
A frigate () is a type of
warship
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...
. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any
full-rigged ship
A full-rigged ship or fully rigged ship is a sailing ship, sailing vessel with a sail plan of three or more mast (sailing), masts, all of them square rig, square-rigged. Such a vessel is said to have a ship rig or be ship-rigged, with each mas ...
built for speed and maneuverability, intended to be used in scouting, escort and patrol roles. The term was applied loosely to ships varying greatly in design. In the second quarter of the 18th century, what is now generally regarded as the 'true frigate' was developed in France. This type of vessel was characterised by possessing only one armed deck, with an unarmed deck below it used for berthing the crew.
Late in the 19th century (British and French prototypes were constructed in 1858), a type of powerful
ironclad warships was developed, and because they had a single
gun deck, the term 'frigate' was used to describe them. Later developments in ironclad ships rendered the 'frigate' designation obsolete and the term fell out of favour.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the name 'frigate' was reintroduced to describe a seagoing
escort ship that was intermediate in size between a
corvette and a
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
. After World War II, several kinds of ships have been classified as frigates, and the reasons for such classification have not been consistent. While some navies have used the word 'frigate' principally for large ocean-going
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...
(ASW) combatants, others have used it to describe ships that are otherwise recognizable as corvettes, destroyers, and even nuclear-powered guided-missile
cruisers. Some European navies use the term for ships that would formerly have been called destroyers, as well as for frigates. The rank "
frigate captain" derives from the name of this type of ship.
Age of sail
Origins
The term "frigate" (Italian: ''fregata''; Dutch: ''fregat''; Spanish/Catalan/Portuguese/Sicilian: ''fragata''; French: ''frégate'') originated in the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
in the late 15th century, referring to a lighter
galley
A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...
-type warship with oars, sails and a light armament, built for speed and maneuverability.
[Henderson, James: ''Frigates Sloops & Brigs''. Pen & Sword Books, London, 2005. .]
The etymology of the word remains uncertain, although it may have originated as a
corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
of ''
aphractus'', a
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word for an open vessel with no lower deck. ''Aphractus'', in turn, derived from the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
phrase ἄφρακτος ναῦς (''aphraktos naus'') – "undefended ship". In 1583, during the
Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
of 1568–1648,
Habsburg Spain recovered the
southern Netherlands from the Protestant rebels. This soon resulted in the use of the occupied ports as bases for
privateers, the "
Dunkirkers", to attack the shipping of the Dutch and their allies. To achieve this the Dunkirkers developed small, maneuverable, sailing vessels that came to be referred to as frigates. The success of these Dunkirker vessels influenced the ship design of other navies contending with them, but because most regular navies required ships of greater endurance than the Dunkirker frigates could provide, the term soon came to apply less exclusively to any relatively fast and elegant sail-only warship. In French, the term "frigate" gave rise to a verb – ''frégater'', meaning 'to build long and low', and to an adjective, adding more confusion. Even the huge English could be described as "a delicate frigate" by a contemporary after her upper decks were reduced in 1651.
The navy of the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...
became the first navy to build the larger ocean-going frigates. The Dutch navy had three principal tasks in the struggle against Spain: to protect Dutch merchant ships at sea, to blockade the ports of Spanish-held
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
to damage trade and halt enemy
privateering, and to fight the Spanish fleet and prevent troop landings. The first two tasks required speed, shallowness of draft for the shallow waters around the Netherlands, and the ability to carry sufficient supplies to maintain a blockade. The third task required heavy armament, sufficient to stand up to the Spanish fleet. The first of the larger battle-capable frigates were built around 1600 at
Hoorn
Hoorn () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland. It is the largest town an ...
in
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
. By the later stages of the
Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...
(1568–1648) the Dutch had switched entirely from the heavier ships still used by the English and Spanish to the lighter frigates, carrying around 40 guns and weighing around 300 tons. In the 17th century, the term ''fregat'' in the
Dutch Navy
The Royal Netherlands Navy (, ) is the Navy, maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It traces its history to 8 January 1488, making it the List of navies, third-oldest navy in the world.
During the 17th and early 18th centurie ...
described any oceangoing warship carrying fewer than 40 guns.
The effectiveness of the Dutch frigates became most evident in the
Battle of the Downs in 1639, encouraging most other navies, especially the English, to adopt similar designs.
The fleets built by the
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when Kingdom of England, England and Wales, later along with Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, were governed as a republi ...
in the 1650s generally consisted of ships described as "frigates", the largest of which were
two-decker "great frigates" of the
third rate. Carrying 60 guns, these vessels were as big and capable as "great ships" of the time; however, most other frigates at the time were used as "
cruisers": independent fast ships. The term "frigate" implied a long
hull-design, which relates directly to speed (see
hull speed
Hull speed or displacement speed is the speed at which the wavelength of a vessel's bow wave is equal to the waterline length of the vessel. As boat speed increases from rest, the wavelength of the bow wave increases, and usually its crest-to- ...
) and which also, in turn, helped the development of the
broadside tactic in naval warfare.

At this time, a further design evolved, reintroducing oars and resulting in galley frigates such as of 1676, which was rated as a 32-gun
fifth-rate but also had a bank of 40 oars set below the upper deck that could propel the ship in the absence of a favorable wind. In Danish, the word "fregat" often applied to warships carrying as few as 16 guns, such as , which the British classified as a sloop. Under the
rating system of the Royal Navy, by the middle of the 18th century, the term "frigate" was technically restricted to single-decked ships of the
fifth rate, though small 28-gun frigates classed as
sixth rate.
