Military Facts For Non-Military Social Workers

NAVAL SHIPS

• 
  Battleship/battle cruiser: In naval history, battleships were the most heavily armed and armored warships afloat. They were designed to engage enemy warships with direct and indirect fire from an arsenal of main guns; as a secondary role, they were capable of bombarding targets on and near an enemy coast. In the mid-20th century they were made obsolete by the greater range and striking power of the aircraft carrier. Although some continued to be used for shore bombardment and as missile platforms, the last battleships were decommissioned in the late 1990s.
  
• 
  Cruiser: Guided missile cruisers can conduct air warfare, surface warfare and undersea warfare.
  
• 
  Aircraft Carrier (originally a cruiser derivative): Aircraft carriers are the major strategic arm of the Navy. They put U.S. air power within reach of most land-based military power. The US Navy's carriers are much larger and more powerful than those of the rest of the world.
  
• 
  Destroyer: There are currently two classes of destroyers. The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers are built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The Arleigh Burke class are among the largest destroyers ever built, and certainly among the most powerful. According to Bath Iron Works promotional material, Arleigh Burke is ton for ton the most powerful warship ever built. The Spruance-class destroyer was developed as a replacement for a large number of World War II-built destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s. The class was originally designed for anti-submarine warfare with only point defense missiles for the AAW role although subsequent upgrades have provided anti-ship and land attack capabilities. This class of destroyers is being phased out, and as of 2005, only two Spruance-class destroyers remain in service.
  
• 
  Frigate: Modern frigates mainly perform anti-submarine warfare and escort other ships.
  
• 
  Amphibious ships: The largest of all amphibious warfare ships amphibious assault ships resemble small aircraft carriers; capable of V/STOL, STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing), VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) tiltrotor and rotary wing aircraft operations; contains a welldeck to support use of Landing Craft Air Cushion and other watercraft. Amphibious transports are warships that embark, transport, and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions.
  
• 
  Submarine: There are two major types of submarines, ballistic and attack. Ballistic subs have a single, strategic mission: carrying nuclear SLBMs (Submarine-launched ballistic missiles). Attack submarines have several tactical missions, including sinking ships and subs, launching cruise missiles, and gathering intelligence.