#Fifth-Rate Frigate

[lonestarbattleship]

"USS CONSTITUTION, under the command of Captain Isaac Hull, sailed from Boston on August 2, 1812 to off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. On the afternoon of August 19, 1812 Hull and his crew sighted the British frigate HMS GUERRIERE, under the command of Captain James Richard Dacres.

As GUERRIERE closed to within a mile of the CONSTITUTION, the British hoisted their colors the two ships engaged in a fire fight. The CONSTITUTION’s thick hull, composed of white oak planking and live oak frames, proved resilient to enemy cannonballs. During the engagement, an American sailor was heard exclaiming, 'Huzza! Her sides are made of iron! See where the shot fell out!'. After intense combat, the severely damaged Guerriere was forced to surrender.

The next morning, Hull made the difficult decision to scuttle GUERRIERE. CONSTITUTION sailed for Boston and arrived on August 30. News of Constitution‘s victory quickly spread through town and throngs of cheering Bostonians greeted Hull and his crew. A militia company escorted Hull to a reception at the Exchange Coffee House and more dinners, presentations and awards followed in the ensuing weeks, months, and years. USS CONSTITUTION, for her impressive strength in battle, earned the nickname 'Old Ironsides.'"

Date: August 19, 1812

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: NH 64419-KN, 66-335-L, 66-335-M, 54-017-A, 66-193-A, 07-763-A, 60-362-C

[ltwilliammowett]

HMS Arethusa leads the Western Frigate Squadron out of Falmouth Bay, by Maarten Platje (1967-)

HMS Arethusa was a 38-gun Minerva-class fifth-rate frigate launched on 10 April 1781. During the French Revolutionary Wars, Arethusa was assigned to the British Western Frigate Squadron under Commodore John Borlase Warren. The other ships in the squadron are the 38-gun HMS Nymphe, 36-gun HMS Flora, HMS Melampus and HMS Concorde.

[currinsrnznships]

Fifty years dedicated to Navy

Three teenagers who presented themselves for basic training in 1975 are still reporting for duty at Devonport Naval Base today.

07 February, 2025

Commander Muzz Kennett, Warrant Officer Electronic Technician (WOET) Mark Naldrett-Jays MNZM and Chief Petty Officer Cryptologic Technician (CPOCT) Darby Allen MNZM, DSD are three graduates from training intake 75/1.

The trio celebrated 50 years of service last month with an intake reunion at Devonport RSA, which included the Deputy Chief of Navy Commodore Quentin Randall presenting them with their cap tally boards, detailing the ships and shore units they have served in. Commander Kennett, the youngest in an intake of around 180 boys, had the duty of cutting the reunion cake with the oldest intake member at the reunion.

Commander Kennett, the youngest in an intake of around 180 boys, had the duty of cutting the reunion cake with the oldest intake member at the reunion.

Commander Kennett turned 16 two days before his arrival at training establishment HMNZS Tamaki on 15 January.

“You could join at 16. Your time in service until 17 and a half years was called boys’ time and didn’t count towards your actual time in service. That’s since been corrected.”

As a Boy Scout in Whangārei, he’d been thinking about joining the services. “Navy recruiters came to Whangarei Boys’ High School and awakened my interest. I sat the entrance exam and got accepted as a Weapons Electrical Mechanic. I was in the fifth form at that stage.”

He got on a bus to Auckland and took the ferry across the harbour to Tamaki. After basic training both he and WOET Naldrett-Jays did WEM training, then became radio mechanics. For this kind of technical trade, Navy life is about courses ashore, then going to sea, he says.

CDR Kennett likes to think of his Navy time as two careers, making Warrant Officer in the early nineties, then commissioning in 2002 and tackling a watchkeeping course, sending him on the path of a seaman officer career for the next 20-plus years. Notable postings include commands of Inshore Patrol Craft HMNZS Kahu and HMNZS Manawanui III, the Navy’s dive tender from 1988 to 2018.

His wife Gail might have remarked that command of Manawanui was “just getting your own fishing boat” but they accomplished a lot with that ship, he says. One highlight was taking Manawanui to the Solomon Islands in 2016 for Operation Render Safe, with divers removing explosive remnants of war.

He is currently in charge of the Navy’s Operation Performance Analysis Unit.

“Some people leave the Navy to have a second career, but I’ve had a pretty good one. There’s always ups and downs, and postings not as good as others, but this organisation has given me opportunities, and key to that is taking them. When the Navy has asked me to do things, I’ve done it.”

He's fond of Manawanui’s old official homeport, Whitianga, and is eyeing up retirement there.

WOET Naldrett-Jays was interviewed by the Navy Today magazine at the 45-year mark, where he commented on how the years “had snuck up on him”.

The intervening five years seems to have gone by at the same rate, he says.

He is currently the Navy’s Inspector Combat Systems, providing shore support for the fleet for all combat systems. But he’s not been short of recent sea postings, including two years posted in frigate-systems-upgraded HMNZS Te Mana.

As a teenager from Naenae, Lower Hutt, he says he enjoyed the camaraderie of basic training. In his trade he progressed from Weapons Electrical Mechanic to Radio Mechanic, which evolved to Electronics Technician.

“I’ve enjoyed every posting I’ve had. They’ve always been good to me, and I’ve always enjoyed myself. I joined to go to sea, and I still enjoy going to sea. I would always talk up the life to young people.”

The trio celebrated 50 years of service last month with an intake reunion at Devonport RSA.

CPOCT Allen was 16 years and one month old when he joined. “I took the 4am train from Hamilton to Auckland and got met by a sailor at the train station. There was a bunch of us who hopped onto an open-backed truck and got driven over to Tamaki.”

He joined as a radio operator, reaching Chief Radio Supervisor and becoming the Navy’s first Communication Analyst.

