nearby land bases.