Classic design

The classic sailing frigate, or 'true frigate', well-known today for its role in the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
, can be traced back to French developments in the second quarter of the 18th century. The French-built of 1740 is often regarded as the first example of this type. These ships were
square-rigged and carried all their main guns on a single continuous upper deck. The lower deck, known as the "gun deck", now carried no armament, and functioned as a "berth deck" where the crew lived, and was in fact placed below the
waterline of the new frigates. The typical earlier cruiser had a partially armed lower deck, from which it was known as a 'half-battery' or ''demi-batterie'' ship. Removing the guns from this deck allowed the height of the hull upperworks to be lowered, giving the resulting 'true-frigate' much improved sailing qualities. The unarmed deck meant that the frigate's guns were carried comparatively high above the waterline; as a result, when seas were too rough for two-deckers to open their lower deck
gunports, frigates were still able to fight with all their guns (see the
action of 13 January 1797, for an example when this was decisive).
The
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
captured a number of the new French frigates, including ''Médée'', during the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...
(1740–1748) and were impressed by them, particularly for their inshore handling capabilities. They soon built copies (ordered in 1747), based on a French privateer named ''Tygre'', and started to adapt the type to their own needs, setting the standard for other frigates as the leading naval power. The first British frigates carried 28 guns including an upper deck battery of twenty-four 9-pounder guns (the remaining four smaller guns were carried on the
quarterdeck) but soon developed into fifth-rate ships of 32 or 36 guns including an upper deck battery of twenty-six 12-pounder guns, with the remaining six or ten smaller guns carried on the quarterdeck and forecastle. Technically, 'rated ships' with fewer than 28 guns could not be classed as frigates but as "
post ships"; however, in common parlance most post ships were often described as "frigates", the same casual misuse of the term being extended to smaller two-decked ships that were too small to stand in the line of battle.
A total of fifty-nine French sailing frigates were built between 1777 and 1790, with a standard design averaging a hull length of and an average draught of . The new frigates recorded sailing speeds of up to , significantly faster than their predecessor vessels.
Heavy frigate

In 1778, the British Admiralty introduced a larger "heavy" frigate, with a main battery of twenty-six or twenty-eight 18-pounder guns (with smaller guns carried on the quarterdeck and forecastle). This move may reflect the naval conditions at the time, with both France and Spain as enemies the usual British preponderance in ship numbers was no longer the case and there was pressure on the British to produce cruisers of individually greater force. In reply, the first French 18-pounder frigates were laid down in 1781. The 18-pounder frigate eventually became the standard frigate of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The British produced larger, 38-gun, and slightly smaller, 36-gun, versions and also a 32-gun design that can be considered an 'economy version'. The 32-gun frigates also had the advantage that they could be built by the many smaller, less-specialised shipbuilders.
Frigates could (and usually did) additionally carry smaller carriage-mounted guns on their quarterdecks and
forecastle
The forecastle ( ; contracted as fo'c'sle or fo'c's'le) is the upper deck (ship), deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or, historically, the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to the latter meaning is t ...
s (the superstructures above the upper deck). In 1778 the
Carron Iron Company of Scotland produced a naval gun which would revolutionise the armament of smaller naval vessels, including the frigate. The
carronade was a large calibre, short-barrelled naval cannon which was light, quick to reload and needed a smaller crew than a conventional long gun. Due to its lightness it could be mounted on the forecastle and quarterdeck of frigates. It greatly increased the firepower, measured in weight of metal (the combined weight of all projectiles fired in one broadside), of these vessels. The disadvantages of the carronade were that it had a much shorter range and was less accurate than a long gun. The British quickly saw the advantages of the new weapon and soon employed it on a wide scale. The US Navy also copied the design soon after its appearance. The French and other nations eventually adopted variations of the weapon in succeeding decades. The typical heavy frigate had a main armament of 18-pounder long guns, plus 32-pounder carronades mounted on its upper decks.
Super-heavy frigates
The first 'super-heavy frigates', armed with 24-pounder long guns, were built by the naval architect
F H Chapman for the Swedish navy in 1782. Because of a shortage of ships-of-the-line, the Swedes wanted these frigates, the ''Bellona'' class, to be able to stand in the battle line in an emergency. In the 1790s the French built a small number of large 24-pounder frigates, such as and ''Egyptienne'', they also cut-down (reduced the height of the hull to give only one continuous gun deck) a number of older ships-of-the-line (including ) to produce super-heavy frigates; the resulting ship was known as a
''rasée''. It is not known whether the French were seeking to produce very potent cruisers or merely to address stability problems in old ships. The British, alarmed by the prospect of these powerful heavy frigates, responded by rasée-ing three of their smaller 64-gun battleships, including , which went on to have a very successful career as a frigate. At this time the British also built a few 24-pounder-armed large frigates, the most successful of which was (1,277 tons).
In 1797, three of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
's
first six major ships were rated as 44-gun frigates, which operationally carried fifty-six to sixty
24-pounder long guns and 32-pounder or 42-pounder carronades on two decks; they were exceptionally powerful. These ships were so large, at around 1,500 tons, and well-armed that they were often regarded as equal to ships of the line, and after a series of losses at the outbreak of the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
, secret
Admiralty instructions ordered British frigates (usually rated at 38 guns or less) to never engage the large American frigates at any less than a 2:1 advantage. , preserved as a
museum ship
A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
by the US Navy, is the oldest commissioned warship afloat, and is a surviving example of a frigate from the
Age of Sail
The Age of Sail is a period in European history that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid-15th) to the mid-19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the int ...
. ''Constitution'' and her sister ships and were created in a response to deal with the Barbary Coast pirates and in conjunction with the
Naval Act of 1794.