“I’ve had thousands of hours of sea time. For me, the old HMNZS Canterbury frigate was one of the best ships around. I’ve been around the world twice, including the Silver Jubilee Royal Fleet Review at Spithead in 1977.”

CPOCT Allen was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1998 and received the Distinguished Service Decoration in 2009. He is currently the Head of School for the Communication Technician trades.

In 50 years, WOET Naldrett-Jays and CPOCT Allen say the biggest changes they’ve seen are the advances in technology.

“The introduction of the Anzac frigates, that was a huge change for us,” says CPOCT Allen. “I’ve served on both of them, and we had to understand the technology and adapt ourselves to meet that.”

CPOCT Allen says it’s the constant challenges that keeps in him in the Navy. “This ever-changing world we live in, where you’re trying to make a difference. I’ve done four tours in Afghanistan. And today’s tri-service environment means there’s always more challenges, always more variety.”

[footnotelovenote]

Baby You're First-Rate

Rated Navy ships in the 17th to 19th centuries [from the Royal Museums Greenwich]

The rating system of the British Royal Navy was used to categorise warships between the 17th and 19th centuries. There were six rates of warship.

A ship’s rate was basically decided by the number of guns she carried, from the largest 120-gun First Rate, down to the Sixth Rate 20-gun ships. Captains commanded rated ships, which were always ship rigged – meaning they had three square-rigged masts.

First Rate

First Rate ships were the biggest of the fleet with their gun batteries carried on three decks. They were generally used as flagships and fought in the centre of the line-of-battle. They were armed with a minimum of 100 heavy cannon, carried a crew of about 850 and were over 2000 tons Builder’s Measure (a formula for calculating the capacity of the ship, not the displacement of the ship as is the practice today).

Second Rate

The Second Rate ships of the line were also three-deckers, but smaller and cheaper. They mounted between 90 and 98 guns, and like the First Rates fought in the centre of the line-of-battle. Generally around the 2000 ton mark, they had a crew of about 750. Unlike the First Rates, which were too valuable to risk in distant stations, the Second Rates often served overseas as flagships. They had a reputation for poor handling and slow sailing.

Third Rate

The most numerous line-of-battle ships were the two-decker Third Rates with 64–80 guns. The most effective and numerous of these was the 74-gun ship, in many ways the ideal compromise of economy, fighting power and sailing performance, which formed the core of the battle fleet. They carried a crew of about 650 men.

Fourth Rate

Two decker ships of 50–60 guns were no longer ‘fit to stand in the line of battle’ by the end of the 18th century. With two decks, their extra accommodation made them suitable flagships for minor overseas stations, while their relatively shallow draught made them useful as headquarter ships for anti-invasion operations in the North Sea and the English Channel. They were also useful as convoy escorts, troopships and even on occasion, as convict transports. In normal service they had a crew of 350 and measured around 1000 tons.

Fifth Rate

These were the frigates, the Navy’s ‘glamour ships’. With their main armament on a single gundeck, they were the fast scouts of the battle fleet, when not operating in an independent cruising role, searching out enemy merchant ships, privateers or enemy fleets. Developed from early-18th century prototypes, the Fifth Rates of Admiral Lord Nelson’s time had a variety of armaments and gun arrangements, from 32–40 guns. Captured enemy frigates were also used in service, and many of the best British-built ships were copied or adapted from French designs. Their tonnage ranged from 700 to 1450 tons, with crews of about 300 men.

Sixth Rate

The Sixth Rates were smaller and more lightly armed frigates, with between 22 and 28 guns, a crew of about 150, and measured 450 to 550 tons.

Find out about ‘unrated’ Royal Navy vessels in the 17th to 19th centuries

[hzaidan]

HMS Ambuscade was a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, built in 1773. The French captured her in 1798 but the British recaptured her in 1803. She was broken up in 1810…

Please follow link for full post

Art,Paintings,Sand,artist,ANGE-JOSEPH-ANTOINE ROUX,Umbrellas,biography,History,Sea,Beach,Marine,Zaidan,Ships,Seascape,footnotes,

01 Painting, Marine Art, ANGE-JOSEPH-ANTOINE ROUX's ACTION BETWEEN FRIGATES, With Footnotes #314

[105nt]

Research dump. Working on a theory that Leda Strike was named Leda not because of the well-known myth depicted on the wall of the Rivoli, but because her father was a ship-enthusiast. It keeps me out of trouble. And it's long struck me as an odd name to choose for a child.

HMS Leda was an 18pdr-armed, 38 gun, Fifth Rate frigate, built at the Chatham Royal Dockyard. The ship went on to be the lead vessel of a class of 47 large frigates.

Two of the Leda class still exist, and one - HMS Trincomalee - was, for some time, moored in Falmouth.

So pretty. I know that's not the point.

There was also a minesweeper called Leda but I can't find a Cornish connection. Not that there needs to be one, I suppose. Ted and Leda's father might have been interested in war ships in general.

[clove-pinks]

March 2nd 1813 - HMS Aeolus, a 32-gun Amphion class fifth rate frigate, commanded by Captain James Townshend; and HMS Sophie, a 16-gun Cruizer class unrated brig-sloop, commanded by Commander Nicholas Lockyer; capture the U.S. Lighthouse Service schooner Federal Jack, commanded by Captain Brigham, off Charleston, South Carolina.

[nebris]

SHIP'S COMPANY OF HMS SURPRISE, (FORMER UNITE 1794) BY GEOFF HUNT

Though credited with 34 guns, this very small 650-ton frigate might be better described as a corvette. Originally the French Unité, she was captured by HMS Inconstant on April 20, 1796. She was re-armed and classed as a 28-gun ship. She actually carried 24 32 lb carronades on her main deck, 8 32 lb carronades on her quarter deck, and 4 6 lb long guns on her fore-deck. French frigates were much sought after by the British, because of their maneuverability and speed.

