The Distinction Between Cruiser Destroyer Frigate & LCS

There are many different ships in the world’s navies today. They all have different applications and some classifications are exclusive to certain countries. Different countries have put their effort into different kinds of ships and some have invested in almost all of them. Strictly Speaking, in recent years the distinction between these ship types have become increasingly blurred. During World War II, cruisers had displacements ranging from 6,000 to 15,000 tons, while destroyers were around 2,000 to 2,200 tons. Today, Arleigh Burke-class "destroyers" have a displacement of over 7,000 tons, while Ticonderoga-class cruisers are barely larger at 9,000 tons. A strong argument could be made that the current U.S. Navy, rather than having 22 cruisers and 62+ destroyers, actually has 84+ cruisers and no destroyers.

So today we are going to discuss the difference between a cruiser, a destroyer, a frigate, and a littoral combat ship

All content on Military TV is presented for educational purposes.

Subscribe Now :

[tgsgardenmaintenance]

This video is 100% 🇺🇸 based! Most countries, & yes there other countries in the world, call a littoral combat ship a corvette!

[madsteve]

This is USN based.

In the UK, the Royal Navy's last Cruisers, were HMS Tiger, Lion and Blake. Meeting the over 10, 000 tonnes Washington 1922 treaty classification and fitted with, Twin 6 inch Main Cannons (152.4mm).

Tiger & Blake were modified in 1964, with there rear armament replace with a large Helicopter Hangar and Flight Deck, capable of carrying 4 Westland Wessex (UK built and further developed Sikorsky S-58 / H-34 Choctaw/ Seabat / Seahorse, with Napier Gazelle or De Havilland Gnome Turboshaft engines) Anti Submarine Helicopters.

Later these were replaced by 3 Westland Sea King (UK built and further developed Sikorsky S-61/ SH-3 Sea King).

Experience with these led to the purchase of the 3 Invincible Class Through Deck Cruisers (Politicians and Civil Servants hate to admit they have made a mistake), and they would not be called Carriers until HMS Invincible was launched.

Then they were known as Anti Submarine Helicopter Carriers.
The Sea Harrier order, wasn't placed until really late 1975.
Even then, the RAF, Civil Service and retired Navy officers looked down on them, as nothing more than "Toy Aeroplanes".

It was hoped that the US Navy's new Sea Command Ships (None were ever built, but the USA paid for Spain to build the design "Principe de Asturias" and helped with Thailand's "HTMS Chakri Naruebet"), that were to operate the supersonic "Rockwell XFV-12" but its advanced concept never achieved its hoped for capability and was cancelled.



Destroyer. Changed from being its original purpose of a fast vessel designed to Destroy Fast Motor Torpedo Boats, that attacked larger ships in the Cruiser, Battlecruiser and Battleship class.

They are now classed as, Anti Air Warfare / Air Defence Vessels.
With Advanced Radar (and other Sensors and secure Communications) and Surface to Air Missiles.
Usually larger than a Frigate.


Frigate. Role has continually changed.
But since WW2, when they were first equipped with Sonar and Depth Charges to hunt Submarines.
They have since evolved into much more capable, Anti Submarine Warfare Vessels, but also with Main Cannon, CIWS, Anti Ship and SAM systems.

However, their are also General Purpose Frigates, that don't feature the latest "Towed Array Sonar" systems.
Such as the Type 31e - Babcock international Arrowhead 140.
Which will only have a small 57mm Bofors main Cannon.

****
Corvette. The last British Corvette was "HMS Oakham Castle" which decommissioned in 1950.

If the old Vosper Thornycroft Type 21 Frigates, had been fitted with the 76mm OTO - Melara Cannon, rather than the Vickers Mk8 4.5 inch (114mm) then they would most likely have been classed as Corvettes.

Corvettes are popular in the Baltic, Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean and South China Seas.
They are usually the smallest ship commanded by someone with the rank of Captain.
They tend to operate close to the coast, rather than in the deep water environment.

Usually from a max of 3, 500 tonnes, down to 600 tonnes in some cases. Length under 110 Metres.
Rarely do they have a main Cannon greater than 76mm.
Most have Anti-Ship missiles and short range SAM systems fitted.
Usually fitted with an Helicopter Hangar and equipped with a smaller Helicopter like the Leonardo AW109 E Power or Eurocopter AS565 Panther.
Equipped with RHIB / Fast Sea Boats.
Sometimes with a rear ramp recovery conveyor belt.
Used for Stop Search and Seizure of Smuggling and Piracy. Or deployment of troops / insertion of Special Forces / Divers.