Joshua Humphreys proposed that only
live oak, a tree that grew only in America, should be used to build these ships.
[Archibald, Roger. 1997. Six ships that shook the world. American Heritage of Invention & Technology 13, (2): 24.]
The Admiralty, concerned by repeated defeats in single-ship actions, responded to the success of the American 44s in three ways. They built a class of conventional 40-gun, 24-pounder armed frigates on the lines of ''Endymion''. They cut down three old 74-gun Ships-of-the-Line into ''rasées'', producing frigates with a 32-pounder main armament, supplemented by 42-pounder carronades. These had an armament that far exceeded the power of the American ships. Finally, and , 1,500-ton spar-decked frigates (with an enclosed waist, giving a continuous line of guns from bow to stern at the level of the quarterdeck/forecastle), were built, which were an almost exact match in size and firepower to the American 44-gun frigates.
Role

Frigates were perhaps the hardest-worked of warship types during the
Age of Sail
The Age of Sail is a period in European history that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid-15th) to the mid-19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the int ...
. While smaller than a
ship-of-the-line, they were formidable opponents for the large numbers of
sloops and
gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.
History Pre-steam ...
s, not to mention
privateers or merchantmen. Able to carry six months' stores, they had very long range; and vessels larger than frigates were considered too valuable to operate independently.
Frigates scouted for the fleet, went on commerce-raiding missions and patrols, and conveyed messages and dignitaries. Usually, frigates would fight in small numbers or singly against other frigates. They would avoid contact with ships-of-the-line; even in the midst of a fleet engagement it was bad etiquette for a ship of the line to fire on an enemy frigate which had not fired first. Frigates were involved in fleet battles, often as "repeating frigates". In the smoke and confusion of battle,
signals made by the fleet commander, whose
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
might be in the thick of the fighting, might be missed by the other ships of the fleet.
Frigates were therefore stationed to windward or leeward of the main
line of battle, and had to maintain a clear line of sight to the commander's flagship. Signals from the flagship were then repeated by the frigates, which themselves standing out of the line and clear from the smoke and disorder of battle, could be more easily seen by the other ships of the fleet.
If damage or loss of masts prevented the flagship from making clear conventional signals, the repeating frigates could interpret them and hoist their own in the correct manner, passing on the commander's instructions clearly.
For officers in the Royal Navy, a frigate was a desirable posting. Frigates often saw action, which meant a greater chance of glory, promotion, and
prize money
Prize money refers in particular to naval prize money, usually arising in naval warfare, but also in other circumstances. It was a monetary reward paid in accordance with the prize law of a belligerent state to the crew of a ship belonging to ...
.
Unlike larger ships that were placed
in ordinary, frigates were kept in service in peacetime as a cost-saving measure and to provide experience to frigate captains and officers which would be useful in wartime. Frigates could also carry
marines
Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...
for boarding enemy ships or for operations on shore; in 1832, the frigate landed a party of 282 sailors and Marines ashore in the US Navy's
first Sumatran expedition. Frigates remained a crucial element of navies until the mid-19th century. The first
ironclads were classified as "frigates" because of the number of guns they carried. However, terminology changed as iron and steam became the norm, and the role of the frigate was assumed first by the
protected cruiser and then by the
light cruiser.
Frigates are often the vessel of choice in historical naval novels due to their relative freedom compared to ships-of-the-line (kept for fleet actions) and smaller vessels (generally assigned to a home port and less widely ranging). For example, the
Patrick O'Brian Aubrey–Maturin series,
C. S. Forester's
Horatio Hornblower series and
Alexander Kent's
Richard Bolitho series. The motion picture ''
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World'' features a reconstructed historic frigate,
HMS ''Rose'', to depict Aubrey's frigate HMS ''Surprise''.
Age of steam

Vessels classed as frigates continued to play a great role in navies with the adoption of steam power in the 19th century. In the 1830s, navies experimented with large
paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, whereby the first uses were wh ...
s equipped with large guns mounted on one deck, which were termed "paddle frigates".
From the mid-1840s on, frigates which more closely resembled the traditional sailing frigate were built with steam engines and screw
propeller
A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...
s. These "
screw frigates", built first of wood and later of
iron
Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
, continued to perform the traditional role of the frigate until late in the 19th century.
Armoured frigate
From 1859, armour was added to ships based on existing frigate and
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...
designs. The additional weight of the armour on these first
ironclad warships meant that they could have only one gun deck, and they were technically frigates, even though they were more powerful than existing ships-of-the-line and occupied the same strategic role. The phrase "armoured frigate" remained in use for some time to denote a sail-equipped, broadside-firing type of ironclad. The first such ship was the revolutionary Marine Nationale wooden-hulled , protected by 12 cm-thick (4.7 in) armour plates. The British response was of the Warrior-class ironclads, launched in 1860. With her iron hull, steam engines propelling the 9,137 ton vessel to speeds of up to 14 knots and rifled breechloading 110-pdr guns, ''Warrior'' is the ancestor of all modern warships.
During the 1880s, as warship design shifted from iron to steel and cruising warships without sails started to appear, the term "frigate" fell out of use. Vessels with armoured sides were designated as "
battleship
A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
s" or "
armoured cruisers", while "
protected cruisers" only possessed an armoured deck, and unarmoured vessels, including frigates and sloops, were classified as "
unprotected cruiser
An unprotected cruiser was a type of naval warship that was in use during the early 1870s Victorian era, Victorian or Pre-dreadnought battleship, pre-dreadnought era (about 1880 to 1905). The name was meant to distinguish these ships from “p ...
s".