Geoff Hunt brings to life a typical ship’s company for a fifth-rate at  about the maximum establishment of 200. The captain and the three lieutenants (naval and marine) are the only commissioned officers. The principal warrant officers were the master, purser, surgeon, boatswain, gunner, carpenter and the cook; of whom the master, purser and surgeon  were regarded as gentlemen, and together with the lieutenants formed the company of the wardroom.

[acrossthewavesoftime]

My Most Esteemed Friend:

I’m newly obsessed with HMS Rainbow, which spent most of 1777 cruising the Maine and Atlantic Canadian coasts and performing daring feats of navigation up and down some of Maine’s tidal rivers. Do you have any information at the tips of your fingers about this vessel? Or about her captain (who appears to be called “Sir George” colloquially around these parts)?

Yours,

PW

My Equally Eſteem'd Friend,

No problem! I have to admit though that the first thing my somewhat weary brain came up with when I read your ask last night was "HMS Rainbow? Sounds like the perfect antagonist for the second series of that new pirate show everybody who watched it is now obsessed with!"

Joking aside, I am a great deal more knowledgeable when it comes to the very beginning of the war, but finding 'your' ship and her captain was surprisingly easy!

HMS Rainbow was a fifth-rate ship armed with 20 18-pounders on the lower and 22 9-pounders on the upper gun deck as well as two additional 6-pounders arming the forecastle.

A perfect example nominal determinism, Rainbow, launched in 1747, had a colourful history by the time she was sold in 1802, having served in North America, off the African coast, in Western Europe and the Mediterranean.

One aspect of her service record that struck me personally was the taking of the French privateer Le Comte de Noailles in 1748-- dear @nordleuchten, do we know anything about in how far (if at all) La Fayette's in-laws were involved in privateering?

As for her captain in 1777, the man you are looking for is Sir George Collier (1732-1795), who commanded HMS Rainbow between late December 1775 and early April 1779.

London Chronicle, 23-25 January 1776, giving the news of HMS Rainbow being fitted out for her voyage to the North American Station under Captain Sir George Collier. NDAR vol. 3, p. 533.

T. Blood and Joyce Gold, posthumous portrait of Admiral Sir George Collier, print, 1814. In the collection of the National Maritime Museum.

Collier appears to have been the most senior captain on that part of the coastline and although I don't think he was ever made a commodore, served as the local coordinator in charge of other Royal Navy vessels.

I've done a quick search for his name in a couple of the relevant volumes of the NDAR, and it appears the Americans really, really didn't like him:

Independent Chronicle, Boston, dated 19 June 1777. NDAR vol. 9, p. 142.

Calling British naval officers pirates is, as far as I have seen, a rather common narrative; however referring to them as "poor, simple, harmless" is not. Interestingly, Collier had taken the frigate USS Hancock (32) eleven days earlier (for Collier's account of the taking, see e.g. NDAR vol. 9 p. 279 f.). One wonders if the editors belittled Collier in order to boost morale after a smarting defeat at sea.

I think by going through the relevant volumes (I've only skipped through two concerning the year 1777) of the NDAR you'll probably find quite some information on his exploits on the Maine coastline!

As I said, my detailed knowledge of the captains on the North American station fizzes out after 1776, but it appears he must have been quite a character, whose talents exceeded the nautical sphere: Collier was a published author and playwright, gaining some fame with his play Selima and Azor, which was inspired by the tale of the Beauty and the Beast, but, likely to appeal to the fashionable taste for Turquerie at the time, re-imagines the story in Persia (or rather, the idea of Persia of a British individual who has never been there). The play premiered on Drury Lane in 1776 and was repeated in different theatres over the next couple of decades. The script linked above is connected to a 1784 production by the Theatre Royal with the famous actress Sophia Baddeley as the female lead. The British museum is in possession of a drawing depicting the actress Mrs. Atkins in the role of Selima in 1805, testimony of the play's continued popularity.

Engraving by an unknown artist: Priscilla Kemble, née Hopkins (who would have been a distant relation to Margaret Kemble-Gage by marriage if I'm not mistaken) as Selima in a 1778 production of the play. In the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.

Other than that, he also wrote an account of his travels in Continental Europe, which were published by his granddaughter around the middle of the 19th century unde the title France on the Eve of the Great Revolution. France, Holland, and the Netherlands, a Century Ago.

The National Maritime Museum also appears to be in possession of a manuscript titled The War in America by Adm Sir George Collier, which has however, alas, not been digitised and is dated to 1776, thus predating his Maine exploits you are interested in.

I hope I could help you a little bit- if you find anything interesting about Collier in your research, I would be quite curious- only, of course, if you feel comfortable sharing it.

I am, &c.

R.

[ltwilliammowett]

Joseph Thompson

Joseph Thompson (died 1719) was a pirate from Trinidad, Cuba and was one of the 209 pirates on New Providence who declared to Captain Vincent Pearse their intention to accept an offer of amnesty and pardon made in 1718. Together with Charles Vane and several others, he soon returned to piracy. After hiring an additional crew for his sloop Eagle, he captured and plundered several ships in the area. In December 1718, within sight of Port Royal, Thompson captured a ship called the Kingston, whose cargo was worth over £20,000. The ship owners complained to the Jamaican governor Nicholas Lawes, but there were no Royal Navy warships available.

Instead, Lawes commissioned two sloops in the harbour and promised them a share of the pirates' treasure in addition to the rewards King George had promised in his proclamation of September 1717 to combat piracy. The two sloops set sail before the end of the year and encountered the pirate ship and another captured vessel. The pirate ship under Captain Thompson hoisted a black flag and proceeded to attack.

