WatcherZero
ACCESS: Top Secret
- Joined
- 22 May 2023
- Messages
- 677
- Reaction score
- 1,462
SSBN's are todays battleships, they perform similar deterrence and prestige duties and have a similar relative cost value.
SSN's/SSGN's are today the first half of the 20th centuries heavy cruisers to hunt for enemy shipping/naval assets while possessing formidable firepower second only to a battleship the latter of course specialised in shore bombardment.
Todays destroyers are the equivalent of early 20th century light cruisers or age of sail Frigates, able to protect themselves and destroy smaller warships but vulnerable to SSN's or other destroyers when alone, group together for self protection in flotillas, capable of performing significant duration detached operations.
Todays frigates are the equivalent of early 20th century destroyers and destroyer leaders, the workhorses of the fleet providing mass and geographic coverage, primary role is escorting the merchant fleet or forming larger taskforces.
Todays corvettes are the same as WW2 and age of sail corvettes, protecting supply lines, border protection, and the primary defence capability of less wealthy countries against similar rivals.
Fast Attack Craft and conventional submarines today perform the same duties previously performed by motor torpedo boats, monitors and other brown water ships.
Which leaves out what constitutes a cruiser today as it doesnt comfortably fit into any of these better defined roles. I would argue what constitutes a modern cruiser is an oversized air defence destroyer with significant land attack capability. In historical terms this may be similar to the German Pocket Battleships or Japanese Battle Cruisers, (oversized heavy cruisers but sacrificing so much armour they are not capable of engaging a true battleship).
SSN's/SSGN's are today the first half of the 20th centuries heavy cruisers to hunt for enemy shipping/naval assets while possessing formidable firepower second only to a battleship the latter of course specialised in shore bombardment.
Todays destroyers are the equivalent of early 20th century light cruisers or age of sail Frigates, able to protect themselves and destroy smaller warships but vulnerable to SSN's or other destroyers when alone, group together for self protection in flotillas, capable of performing significant duration detached operations.
Todays frigates are the equivalent of early 20th century destroyers and destroyer leaders, the workhorses of the fleet providing mass and geographic coverage, primary role is escorting the merchant fleet or forming larger taskforces.
Todays corvettes are the same as WW2 and age of sail corvettes, protecting supply lines, border protection, and the primary defence capability of less wealthy countries against similar rivals.
Fast Attack Craft and conventional submarines today perform the same duties previously performed by motor torpedo boats, monitors and other brown water ships.
Which leaves out what constitutes a cruiser today as it doesnt comfortably fit into any of these better defined roles. I would argue what constitutes a modern cruiser is an oversized air defence destroyer with significant land attack capability. In historical terms this may be similar to the German Pocket Battleships or Japanese Battle Cruisers, (oversized heavy cruisers but sacrificing so much armour they are not capable of engaging a true battleship).