Modern era
World War II

Modern frigates are related to earlier frigates only by name. The term "frigate" was readopted during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
to describe an
anti-submarine escort vessel that was larger than a
corvette (based on a mercantile design), while smaller than a
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
. The vessels were originally to be termed "twin screw corvettes" until the Royal Canadian Navy suggested to the British re-introducing the term "frigate" for the significantly enlarged vessels. Equal in size and capability to the American
destroyer escort, frigates are usually less expensive to build and maintain. Small anti-submarine escorts designed for naval use from scratch had previously been classified as
sloops by the Royal Navy, and the s of 1939–1945 (propelled by steam turbines as opposed to cheaper triple-expansion steam engines) were as large as the new types of frigate, and more heavily armed. 22 of these were reclassified as frigates after the war, as were the remaining 24 smaller s.
The frigate was introduced to remedy some of the shortcomings inherent in the corvette design: limited armament, a hull form not suited to open-ocean work, a single
shaft which limited speed and maneuverability, and a lack of range. The frigate was designed and built to the same mercantile construction standards (
scantlings) as the corvette, allowing manufacture by yards unused to warship construction. The first frigates of the (1941) were essentially two sets of corvette machinery in one larger hull, armed with the latest
Hedgehog anti-submarine weapon.
The frigate possessed less offensive firepower and speed than a
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
, including an
escort destroyer, but such qualities were not required for anti-submarine warfare. Submarines were slow while submerged, and
ASDIC sets did not operate effectively at speeds of over . Rather, the frigate was an austere and weatherly vessel suitable for mass-construction and fitted with the latest innovations in anti-submarine warfare. As the frigate was intended purely for convoy duties, and not to deploy with the fleet, it had limited range and speed.
It was not until the Royal Navy's of 1944 that a British design classified as a "frigate" was produced for fleet use, although it still suffered from limited speed. These
anti-aircraft frigates, built on incomplete hulls, were similar to the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
's destroyer escorts (DE), although the latter had greater speed and offensive armament to better suit them to fleet deployments. The destroyer escort concept came from design studies by the
General Board of the United States Navy in 1940, as modified by requirements established by a British commission in 1941 prior to the American entry into the war, for deep-water escorts. The American-built destroyer escorts serving in the
British Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
were rated as
Captain-class frigates. The U.S. Navy's two
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
-built and 96 British-influenced, American-built frigates that followed originally were classified as "patrol
gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.
History Pre-steam ...
s" (PG) in the U.S. Navy but on 15 April 1943 were all reclassified as patrol frigates (PF).
Modern frigate
Guided-missile role
The introduction of the
surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
after World War II made relatively small ships effective for anti-aircraft warfare: the "guided-missile frigate". In the USN, these vessels were called "
ocean escorts" and
designated "DE" or "DEG" until 1975 – a holdover from the World War II
destroyer escort or "DE". While the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
used similar designations for their warships built in the 1950s, the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
maintained the use of the term "frigate"; in the 1990s the RCN re-introduced the frigate designation. Likewise, the French Navy refers to missile-equipped ships, up to cruiser-sized ships (, , and es), by the name of "frégate", while smaller units are named ''
aviso''. The Soviet Navy used the term "guard-ship" (''сторожевой корабль'').
From the 1950s to the 1970s, the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
commissioned ships classed as guided-missile frigates (
hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol (sometimes called hull code or hull number) to identify their ships by type and by ind ...
DLG or DLGN, literally meaning guided-missile
destroyer leaders), which were actually anti-aircraft warfare
cruisers built on
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
-style hulls. These had one or two twin launchers per ship for the
RIM-2 Terrier missile, upgraded to the
RIM-67 Standard ER missile in the 1980s. This type of ship was intended primarily to defend aircraft carriers against anti-ship
cruise missile
A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...
s, augmenting and eventually replacing converted World War II cruisers (CAG/CLG/CG) in this role. The guided-missile frigates also had an anti-submarine capability that most of the World War II cruiser conversions lacked. Some of these ships – and along with the and es – were
nuclear-powered (DLGN). These "frigates" were roughly mid-way in size between cruisers and destroyers. This was similar to the use of the term "frigate" during the age of sail during which it referred to a medium-sized warship, but it was inconsistent with conventions used by other contemporary navies which regarded frigates as being smaller than destroyers. During the
1975 ship reclassification, the large American frigates were redesignated as guided-missile cruisers or destroyers (CG/CGN/DDG), while
ocean escorts (the American classification for ships smaller than destroyers, with hull symbol DE/DEG (
destroyer escort)) such as the ''
Knox''-class were reclassified as frigates (FF/FFG), sometimes called "fast frigates". In the late 1970s, as a gradual successor to the ''Knox'' frigates, the US Navy introduced the 51-ship guided-missile frigates (FFG), the last of which was decommissioned in 2015, although some serve in other navies. By 1995 the older guided-missile cruisers and destroyers were replaced by the s and s.
One of the most successful post-1945 designs was the British , which was used by several navies. Laid down in 1959, the ''Leander'' class was based on the previous
Type 12 anti-submarine frigate but equipped for anti-aircraft use as well. They were used by the UK into the 1990s, at which point some were sold onto other navies. The ''Leander'' design, or improved versions of it, were licence-built for other navies as well. Nearly all modern frigates are equipped with some form of offensive or defensive missiles, and as such are rated as guided-missile frigates (FFG). Improvements in surface-to-air missiles (e.g., the
Eurosam
Eurosam GIE is a European manufacturer of anti-air missiles. Eurosam was established in June 1989 for the development of the ''Famille de missiles Sol-Air Futurs'' (Future Surface-to-Air Family of missiles or FSAF). Eurosam was initially a joint ...