Thompson's ship passed alongside one of the pirate raiders and ‘threw a large number of powder flasks, shells and stink cans into the ship, killing and wounding several and causing others to jump overboard. ‘The other pirate raider collected the survivors, whose accounts of the fight ‘so disheartened the men on board the other ship that they made their way back to Port Royal.’ Thompson's crew of 150 men, ‘bandits of all nations’, abandoned the remaining sailors in the Cayman Islands.

Jamaica's merchants again appealed to Lawes to take action against Thompson. Lawes, with the help of the merchants, commissioned four more sloops with 10 guns and 80 crew and, after refitting another sloop in Port Royal and the arrival of the fifth-rate frigate HMS Ludlow Castle, divided his forces to protect the arriving merchantmen and hunt down Thompson. Four of the sloops soon cornered Thompson's ship, killed him and salvaged the Kingston. Some of the surviving crew members were captured to await trial in Bermuda, where they were found guilty and hanged in 1720.

Little, Benerson (2010). Pirate Hunting: The Fight Against Pirates, Privateers, and Sea Raiders from Antiquity to the Present

Fox, E. T. (2014). Pirates In Their Own Words

Woodard, Colin (2008). The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down

[ghostxofxartemis]

Summary: When's the best or worst time to bring your boyfriend home to introduce to your Spectre Father Commander Shepard? Prom Night!

Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy

Relationships: John Shepard/Ashley Williams, Alexandra Shepard/Jason Argyle

Rating: General Audience 

Also available on AO3.

Grissom Academy’s docks were currently occupied by many shuttles, small ships for those who could afford them or who were government employees. But there was one ship - no frigate , that stood out from the rest; Normandy SR-2.

The parents’ of the students were currently walking back to their shuttles or ships, while the graduate students gathered in the Atrium, graduation ceremony having just ended, chatting up with their friends before they went back to either their room or their parents ship to get ready for their Prom Night. Tomorrow, they’d all be leaving to go home.

Jason Argyle currently held Alexandra Shepard in a tight embrace and kissed the crown of her head. He had grown up to be quite tall, almost as tall as her father, standing at 6”1. Alex was just an inch taller than her mother, standing at 5”10. “You know, actually seeing your father in person for the first time. I’m slightly terrified of going to ask him about “officially” taking you out.” He sighed. They’d been best friends since Alex arrived at Grissom Academy at the age of thirteen, and eventually they admitted their feelings for each other and had moved on to the next stage of their relationship about six months ago. Of course, they had gone out with other people in their grades, but those relationships had never lasted long.

Alex buried her head against his chest and laughed. You have no idea how terrifying he can be when you get on his bad side. But only if you get on his bad side. “Your mother is just as intimidated. I mean...C’mon! Your parents are the first and second human spectres and your father is the Savior of the fucking Galaxy! How can one not be intimidated by him?!”

“You’ll be fine, you may have a sniper pointed at your head. But as long as you don’t say something witty right away, you should come out alive,” she retorted.

“Really, that’s not helping! Thanks, Alex.” She could picture him scowling at her, which made her laugh even more. She tilted her head to look up at him, lifted herself on her toes slightly to kiss his chin.

Jason, although a couple years older than Alex, was in the same grade. It wasn’t that he was held back a few years, he had been almost a year old during the Reaper war, and that meant he hadn’t been able to start school until a couple years later than usual. Just like some other students in her grade.

“Alex! There you are!”

Alex pulled away from Jason and looked at the direction she heard the familiar voice come from and scanned the faces. She didn’t have to scan too long as her good friend Lauren Hernandez, another one of the biotics at Grissom Academy, ran up to her and hugged her tightly. “You better get going, people are talking and gawking at your father’s ship. If you don’t want the attention, I’d go now,” she let Alex go. Lauren knew just how much Alex hated the attention that came with being the daughter of the Savior of the Galaxy. She punched Jason on his bicep “good luck later, buddy” before walking off in the directions of the dorm rooms. She looked back over her shoulder quickly, noticing they were watching her go, she waved, “I’ll see you guys later!”

“Well, if i’m going to look presentable when I face your father, I, also, better get going and get ready,” he kissed the bridge of her nose, “I’ll pick you up later in the Normandy, I guess,” he sighed, “someone shoot me now and get it over and done with.”

Alex made a show of scowling at him, “alright, see you later” turned on her heels and walked in the direction of the security to make her way back to her father’s ship.

                                                             ~n~

John, still in his black suit and tie, was sitting at one of the tables down in the crew mess. Garrus was leaning against the counters and told John he’d be right here behind Shepard making a show of ‘working’ on his Viper so that they could intimidate the boy together. John was currently facing Garrus but not directly looking at him, elbows on the table as he leaned slightly backwards.

“Now, Shepard. Just how bad are you planning on scaring the kid?”

“Just enough to know what I’ll do to him if he ever lays a hand on her and I catch him. Remember, I taught Alex how to defend herself, but it doesn’t mean I’m just going to let any hormone crazed boy date my daughter,” John shifted his glance to meet Garrus’ now. Last thing John needed was his daughter dating someone like how he used to be before he met Ashley. He remembered all too well how climbing up the ranks of the 10th Street Reds granted him any women he wanted and sometimes even two at the time. Those days were long gone now, there was only one woman who held his heart now, only one woman he wanted to please.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten you taught her. Still can’t believe she managed to take you down like that,” Garrus laughed, remembering Alex getting her father in an arm-bar in the cargo hold as crew members looked on during their off duty hours. They’d always like to watch them train together.

“Proudest moment of my life,” John grinned, remembering how proud he was of her. It had happened just before she started her last year of Senior High.

