VIDEO: What are the differences between a frigate and a destroyer? - Naval Post- Naval News and Information (2024)

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What is the difference between a destroyer and a frigate? ›

To this duty has been added antisubmarine warfare, the traditional role of the frigate. Often the frigate is distinguished from the destroyer only by its lesser displacement, armament, and speed. Modern destroyers can also serve an important littoral combat function by providing indirect fire support to ground troops.

A destroyer's primary mission does not involve independent operation - though modern destroyers often do operate independently as well. The frigate is a general purpose small warship. It is intended to be able to operate independently on the open ocean in roles such as commerce raiding.

While both cruisers and destroyers are designed to provide firepower on the battlefront, they exhibit different capabilities in terms of firepower and armour. Cruisers are typically more heavily armed, equipped with larger caliber main guns, missile launchers, anti-aircraft guns, and anti-ship guns.

The Seven Years' War (1756–63) marked the definite adoption of the term frigate for a class of vessel that was smaller than the three-decked ship of the line but was still capable of considerable firepower.

There's basically two "broad" categories: all purpose ships fully capable of air control, surface attack and ASW. Those large surface combatants are, broadly, called destroyers these days. The other type is smaller and can do 1 or 2 of the missions above. We call those frigates.

The UNSC Frigate is a warship classification in the UNSC Navy. Although it significantly lacks the amount of armor, armament, and firepower compared to its larger cousin, the UNSC Destroyer, the frigate is smaller and thus more maneuverable.

By the early 1890s, speeds as high as 25 knots were being reported. As a defense against this new fast threat, Britain deployed oversized torpedo boats, calling them torpedo boat destroyers. These craft were successful in hunting down torpedo boats, and eventually they were renamed destroyers.

Carriers are just there. They help spot for the team and do damage to most targets, tho the larger targets like battleships are much easier to hit. A destroyer is there to screen out submarines, if it saw a battleship it would run away because it had no chance.

Modern frigates also have hull‐mounted sonar and passive towed arrays, as well as depth charges to destroy submarines.

The destroyers of the US Navy's Zumwalt-class, pictured here sailing with a Littoral combat ship (LCS) are the longest and heaviest destroyers currently in service. The Italian Caio Duilio, belongs to the Horizon-class of Franco-Italian designed first-rate frigates.

Why aren't battleships used anymore? ›

Even in spite of their huge firepower and protection, battleships were increasingly vulnerable to much smaller and relatively inexpensive weapons: initially the torpedo and the naval mine, and later attack aircraft and the guided missile.

Because cruisers and destroyers are so important to Navy operations, they are called “escort vessels.” But make no mistake, these ships are powerful and capable enough to operate on their own in almost any situation. There are 72 destroyers and 17 cruisers.

The frigate possessed less offensive firepower and speed than a destroyer, including an escort destroyer, but such qualities were not required for anti-submarine warfare.

Frigates are light, swift and armed appropriately to patrol and protect larger ships of the navy. At the same time, destroyers are designed to be bigger and heavier to protect themselves and also engage in direct combat at sea.

When a crisis occurred almost anywhere in the world during the Cold War era, U.S. officials often would ask, “Where are the carriers?” Today some officials are asking, “Where are the frigates?” The U.S. Navy currently has 18 frigates in service.

A frigate simply isn't big enough to be a true multi-role vessel and all attempts to make one have generally resulted in a very compromised ship. The Corvette is arguably the only ship the USN doesn't have, but in the sense that Corvettes are supposed to be really cheap and small utility ships.

Also known as Type 26 frigates, the City Class will comprise of eight ships in total, with the first three (the HMS Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast) expected to enter the fleet before 2030. A further five ships (HMS Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Edinburgh and London) will join after 2030.

By the early 1890s, speeds as high as 25 knots were being reported. As a defense against this new fast threat, Britain deployed oversized torpedo boats, calling them torpedo boat destroyers. These craft were successful in hunting down torpedo boats, and eventually they were renamed destroyers.