Aster 15) allow modern guided-missile frigates to form the core of many modern navies and to be used as a fleet defence platform, without the need for specialised anti-air warfare frigates.

Modern destroyers and frigates have sufficient endurance and seaworthiness for long voyages and so are considered
blue water vessels, while
corvettes (even the largest ones capable of carrying an
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...
helicopter) are typically deployed in coastal or
littoral zone
The littoral zone, also called litoral or nearshore, is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely flood ...
s so are regarded as
brown-water or
green-water vessels. According to Dr. Sidharth Kaushal of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, describing the difference between 21st century destroyers and frigates, the larger "destroyers can more easily carry and generate the power for more powerful high-resolution radar and a larger number of vertical launch cells. They can thus provide theatre wide air and missile defence for forces such as a carrier battle group and typically serve this function". By contrast the smaller "frigates are thus usually used as escort vessels to protect sea lines of communication or as an auxiliary component of a strike group". The largest and powerful destroyers are often classified as cruisers, such as the s, due to their extra armament and facilities to serve as fleet flagships.
Other uses
The Royal Navy
Type 61 (''Salisbury'' class) were
"air direction" frigates equipped to track aircraft. To this end they had reduced armament compared to the
Type 41 (''Leopard''-class) air-defence frigates built on the same hull. Multi-role frigates like the
MEKO 200
The MEKO 200 is a frigate design by the Blohm + Voss shipyard of Germany, as part of the MEKO family of warships.
Variants
''Anzac'' class (MEKO 200ANZ)
Ten MEKO 200 frigates were built to the Anzac-class frigate, ''Anzac''-class design: ei ...
, and es are designed for navies needing warships deployed in a variety of situations that a general frigate class would not be able to fulfill and not requiring the need for deploying
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s.
Anti-submarine role
At the opposite end of the spectrum, some frigates are specialised for
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...
. Increasing submarine speeds towards the end of World War II (see
German Type XXI submarine) greatly reduced the margin of speed superiority of frigate over submarine. The frigate could no longer be slow and powered by mercantile machinery and consequently postwar frigates, such as the , were faster.
Such ships carry improved
sonar equipment, such as the
variable depth sonar or
towed array, and specialised weapons such as
torpedoes, forward-throwing weapons such as
Limbo
The unofficial term Limbo (, or , referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition in medieval Catholic theology, of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. However, it has become the gene ...
and missile-carried anti-submarine torpedoes such as
ASROC or
Ikara. The Royal Navy's original
Type 22 frigate is an example of a specialised anti-submarine warfare frigate, though it also has
Sea Wolf surface-to-air missiles for point defense plus
Exocet surface-to-surface missiles for limited offensive capability.
Especially for anti-submarine warfare, most modern frigates have a
landing deck and
hangar aft to operate
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
s, eliminating the need for the frigate to close with unknown sub-surface threats, and using fast helicopters to attack nuclear submarines which may be faster than surface warships. For this task the helicopter is equipped with sensors such as
sonobuoys, wire-mounted dipping sonar and
magnetic anomaly detectors to identify possible threats, and torpedoes or
depth-charges to attack them.
With their onboard radar helicopters can also be used to reconnoitre over-the-horizon targets and, if equipped with
anti-ship missiles such as
Penguin or
Sea Skua, to attack them. The helicopter is also invaluable for
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
operation and has largely replaced the use of
small boats or the
jackstay rig for such duties as transferring personnel, mail and cargo between ships or to shore. With helicopters these tasks can be accomplished faster and less dangerously, and without the need for the frigate to slow down or change course.
Air defence role
Frigates designed in the 1960s and 1970s, such as the US Navy's , West Germany's , and Royal Navy's
Type 22 frigate were equipped with a small number of short-ranged surface-to-air missiles (
Sea Sparrow or
Sea Wolf) for point defense only.
By contrast newer frigates starting with the are specialised for "zone-defense"
air defence
Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
, because of the major developments in
fighter jets and
ballistic missiles. Recent examples include the air defence and command frigate of the
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Royal Netherlands Navy (, ) is the Navy, maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It traces its history to 8 January 1488, making it the List of navies, third-oldest navy in the world.
During the 17th and early 18th centurie ...
. These ships are armed with
VL Standard Missile 2 Block IIIA, one or two
Goalkeeper CIWS systems, ( has two Goalkeepers, the rest of the ships have the capacity for another one.)
VL Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, a special
SMART-L radar and a Thales
Active Phased Array Radar (APAR), all of which are for air defence. Another example is the of the
Royal Danish Navy.
Littoral combat ship (LCS)
Some new classes of ships similar to
corvettes are optimized for high-speed deployment and combat with small craft rather than combat between equal opponents; an example is the U.S.
littoral combat ship (LCS). As of 2015, all s in the United States Navy have been decommissioned, and their role partially being assumed by the new LCS. While the LCS class ships are smaller than the frigate class they will replace, they offer a similar degree of weaponry while requiring less than half the crew complement and offering a top speed of over . A major advantage for the LCS ships is that they are designed around specific mission modules allowing them to fulfill a variety of roles. The modular system also allows for most upgrades to be performed ashore and installed later into the ship, keeping the ships available for deployment for the maximum time.
The latest U.S. deactivation plans mean that this is the first time that the U.S. Navy has been without a frigate class of ships since 1943 (technically is rated as a frigate and is still in commission, but does not count towards Navy force levels). The remaining 20 LCSs to be acquired from 2019 and onwards that will be enhanced will be designated as frigates, and existing ships given modifications may also have their classification changed to ''FF'' as well. However, the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
selected a
FREMM multipurpose frigate variant for a new of 20 frigates, to be built by Fincantieri beginning in 2024.