John stood up with the biggest smile on his face. She had baited him, just like he taught her, placed her right leg behind his left leg and hopped a bit closer, closing the distance. Of course she hadn’t expected to take him down like that, no, he was a much bigger, stronger and tactical opponent. She wanted him to unbalance her and to throw her to the ground, and then, she brought her right leg behind his shoulder, and her left leg over his head, and with her weight, she pushed him to the ground - using his body weight against him,-  she squeezed his arm between her legs, she bridged up and he tapped before she broke his arm. The student had finally become the teacher. Even James still hasn’t managed to take her father down. Crowd cheering her, she had jumped to her feet, excited beyond words that she managed to take him down and ran along the cargo hold, high-fiveing James, Cortez, Garrus and the rest of the onlookers before leaping onto father's back. He’d manage to catch her legs and shift her weight so they were resting on his hips before spinning around in excitement.

“I feel bad for the guy who gets on her bad side. But, then again she is a mix of you and Williams. Dangerous mix, if you ask me.”

“No one’s asking, Garrus,” John laughed all too aware how a mix of their personalities combined in one could cause collateral damage. He’s seen her be like him, patient, deliberate, tactful and persuasive and then like a flip of a switch she could be blunt and dangerous... feisty like her mother.

‘That’s impressive, Sarah must be just as good as you’. John had said to Ashley down in the cargo hold of the Normandy SR1, as she told him about the time Sarah had an encounter with a boyfriend. ‘Better I’m more or less of a straight up puncher,’ is what Ashley had said, what seemed like a thousand years ago now, to compare her sister, Sarah, to herself. It’s accurate.

They heard the door from the elevator open and their gaze shifted into it’s direction, and they spotted Traynor rounding the corner with a young man following behind her. She saluted to Shepard, “that’s him, sir,” pointing to the younger man behind her.

“Thanks, Traynor. You’re dismissed,” he nodded at her and she turned to head back into the elevator to head back to her post in the CIC.

John stood up from his seat, and motioned to Jason to have a seat on the bench. Garrus was now into action, he grabbed a ragged and started cleaning wiping down his viper. Pretending he was getting it ready for battle.

Jason took a seat on the bench, he placed the corsage on the table and John studied him. He didn’t speak right away, instead he took purposeful steps back and forth in front of the kid, in the goal of getting him nervous, all the while keeping his eyes on the kid. He knew it was working when Jason brought a hand to his collar of his suit and adjusted it before bringing his hand down, swallowing hard and slowly.

“What’s your background?”

“M….my background, sir?” Jason asked confused.

“Yes, your background. Where did you grow up? Did you have stability? Background,” he paused in his tracks, shifted his weight onto one hip and crossed his arms. Behind him, a click could be heard from Garrus’ sniper.

Jason gulped, “parents’ are Alliance, sir. Father serves in the fifth fleet under Admiral Hackett. He’s N7, like you” he added hastily. Man, he’s so intimidating, he thought. “Mother is back on Earth. London. She’s a lawyer for the Alliance.”

John nodded, good start. Kid’s from a good background, seem respectful, disciplined, I can see that. Most students at Grissom Academy came from a good background, a stable family who did very well. It wasn’t everyone who could afford to send their children to the Academy. But cost wasn’t an issue for two people who were on Alliance Officer and Spectre Salary.

Jason continued, “I got three older brothers, also all serving in the Alliance. Also, a younger sister” he didn’t think it was important, but he could be wrong, and he didn’t feel like taking his chances right now.

“What’s your future goal?” John was always a man straight to the point.

“I have a knack for engineering, sir. I plan on enlisting, and then going to college to pursue engineering. Serving has been a tradition in my family,” he nervously adjusted his collar again.

John gave Garrus a quick glance, and the Turian nodded. They had an understanding: if the Turian nodded, he agreed that he liked where this was going so far. If not, well he’d have to change tactics. He looked back at Jason.

“What are your intentions with my daughter?” another click from Garrus’ viper, and he adjusted slightly, aiming it more into Jason’s direction now.

Jason’s green eyes widened. “Nothing, sir!”

“Nothing?” John demanded. “So you mean to just lead her on and toss her aside after tonight?” John's eyes flared as he uncrossed his arms, and walked towards Jason bringing his face up close to the younger man and placing his hands on either side of him, cornering him. Jason could have sworn they almost glowed red from overhead light at this angle, but that’s impossible. Is it?

“No, no, no” Jason interjected quickly, then took a deep breath trying to calm his rising heart beat. He heard another click from the turian’s sniper. Oh God, I’m a dead man.

“Oh my God, dad! What are you doing?!” Alex stood just in front of the table, one hand on her right hip as she shifted her weight on her left leg. John hadn’t heard her approach. He looked up at her, and his lips curled down. Alex’s lips twitched upwards slightly as she rolled her eyes. Expecting this exact reaction from her father.

She wore a navy blue dress, which brought out her blue eyes, just like blue brought out his. But the bosom of the dress was heart shaped, decaled with gold gems that shined when the light hit it in certain angle, revealing just enough cleavage that was appropriate for a young woman her age, but it was still a bit too much to John’s taste, that made her father - would make any father- uncomfortable.  The dress, made out of Italian silk material, hugged her curves perfectly, revealing a matured body. Her face was framed by loose strands of hair that had been curled, an elegant braid was pulled back with the rest of her brown hair in a twist and ending in a messy bun at the base of her neck. Her make-up was done up, smokey eyes, with a natural coloured blush with a hint of pink tint in but not overly powering. Her lipstick was a fiery red.

John groaned slightly, she looked absolutely stunning, which tightened his chest slightly. She wasn’t his little girl anymore, the one that jumped in puddles of mud, catching frogs with her brother and tormenting her cousins when they visited the Williams’ back on Earth for the holidays. Or the little girl that liked to get dirty down in the engineer deck with Chief Engineer Adams, Donnelly and Gabby, learning everything she could from them. She always had a curious mind, seeking more knowledge. She’d grown up into a beautiful young woman. John shifted his glance back at Jason, his eyebrows furrowing together in a V shape, father instincts on high alert now.

