• Ships in the U.S. Navy have several classifications.battleship image by goce risteski from Fotolia.com
  
  The U.S. Navy has dozens of types of ships, but a few main ship classifications are important to know. Whether you're a naval buff or a new recruit looking to start learning about ships before basic training, knowing about naval ship classifications from aircraft carriers to attack submarines can be interesting and useful.
  
  

Aircraft carrier

• Aircraft carriers are very large ships used for transporting fighter jets and other aircraft across long distances. Aircraft carriers aren't just designed for transport, however. They are designed as mobile combat bases where aircraft can engage targets in the air, under the water, on the surface and along the shore. Aircraft carriers are classified two ways: conventional and nuclear-propelled. Aircraft carriers began as wooden platforms built onto previously existing ships in the early 20th century and have evolved into massive mobile operations bases.
  
  

Surface combatant ships

• Surface combatant ships are large ships with many armaments whose primary purpose is engaging enemy ships in naval combat. Surface combatant ships include cruisers, destroyers and frigates. Cruisers are a diverse group of ships of more than 10,000 tons and can be offensive or defensive, but never both. Defensive cruisers carry anti-aircraft guided missiles; offensive cruisers fire anti-ship missiles. Destroyers weigh between 3,000 and 4,000 tons. Destroyers defend other ships of the fleet by destroying threats on the surface, under the water and in the sky. Frigates weigh between 1,100 and 3,000 tons and fulfill numerous purposes. They are equipped with highly advanced weapons to use against enemies.
  
  

Submarines

• Submarines are self-powered ships that go under the surface of the ocean. They fulfill numerous functions, including combat, research, training and combat support. All submarines have at least some kind of combat capability, regardless of what purpose they serve. Submarines operate with conventional or nuclear power and are used in conventional naval combat or as launching points of ballistic missiles.
  
  

Support ships

• Support ships are any kind of ship that does not have combat as its primary function. Combat logistics ships bring replenishment supplies to combat ships, including oil and ammunition. Other support ships survey the oceans, act as hospitals, provide high-speed transportation, repair cables and provide salvage and rescue services. Some support ships have very little relationship with the Navy's combat role, instead acting as outposts for scientific research of the oceans.