Further developments
Stealth technology
Stealth technology, also termed low observable technology (LO technology), is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive and active electronic countermeasures. The term covers a range of military technology, methods used to make personnel ...
has been introduced in modern frigate design by the French design. Frigate shapes are designed to offer a minimal
radar cross section, which also lends them good air penetration; the maneuverability of these frigates has been compared to that of sailing ships. Examples are the Italian and French with the
Aster 15 and
Aster 30 missile for anti-missile capabilities, the
German and
s, the
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n classes with the
Zircon missile, the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n , and classes with the
Brahmos missile system and the
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
n with the
Naval Strike Missile.
The modern
French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
applies the term first-class frigate and second-class frigate to both destroyers and frigates in service. Pennant numbers remain divided between F-series numbers for those ships internationally recognised as frigates and D-series pennant numbers for those more traditionally recognised as destroyers. This can result in some confusion as certain classes are referred to as frigates in French service while similar ships in other navies are referred to as destroyers. This also results in some recent classes of French ships such as the being among the largest in the world to carry the rating of frigate. The ''Frégates de Taille Intermédiaire'' (FTI), which means frigates of intermediate size, is a French military program to design and create a planned class of frigates to be used by the French Navy. At the moment, the program consists of five ships, with commissioning
planned from 2023 onwards.
In the
German Navy
The German Navy (, ) is part of the unified (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official ...
, frigates were used to replace aging destroyers; however in size and role the new German frigates exceed the former class of destroyers. The future German s are the largest class of frigates worldwide with a displacement of more than 7,200 tons. The same was done in the
Spanish Navy, which went ahead with the deployment of the first
Aegis frigates, the s. The
Myanmar Navy
The Myanmar Navy (; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Tatmadaw, the armed forces of Myanmar. With 19,000 active personnel, the navy operates more than 227 vessels. Prior to 1988, the navy was small, and its role in counterinsurgency, counte ...
is producing modern frigates with a reduced
radar cross section known as the . Before the Kyan Sittha class, the Myanmar Navy also produced an . Although the size of the Myanmar Navy is quite small, it is producing modern guided-missile frigates with the help of Russia, China, and India. However, the fleets of the Myanmar Navy are still expanding with several on-going shipbuilding programmes, including one , 4,000-tonne frigate with the
vertical missile launch systems.
The four planned
''Tamandaré''-class frigates of the
Brazilian Navy will be responsible for introducing ships with stealth technology in the national navy and the Latin American region, with the first boat expected to be launched in 2024.
Frigates in preservation
A few frigates have survived as museum ships. They are:
Original sailing frigates
* in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Second oldest commissioned warship in the world, oldest commissioned warship afloat. Active as the flagship of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
.
* NRP ''
Dom Fernando II e Glória'' in
Almada
Almada () is a city and a municipality in Portugal, located on the southern margin of the Tagus River, on the opposite side of the river from Lisbon. The two cities are connected by the 25 de Abril Bridge. The population of the municipality in 20 ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
.
* in
Hartlepool
Hartlepool ( ) is a seaside resort, seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is governed by a unitary authority borough Borough of Hartlepool, named after the town. The borough is part of the devolved Tees Valley area with an estimat ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
* in
Dundee
Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
Replica sailing frigates
* , sailing replica of the 1779 ''Hermione'' which carried
Lafayette to the United States.
* , originally named ''Grand Turk'' was built for the TV series
''Hornblower'' in 1997. She was sold to France in 2010 and renamed ''Étoile du Roy.''
* , a sailing replica of Russia's first warship, homeported in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
.
* in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, replica of HMS ''Rose'', used in the film, ''
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World''.
Steam frigates
* in
Den Helder,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.
* in
Ebeltoft,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
.
* , replica in
Esashi,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
* in
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
* in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
,
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
.
Modern era frigates
* in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
.
* in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
* TCG ''Ege'' (F256), formerly in
Izmit,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
.
* ROKS ''Taedong'' (PF-63), formerly in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
.
*
ROKS ''Ulsan'' (FF-951), in
Ulsan, South Korea.
*
ROKS ''Seoul'' (FF-952), in
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, South Korea.
* HTMS ''Tachin'' (PF-1), formerly in
Nakhon Nayok,
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
.
* HTMS ''Prasase'' (PF-2), formerly in
Rayong Province, Thailand.
*
HTMS ''Phutthaloetla Naphalai'' in
Sattahip, Thailand.
*
HTMS ''Phutthayotfa Chulalok'' in
Sattahip, Thailand.
*
CNS ''Yingtan'' (FFG-531) in Qingdao, China.
*
CNS ''Xiamen'' (FFG-515) in
Taizhou, China.
*
CNS ''Ji'an'' (FFG-518) in
Wuxue, China.
*
CNS ''Siping'' (FFG-544) in
Xingguo County, China
*
CNS ''Jinhua'' (FFG-534) in
Hengdian, China
*
CNS ''Dangdong'' (FFG-543) in
Dangdong, China
* in
Lucknow
Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...
, India (Planned)
* in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
* in London, England.
* in
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
(planned)
* in
Horten
Horten () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Jarlsberg. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Horten (town) ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
.
* in
Lumut, Malaysia.
* in
Yangon
Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...
,
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
Former museums
*
Dominican frigate ''Mella'' was on display in the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
from 1998 to 2003, when she was scrapped due to her deteriorating condition.
*
KD ''Rahmat'' was on display in
Lumut, Malaysia from 2011 to 2017. She sank at her moorings due to poor condition, and was later scrapped.