“No, sir. What I mean is...my intentions are pure. She’s a strong willed woman, brave, smart and witty. Admirable traits. But she’s also scary and for that, I would never want to get on her bad side, not intentionally. Instead, I want to protect her. Be a shoulder for her to cry on. Be there for her on her good days and her bad days, I haven’t...we haven’t...” he held his breath as he waited for John’s reaction.

John understood what he and met, and looked backwards back at Garrus, and also noticed Ashley was now standing next to the Turian, her arms crossed. “He’s got guts to face you like that, Shepard, or maybe he’s just stupid. Either way, I’m starting to like him,” Garrus mandibles clicked together in the way it suggested he was laughing. John nodded as well. Not at a lot of people were brave enough or stupid enough to face Shepard the way this kid just did, and for that he respected him. John looked back to Jason, “If you ever harm my daughter in any way…”

“I don’t plan on it sir. I’m not looking forward to seeing what you would do to me,” Jason attempted to chuckle but it came out more as a strangled cough.

“Good man,” John straightened, releasing Jason from his prison hold and taking a few steps back. When Jason didn’t move, he added ‘well, what are you waiting for? Go on, get out of here! Make sure you bring her back to my ship as soon as the prom is done or I’ll come after you.”

Scrambling to his feet, Jason picked up the corsage from the table and walked over to Alex. She looked up at him and mouthed “I’m sorry”. Jason, spreading the band or the corsage with his fingers, offered it to her and she slid her wrist in the loop, and he then affectionately squeezed her wrist before lowering his arm. She pined the boutonniere on his lapel, then he offered his arm and she took, leading him to the elevator and head out for prom night.

“I’m surprised you didn’t want to interview him in the cargo hold, to space him if he said the wrong thing.” Garrus chuckled.

“I was tempted,” John smirked.

“Did you really let her pick that dress?” John asked Ashley as she approached him, placing her head on his shoulder.

“You only get one prom,” she said and kissed his cheek and made her way to the elevator.

Notes:

*So, since Ashley and her sisters all took self-defense growing up, and John being Earthborn and growing up in a gang, I have this inkling that both of them would want their kids to also learn self-defense. I also figured, since John would have probably picked up some knowledge in mixed martial arts with street fighting during his time in a gang, on top of the hand to hand combat he would have learned in basic, then probably even more during N7 training, that he’d be perfect one to teach Alex and Kaidan some self-defense. I also put in my knowledge, as someone who does Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in real life/personal take downs I've witnessed or done myself, into this little story.

[lafiametta]

Whispering sweetness, which once coursed through us

A (belated) birthday gift for @arcticelves, who sent me this Jopson/Little prompt: “If you’re still taking Lopson prompts, may I ask for Jopson shaving Little?” Of course you may – and I hope you enjoy the result! 

Just to explain, this is a continuation of my Little-sees-Jopson-in-his-dress-uniform-at-the-Admiralty-reception story (or at least is part of that ‘verse). And the title, as always, is borrowed from Rainer Maria Rilke. 

They were two days out from port, with a fine wind in their sails, and Edward could not help but feel a spirit of lightness about himself as well, a buoyancy that he ascribed to being once more surrounded by open waters.

The Thetis was a fair vessel, a fifth-rate frigate built only two years earlier, and much of her crew consisted of fresh recruits who still appeared a touch untested at their posts. His reputation as a surviving officer of the Arctic expedition had naturally preceded him, and if there were a handful of ship’s boys who continued to quietly whisper among themselves each time he strode by, there was little he could do besides wait until their fascination wore off. In time, he knew, whatever tragic glamour the expedition still held in the public imagination would fade, and he would at last return to the comfort of relative anonymity, merely another officer in Her Majesty’s navy.

He had woken that morning before the sunrise, washed and dressed, and then set about putting his bunk in order. At half-past six, just as Edward had deposited his scuttle and brush onto the desk, Mr. Peters knocked with jug of hot water, leaving it in exchange for an armful of Edward’s unclean linens. But before the steward could depart, Edward stopped him, hoping to task him with a small errand.

“Once he’s dressed, ask Lieutenant Jopson to come by, will you? I have a matter I wish to discuss with him before breakfast.”

“Of course, sir,” the steward replied with polite efficiency.

Peters was clearly a man not given to delay, for within a few minutes came a soft knuckled rap against the door, a negligible sound that nevertheless brought Edward’s heart up into the vicinity of his throat.

The sensation only seemed to intensify once the door slid open to reveal the form of Thomas Jopson – Lieutenant Jopson, Edward once again reminded himself – who with his deeply parted hair and fresh-washed face looked far more fetching than any man had a right to be so early in the morning. He took a tentative step into the cabin, a wary cast about his gaze, even as his cheeks began to color with the tenderest of pinks.

“You wished to see me?” Jopson asked, as he pulled the door closed behind him.

Edward nodded, pressing his lips together before they could curl into an unprompted smile. “I did… I do,” he began, and then cleared his throat in an attempt to bring some order to the chaotic muddle of his thoughts. “I meant only to inquire as to how you were settling in, with all your new duties and responsibilities. Although from what I’ve observed,” he added, “you appear to be taking to the role quite naturally.”

Jopson blushed a shade brighter at the compliment, even though it was well-deserved. Edward had watched him with the men, seen how easily they acquiesced to his orders, how he drew them towards him with his encouragement and generous nature. It had been different on Terror; as a steward, he had always been a degree removed from the others, among their company but never truly of their number. But here, even as an officer, he seemed to have found an unexpected camaraderie, and a pride in being a leader of men that now looked to him for guidance and direction.

