Ship Types
Explore the principal ship type categories of the Royal Navy, from major fighting vessels to specialist supporting craft.
Amphibious Warfare
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
- Amphibious
- Amphibious Assault Ship
- Fast Sealift Ship
- Helicopter Assault Ship
- Landing Craft Assault
- Landing Craft Infantry
- Landing Craft Mechanized
- Landing Craft Support
- Landing Craft Tank
- Landing Platform Dock
- Landing Ship
- Landing Ship Dock
- Landing Ship Infantry
- Landing Ship Tank
- Roll-on/Roll-off Military Ship
Auxiliary & Support
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
- Aircraft Maintenance Ship
- Ammunition Ship
- Armed Merchant Cruiser
- Auxiliary
- Auxiliary Ship
- Aviation Training Ship
- Blockade Runner
- Blockship
- Boom Defence Ship
- Boom Defence Vessel
- Cable Layer
- Cable Repair Ship
- Cadet Training Ship
- Command Ship
- Depot Ship
- Diving Support Vessel
- Dry Dock Ship
- Expeditionary Sea Base
- Firefighting Ship
- Fleet Headquarters Ship
- Fleet Hospital Ship
- Fleet Oiler
- Fleet Supply Ship
- Fleet Tanker
- Floating Dock
- Harbour Tug
- Heavy Lift Ship
- Hospital Ship
- Hospital Transport
- Hydrographic Survey Vessel
- Icebreaker
- Joint Support Ship
- Naval Academy Training Ship
- Net Layer
- Net Tender
- Ocean Cleanup Vessel
- Ocean Tug
- Oceanographic Research Ship
- Polar Research Vessel
- Pollution Control Vessel
- Prison Ship
- Repair Ship
- Replenishment Ship
- Rescue Ship
- Research Vessel
- Sail Training Ship
- Salvage Ship
- Search and Rescue Vessel
- Stores Ship
- Submarine Rescue Ship
- Submarine Tender
- Survey Ship
- Task Force Command Ship
- Telegraph Ship
- Training Frigate
- Training Ship
- Troop Transport
- Water Tanker
Capital Ships
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
- Aircraft Carrier
- Battlecruiser
- Battleship
- Carrier Strike Group Flagship
- Catapult Aircraft Merchant Ship
- Commando Carrier
- Dreadnought Battleship
- Escort Carrier
- Fast Battleship
- Fleet Carrier
- Helicopter Carrier
- Light Carrier
- Merchant Aircraft Carrier
- Pocket Battleship
- Pre-Dreadnought Battleship
- Seaplane Carrier
- Super-Dreadnought Battleship
Emerging & Unmanned
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
- Aegis Destroyer
- Autonomous Naval Vessel
- Ballistic Missile Defence Ship
- Ballistic Test Ship
- Drone Carrier
- Drone Support Ship
- Electronic Warfare Ship
- Experimental Warship
- Fleet Intelligence Vessel
- Ocean Surveillance Ship
- Prototype Warship
- Seabed Warfare Vessel
- Signals Intelligence Ship
- Space Tracking Ship
- Swarm Drone Vessel
- Unmanned Surface Vessel
Mine Warfare
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
Patrol & Security
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
- Anti-Piracy Vessel
- Anti-Smuggling Vessel
- Arctic Patrol Vessel
- Armed Trawler
- Armed Yacht
- Border Patrol Vessel
- Coastal Patrol Craft
- Decoy Ship
- Drifter
- Drug Interdiction Vessel
- Fast Patrol Boat
- Interdiction Vessel
- Maritime Patrol Ship
- Maritime Security Vessel
- Offshore Patrol Vessel
- Patrol Vessel
- Q-ship
- River Patrol Boat
- Trawler Patrol Vessel
Sailing Warships
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
- Armoured Frigate
- Bomb Ketch
- Bomb Vessel
- Brig
- Brig-sloop
- Central Battery Ironclad
- Composite Sloop
- Dispatch Vessel
- Fifth-rate Frigate
- Fireship
- First-rate Ship of the Line
- Fourth-rate Ship of the Line
- Gun-brig
- Ironclad
- Packet Frigate
- Packet Ship
- Paddle Steamer Warship
- Post Ship
- Screw Corvette
- Screw Frigate
- Second-rate Ship of the Line
- Ship of the Line
- Ship-rigged Sloop
- Sixth-rate Frigate
- Sloop
- Third-rate Ship of the Line
- Turret Ship
- Wooden Steam Frigate
Submarines
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
Surface Combatants
Explore this ship type, its development, and its place within the wider Royal Navy fleet structure.
- Anti-Air Destroyer
- Anti-Aircraft Cruiser
- Anti-Submarine Frigate
- Anti-Submarine Warfare Ship
- Armoured Cruiser
- Armoured Gunboat
- Coastal Defence Ship
- Colonial Gunboat
- Convoy Escort Vessel
- Corvette
- Cruiser
- Destroyer
- Destroyer Escort
- Destroyer Leader
- Dispatch Gunboat
- Escort Destroyer
- Escort Sloop
- Fast Attack Craft
- Fleet Destroyer
- Fleet Screening Ship
- Frigate
- Guided Missile Cruiser
- Guided Missile Destroyer
- Guided Missile Frigate
- Gunboat
- Heavy Cruiser
- Hydrofoil
- Light Cruiser
- Littoral Combat Ship
- Missile Boat
- Modular Warship
- Monitor
- Multi-Role Combat Ship
- Ocean Escort Vessel
- Protected Cruiser
- Radar Picket Ship
- River Gunboat
- River Monitor
- Scout Cruiser
- Stealth Destroyer
- Stealth Frigate
- Submarine Chaser
- Torpedo Boat
- Torpedo Boat Destroyer
- Torpedo Boat Destroyer Leader