Now seen as the best vessel to take on Iranian and PRC Fast Attack Boats equipped with Anti Ship Missiles, as part of protecting a larger Carrier Battle Group.

Many would class the Littoral Combat Ships, as Corvettes.

However, if they don't have the Speed or the Missile Systems, they are usually called Offshore Patrol Vessels.

[TorahUnleashed]

The DLG was the best Frigate of the Navy, sad they didn't make a museum ship of one of them...

[farooqazam]

Respect from Pakistan, youR video enhanced my knowledge about naval ships. Thank you

[TheNinjaDC]

The USN’s interest in LCSs has significantly declined. They are cutting the numbers and retiring early hulls.
The Navy seemingly has shifted preference to the frigate with the Constellation class frigate program.
Which makes sense as LCSs have underperformed on their promises, and the USN is shifting back to a near-peer focus ( *cough* China *cough* )

[TRD]

Respect from a Desi American this is a very methodical organized and pragmatic as well as an educational video it would be good how during the Cold War the United States and Soviet Union made naval unit formations of these naval ship types along with submarines and aircraft carriers.

[neild]

It's Litt-or-al not literal. Littoral means coastal waters LCS's are coastal defense ships that extend a coast guards capability. If you are not under threat of invasion you don't really need them. The US should give theirs to Taiwan, they need them.

[davidteer]

Basically almost everything about the LCS has failed. The mission modules have suffered numerous problems and cost overruns. Swapping the modules out was supposed to take a few hours but instead takes several days. Both the Freedom and Independence have suffered several mechanical failures. The number of ships has been reduced from 52 down to around 32. In response to these failures the US Navy instead sourced a new frigate, the Constellation Class to make up for these short comings.

[hunterroberts]

My first ship in the Navy was a Knox class frigate, you don't get much more of a tin can than that.

[Desireification]

Great Video! Same goes with the terminology Blue Water Navy, Green Water Navy and Brown Water.

[brianfoley]

The distinction between classes of vessels is more obscure with the advent of anti-ship missiles, advanced electronics and radar, aviation assets and drones and the reduction in naval gun calibers. The US Ticonderoga class Cruiser and the Burke class Destroyers are so close in dimensions and weaponry as to be the same ships. The Chinese builds Cruisers and calls them Destroyers. The Russians literally jam pack Corvettes and Frigates with enough missiles to call them Destroyers. The Europeans are so fond of their hybrids...no one really knows how to classify them. So we're at that point were labels like Cruiser, Destroyer, Frigate, etc., etc., etc....have lost any real meaning.

[vasiliyt]

There are also Corvette warships. For example the French Gowind-class, the Swedish Visby-class or the Greek Roussen-class.

[tonk]

Traditionally, one of the biggest differences between destroyers and frigates was that destroyers had 2 screws and frigates had 1, which limited their speed to about 25 knots. Don't know if the newer classes of frigates have 1 screw or 2.

[michaelkendall]

my Vietnam era Adams class DDG had multi role capability and was only 4500 tons 450 ft ASW, ASuW and NGFS all were a part of our mission

[deanhankio]

Zumwalt is classed as "destroyer" but it's big as a "cruiser"

[MichailAgustusSolomonic]

So why not those are classify as : Boat, Small Ship, Medium Ship, Carrier, Mother Ship(Noah Ark class warship 😆) and Submarine?🤔

[martinan]

It seems an 18th century terminology is coexisting, unhappily, with a 20th century one.

[timo]

Japan Mogami Class Frigate is basically what US navy want in a LCS/Frigate, them Mogami's is multirole, ASW, stealth frigate with mostly automation capabilities with afordable cost (hence why Japan can built them fast af)

[TheCarnivalguy]

So, one of my family was Captain of the USS Muliphen, an attack-cargo ship. It's classification is not so cut and dried. You can still visit "the mighty mule" as the crew called if you're a recreational diver!

[victoriaregina]

Back in the day, a vn era destroyer mounted one sam launcher, two five inches, a asroc launcher and 6 torps. You would have to look a little bit harder, but a contemporary frigate mounts a bigger weapons load.