*
RFS ''Druzhnyy'' was on display in
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia from 2002 to 2016, until the museum plans fell through and was sold for scrap.
* was on display in
Birkenhead
Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...
, England from 1990 to 2006, when the museum that operated her was forced to close. She was later scrapped in 2012.
* CNS ''Nanchong'' (FF-502) was on display in
Qingdao,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
from 1988 to 2012, when her faulty material made preservation difficult and was later scrapped.
Operators
By country
* operates three
''Adhafer''-class frigates and two
MEKO A-200AN frigates
* operates six
''Espora''-class frigates/corvettes
* operates a single modified
* operates six s
* operates three s purchased from Belgium
* operates twelve s
* operates three
Jiangwei I-class frigates transferred from the navy
* operates four s
* operates four
''Thetis''-class frigates and three s, two s.
* operates two s purchased from Chile
* operates one
MEKO A-200EN frigate and a
''Black Swan''-class frigate used as training ship
* operates a single -class frigate
* operates four s, four s and three s with the latter sometimes classed as destroyers.
* operates nine s purchased from the Netherlands, and four s
* operates 14 frigates, comprising one
Nilgiri-class, three
s, seven
s, and three
s.
* operates two s, five s, purchased from the Netherlands, and three
''Bung Tomo''-class light frigates, purchased from the UK.
* operates five
s and three
s.
* operates two
''Thaon di Revel''-class patrol frigates, four
s.
* operates four s with more under construction and six
''Abukuma''-class frigates.
* operates two s
* operates six s, two s, and eight s.
* operates two s
* operates single
''Reformador''-class frigate
* operates three
''Tarik Ben Ziyad''-class frigates.
* operates two s and one
* operates a single
''Aradu''-class frigate, though its operational status is doubtful, and a single
''Obuma''-class frigate used as training hulk.
* operates seven s, with four being transferred from Italy
* operates a single , transferred from the Navy
* operates two s and two s
* operates three s
* operates one
''Gremyashchiy''-class frigates/corvettes, seven
''Steregushchiy''-class frigates/corvettes, three s, three s, two s, two s and two s.
* operates two s
* operates four s
* operates four s, made in Germany based on the
MEKO A200 design
* operates single and two old frigates used as training ships, the and .
* operates four s, four s, and one s..
* operates one
By class
current operator
* operates seven ships
* operates two ships
FREMM multipurpose frigate current operator
* operates two ''Bergamini''-class frigates from Italy, one ''Aquitaine''-class frigate from France
* operates eight ''Aquitaine''-class frigates
* operates ten ''Bergamini''-class frigates
* operates one
''Aquitaine''-class frigate ordered from France
current operator
* operates six ships
* operates two ships ordered from France
current operator
* operates two ships
* operates four ships
''Hamilton''-class patrol frigate current operator
* operates two
''Hamilton''-class patrol frigates from the United States
* operates two
''Hamilton''-class patrol frigates from the United States
* operates three
''Hamilton''-class patrol frigates from the United States
current operator
* operates two ships purchased from The Netherlands
* operates two ships purchased from The Netherlands
* operates two ships
* operates two ships purchased from the Netherlands
current operator
* operates five ships purchased from the US
* operates two ships purchased from the US
current operator
* operates three ships
* operates single ship
* operates single ship
current operator
* operates six s, which are the Taiwanese variant of the French ''La Fayette'' class
* operates five ships
* operates three s, which are the Saudi variant of the French ''La Fayette'' class
* operates six s, these are the Singapore variant of the French ''La Fayette'' class
current operator
* operates two ships donated from the US
* operates two s purchased from Australia, these are the Australian variant of the US ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' class
* operates 10 s, which are the Taiwanese variant of the US ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' class
* operates four ships
* operates a single ship purchased from the US
* operates two ships purchased from the US
* Operates six
s, these are the Spanish variant of the US ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' class
* operates eight s purchased from the US
current operator
* operates single ship
* operates five ships
Type 053 frigate current operator
* operates two Jianghu II-class frigates and two Jianghu III-class frigates purchased from China
* operates six Jianghu-class frigates and seven
Jiangwei II-class frigates
* operates two Jianghu II-class frigates purchased from China
* operates four s and two s purchased from China
* operates four s (a variant of the Chinese Type 053H3 frigate)
* operates a single
Jiangwei I-class frigate purchased from China
Type 054 frigate current operator
* operates 40
Jiangkai II-class frigates and two
Jiang kai I-class frigates.
* operates four s (a variant of the Chinese Type 054A frigate)
Type 22 frigate current operator
* operates single ship purchased from the UK
* operates single ship purchased from the UK
* operates two ships purchased from the UK
Type 23 frigate current operator
* operates three ships purchased from the UK
* operates eight ships
Disputed classes
These ships are classified by their respective nations as frigates, but are considered destroyers internationally due to size, armament, and role.
* operates three s and four s.
* operates four s.
* operates four s.
* operates the , classified as a destroyer until 2001.
* operates five s.
Former operators
* decommissioned its last true frigates, the in 1998.
* decommissioned its last in 1998.
* lost its entire fleet, including two s and the training frigate
''Ethiopia'', following the independence of Eritrea in 1991.
* decommissioned
EML ''Admiral Pitka'' in 2013.
* decommissioned its last in 1985.
* decommissioned all three s upon
German Reunification
German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
in 1990.
* lost its only operational frigate
''Ibn Khaldoum'' which was sunk in 2003.
* decommissioned its last in 1959.
* decommissioned all three
''Allende''-class frigates in 2016.