It still seemed strange at times, hearing Jopson’s voice raised sharply in command, seeing him seated across the table at the officers’ mess rather than serving at it. And Edward knew there were some among the officers who privately grumbled at having a man of such undistinguished origins sitting in their midst, but they seemed to have sense enough not to say such things in front of him. In time, he was certain, they would come to see – as he had – the new lieutenant’s fundamental worth, and their prejudice would soon evaporate.

“Thank you, sir,” Jopson replied, his shoulders easing slightly loose from their rigidly-held frame. “It has been an adjustment, in many ways. As you know, I’ve had no formal training and many of my abilities – particularly in computations and navigation – are in need of much improvement. I hope the men do not find me wanting in that regard.”

“You should have no fear of that, I think.” Edward let the corner of his mouth round into a playful curl. “I wager they love you all the more for it.”

Jopson smiled bashfully, his sea-colored eyes warm with pleasure, a sight that set Edward’s heart alight for all that he had despaired of ever seeing it again.

“I have been fortunate in having good examples to follow,” Jopson added. “Yourself, of course, and Lieutenant Irving…”

His voice trailed off, and it was not hard to guess the direction of his thoughts. Memories were all they had now of Irving, and Gore and Fairholme, and all the others who remained there in that unforgiving land, buried under a weight of ice and stones. Yet there was some comfort to be had in remembering Irving not in the terrible manner of his death, but in his life, in the calm and measured order he had brought to all he surveyed, in the unswerving loyalty he had kept, in the faith that had guided his steps each day. Of Terror’s second lieutenant, however, Edward was glad to hear no mention; for all he knew, Hodgson still lived, keeping company with murderers and mutineers, or else dead these many months, his bones bleaching on the shale. But it would not do to think of him, not when there were others far more deserving of their considerations.

“Irving would have been proud to see you here, dressed in that uniform,” Edward offered. “I’m sure of it.” He glanced downwards, feeling his own cheeks beginning to grow warm. “As for myself, I would not have you hold me up as a paragon of anything at all, not in light of all my obvious deficiencies.”

“What deficiencies? I saw none, and I was in as good a place as any to bear witness to them.”

“Thomas…” Edward narrowed his gaze in wry disbelief. “You and I both know I was not always entirely attentive to my duties.”

He did not need to say more, for just the thought of all those days and nights on Terror conjured up a host of indelible images, each more powerful than the last. The morning he had nearly fallen asleep during a command meeting, his eyes heavy with exhaustion, owing to the mere hour’s rest he had gotten just before dawn, after Jopson had finally slipped out of his cabin. The daily inspections he had not given his full attention to, barely going through the motions, his mind instead occupied by thoughts of a soft and willing mouth, a pair of pale eyes whose pupils had turned dark with need. The hours he had sat at his logbook, wishing only to fill its pages with the raptures of his heart rather than some tedious description of the weather or the state of the ice. And yet were he to be given the choice once more �� between thinking only of his duties as an officer or finding comfort and release in the sweetness of Thomas’s arms – he knew he would not hesitate to follow the exact same path.  

“Regardless,” Edward said, taking an unsteady breath as he brought himself back to the present, “I hope you feel that you have made the right decision in taking on the lieutenant’s position, that you have not in any way come to regret it.”

Jopson shook his head softly. “No, not in the slightest.”

“I am glad to hear it,” Edward answered, his mouth ticking up into tiny smile.

They both were silent for a moment, the air in Edward’s small cabin somehow growing warmer and heavier the longer they stood. They were no longer in the Arctic, shivering in their greatcoats, their breath crystalizing the moment it escaped their lips; here, the Channel shimmered under a summer sun, calm but for a mellow breeze, and Edward himself was dressed only to his waistcoat, a fact that he was becoming increasingly more aware of.

He felt his heart beating a touch faster, even as he urged it to caution.

It was Jopson, though, who broke the spell, dropping his gaze down to the ground and then flicking it back to the door, as if in realization that there was still a world beyond the two of them, simply waiting for them to join in the day.

“I should leave you to the rest of your morning preparations,” he said, nodding in the direction of the porcelain jug on Edward’s desk, “at least before your water turns cold.” A curious glint shone in his eyes. “Unless…”

“Unless what?” Edward asked in partial confusion.

“Unless you would care for some assistance in them.”

Edward stilled, with the exception of his eyebrows, which he felt furrow closer together. “You are offering to help me shave?”

Jopson offered him an indifferent shrug of the shoulders, but a mischievous smile was forming on his lips, one Edward knew far too well. “I have a practiced hand,” he said, “if I do not flatter myself overmuch. And I did as well for Captain Crozier so many times that by the end I daresay I might have attempted it blindfolded.”

Edward nearly laughed for the joy of it, for here was the Jopson he knew, the one he had lost, and who had somehow, through the gift of some beneficent deity, been returned to him. And if at that moment he dared to imagine that the sentiments that remained unaltered in his own breast had through some miracle been rekindled within Jopson’s own, it did not seem quite as far-fetched as he might once have believed.

“Well, then... I would be foolish to refuse such an offer.” He gestured to the accoutrements scattered on the desk. “By all means, please proceed.”

“Here,” Jopson said, as he pulled the cabin’s single chair out onto the floor. “Sit.”

Edward followed his instructions, and then watched as Jopson methodically prepared the scuttle, pouring hot water into the bottom bowl and letting the brush soak, before locating the razor and laying out a clean square of cloth just beside it. He added a sliver of soap into the top of the scuttle and then began to use the brush to work up a rich lather, stopping to eye it periodically until he deemed it satisfactory.  

His attention then turned to Edward as he pulled the collar back from the sides of his neck and wet his face with some of the remaining hot water. Taking the scuttle in hand, he passed the brush over Edward’s cheeks and chin, and tilted his head back in order to reach his neck and the underside of his jaw. The lather was warm as it touched his skin, the gentle motion of the brush soothing, and he could not help but take some pleasure in each glancing touch of Jopson’s fingertips as they positioned him this way and then that.

