Destroyers
The destroyer evolved from the need of navies to counter a new ship which made a devastating debut in the Chilean Civil War of 1891 and in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894. This was the swift, small torpedo boat that could dash in close to the larger ships, loose their torpedoes and dash away. The world's navies recognized the need for a counter weapon, and so the torpedo boat destroyer—later just "destroyer"—was born. Modern destroyers have evolved greatly from this initial role; some are arguably the primary surface combatants of their fleets.
- Arleigh Burke class (61 in commission, 1 launched, 4 under contract, 75 planned)
- Zumwalt class (1 under construction, 1 ordered, 1 more planned) — designed as multi-mission ships with a focus on land attack.
Read more about this topic: Naval Ships Of The United States
Famous quotes containing the word destroyers:
“Armies, though always the supporters and tools of absolute power for the time being, are always the destroyers of it too; by frequently changing the hands in which they think proper to lodge it.”
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)