* decommissioned both its
''Kotor''-class frigates in 2019.
* transferred its two s to
Montenegro
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, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
upon their independence in 2006.
* decommissioned its last two
''Visby''-class frigates in 1982, following defense reviews.
* decommissioned its last in 2018.
* operated a single ''
Hetman Sahaidachny'' which was
scuttled in 2022.
* decommissioned its last in 2015.
* decommissioned its last in 2022.
* transferred its six remaining
''Trần Quang Khải''-class frigates to the Philippines following the
Fall of Saigon in 1975. The seventh ship was captured by North Vietnam and recommissioned into the
Vietnam People's Navy.
Future development
*

has ordered three
''Steregushchiy''-class frigates from Russia.
* has ordered nine s. These ships are the Australian variant of the
Type 26 frigates, and will carry the AEGIS combat system.
* is planning to build three
Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates to replace the current s. It is a joint project with the Netherlands.
* has ordered four s. These ships will replace Brazil's aging s.
* plans to order 15
Type 26 frigates as the design for the
Canadian Surface Combatant. These ships will replace the decommissioned s and s.
* is continuing to build
Jiangkai II-class frigates.
* is planning to build 10–15 new frigates to replace the aging ''Knox'' class and ''Cheng Kung'' class.
* is planning to build four s. These vessels, despite their classification have been described as frigates by the Finnish defense ministry and lead to a debate over the classification in the Finnish Parliament.
* is building five
Amiral Ronarc'h-class frigates.
* has ordered six
F126 frigates to replace the s. Construction of the first vessel started in December 2023.
* is planning to build three
''Belharra''-class frigates as a part of plans for replacing its aging s. There is an option for a fourth ship.
* is building a total of 11 frigates, seven
s and 4
Talwar-class frigate. Another 8 ships of
Project 17B are planned.
* is currently building one
Type 31 frigate with another one planned. Indonesia will also order six
''Bergamini''-class frigates and two .
* is building 16
''Thaon di Revel''-class frigates. These vessels will replace the decommissioned s and s. Italy is also planning to commission two more
''Bergamini''-class frigates.
* is currently building four more s.
* is currently building four
s. These ships will replace the
s.
* is currently building six s.
* is currently building six s and currently planning for 12 ships for the class.
* will commission one more
''Reformador''-class frigate.
* is constructing a new frigate which is long and displaces 4,000 tonnes.
* is planning to build four
Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates to replace the current s. It is a joint project with Belgium.
* is currently building three
Projekt 106 frigates to replace its aging
''Oliver Hazard Perry''-class frigates.
* is currently building ten
s.
* ordered four upgraded versions of the from the United States. These ships are to replace the aging s.
* is currently planning to build five s. These ships will replace Spain's s.
* is currently building an additional .
* is currently building the s as a part of the
MILGEM project.
* was building one
''Volodymyr Velykyi''-class frigate. Construction began in 2011, then suffered delays and was completely stopped in 2014. The Black Sea Shipyard responsible for the program went bankrupt in 2021, the ship was only 17% complete.
It was hoped that this class would help rebuild the Ukrainian Navy, which has been depleted since the capture of most of its fleet following the 2014 Russian Annexation of Crimea. The United States has offered to transfer two ''Oliver Hazard Perry''-class frigates to Ukraine.
* is currently building eight
Type 26 frigates. These ships, along with five planned
Type 31 frigates will replace the
Type 23 frigates currently in service. Additionally, five
Type 32 frigates are also planned to supplement the Royal Navy's strength.
* is currently building 20 s. These ships are a variant of the
FREMM multipurpose frigate and will replace the decommissioned ''Oliver Hazard Perry''-class frigates. As of 2024, 6 frigates have been funded.
See also
*
Frigate 36, a sailboat design, named in honour of the warship class
* , a destroyer design officially named Project 1155 ''Fregat'', which translates to frigate or
frigatebird
*
List of escorteurs of the French Navy
*
List of frigate classes
*
List of frigate classes by country
*
List of frigates of World War II
*
United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification
References
Citations
Sources
*
* Bennett, G. (2001)''The Battle of Trafalgar'', Barnsley (2004). .
* Constam, Angus & Bryan, Tony, British Napoleonic Ship-Of-The-Line, Osprey Publishing, 184176308X
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Lambert, Andrew (1984) ''Battleships in Transition, the Creation of the Steam Battlefleet 1815–1860'', published Conway Maritime Press, .
*
* Lavery, Brian. (1983) ''The Ship of the Line, Volume 1: The Development of the Battlefleet, 1650–1850''. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, .
* Lavery, Brian. (1984) ''The Ship of the Line, Volume 2: Design, Construction and Fittings''. Annapolis, Md.:
Naval Institute Press
The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...
, .
* Lavery, B. (2004) ''Ship'', Dorling Kindersly, Ltd . .
* Mahan, A.T. (2007) ''The Influence of Sea Power Upon History 1660–1783'', Cosimo, Inc.
* Marriott, Leo. ''Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983'', Ian Allan, 1983, .
* Macfarquhar, Colin & Gleig, George (eds.), ((1797)) ''Encyclopædia Britannica: Or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature'', London, Volume 17, Third Edition.
*
* Sondhaus, L. ''Naval Warfare, 1815–1914''.
* Winfield, Rif. (1997) ''The 50-Gun Ship''. London: Caxton Editions, , .
External links
Frigatesfrom battleships-cruisers.co.uk – history and pictures of United Kingdom frigates since World War II
from Destroyers OnLine – pictures, history, crews of United States frigates since 1963
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Frigates
Ship types
Naval sailing ship types
Ship designs of the Spanish Empire