“Do you wish to keep these whiskers?” Jopson asked as he set the scuttle down and reached for the razor, pulling the blade back from its wooden handle.

“Do you not like them?” Edward replied, as best as he could with his mouth nearly covered by soapy lather.

“They suit you well, I think.” Jopson eyed him narrowly, as if trying to determine where he might begin. “Although I would not be opposed to seeing you with a full beard again. It made you look rather distinguished.”

Edward could recall the last time he had worn a beard: it had been those few final weeks before their rescue, when there had been no thought for anything beyond their own survival, much less for shaving. By that point, he and Jopson had grown so far apart that it seemed impossible to imagine that the other man had found anything worth admiring in Edward. In the end, he had shaved the thing off the first chance he had gotten, wanting to rid himself entirely of that godforsaken place and the man he had become there.

“In the winter, possibly, I might grow it longer,” he offered, “if you think it would flatter. But let the whiskers remain for now.”

Jopson said nothing, making only a small sound of satisfaction, and then circled around Edward, laying the clean cloth over his shoulder and tipping his chin up to expose the line of his throat. Edward swallowed tightly as his eyes caught sight of the blade moving towards him, steel glinting in the light, and then he gave himself over to Jopson’s expert hands.  

The blade moved efficiently over his neck and jaw, a series of broad strokes that brought just the barest tug of pressure against his skin. There was no hesitation in Jopson’s movements, only the action of a steady and confident hand, and he paused just long enough to wipe the accumulated lather along the cloth at Edward’s shoulder before returning once more to his task. As he worked, he leaned further and further over Edward’s upturned face, close enough that Edward could breathe in the scent of him, something warm and clean and achingly familiar. It was all he could do not to close his eyes and inhale deeply, and for a moment imagine himself back in his narrow bunk aboard Terror, his face pressed tight in desperation along the curve of Jopson’s neck.

As Jopson reached the underside of his jaw, Edward could feel the gentle pressure of a thumb and several fingers pulling his skin taut; were they to move any higher, he realized, there would be no mistaking the wild rhythm beginning to take flight within his pulse. He prayed it might go unnoticed, or, if he were not so fortunate, that Jopson would have the good grace to say nothing that might call further attention to it.

Edward breathed a small sigh of relief when the razor made its final stroke upon his jaw and the fingertips lifted from his skin.

And yet what followed somehow managed to bring even greater torment, for Jopson’s attentions were now focused entirely on his face – his cheeks, his chin, the span of his upper lip – and it was impossible not to recede into a reverie of memory, recalling all the times the former steward had caressed each part, but with hands and mouth rather than the edge of a blade. He could feel his head begin to spin with desire – both past and present – and the rest of his body following suit in a way that he could not control. And to be the object of such focused scrutiny, to have those pale and startling eyes trained entirely on him, as if there was nothing else worth looking at? He had no idea how Crozier had been able to bear it all those years, at least without falling into paroxysms of unbridled lust.

Jopson edged closer, coming to stand nearly between Edward’s knees, his hand pulling the blade in a long diagonal against his cheek. A thumb nestled in his whiskers, a warm palm along his neck, steadying him in place. Jopson moved painstakingly over each square inch, taking special care around the curve of Edward’s mouth, the tiny cleft of his chin, the delicate skin just above his lip. And with every stroke, Edward could feel his breath turn tighter, catching in his throat and in the space between his ribs, his desire growing increasingly more evident against his thigh.

He needed it to stop. He needed it to go on forever.

Jopson had just turned the blade over the edge of his chin when Edward felt a sharp sting and instantly jerked back in response. Jopson’s eyes grew wide, and from his lips he drew a sharp intake of breath.

“Oh!” he exclaimed, as he continued to stare at a spot somewhere along Edward’s chin. “I’m so sorry, sir. I didn’t mean…” He glanced around distractedly, without finding what he was looking for, before finally searching within the front pocket of his coat and extracting a pristinely-folded handkerchief. He kneeled down and pressed the fabric firmly against Edward’s chin, his other hand flat against the front of Edward’s waistcoat.

“I was trying so hard to be careful,” he said, his dark brows narrowing with worry. “I don’t know what happened. Perhaps it has been too long since—”

“Thomas,” Edward murmured, as he reached up to clasp his hand tightly around the other man’s wrist. That, at least, seemed to get his attention, and his eyes flashed up to meet Edward’s gaze. “I’m alright,” he added. “It’s just a nick.”

Jopson nodded, but then pulled the handkerchief away from Edward’s face, as if requiring some proof of his assertion. There was a little blood, bright crimson flowering against that expanse of white, but not enough to be any true cause for concern. Edward had cut himself far worse than that more times than he could count; he would wear it as a badge for a few days and then it would be gone, as if it had never happened.

What might have been cause for concern, however, was the realization of how close they now were, with Jopson kneeling just between Edward’s thighs, palm still resting against his chest, and Edward’s hand circling around Jopson’s other wrist, keeping him from pulling away. Their faces were nearly level, separated by a mere foot or so, which, considering all the distance that had once lay between them, seemed to Edward altogether negligible.

“Thomas,” he said again, this time even more quietly, as if only to remind the man across from him who he had once been and the place he had occupied in Edward’s heart.

Jopson did not answer, but reached his hand up to gently clasp the side of Edward’s face, letting his thumb graze against the edge of his cheekbone. Traces of lather still remained at the edge of his whiskers, immediately smearing across Jopson’s open palm, and all at once he laughed, a bright, beatific smile forming along his lovely mouth.

Edward did not dare to breathe – because he did not dare to hope – and yet there was something in Jopson’s brilliant gaze that made both seem possible.

And in that space, time somehow lost all meaning; it could only be measured in breaths and heartbeats, in the few moments it took to erase the distance between them, in the span of a kiss or a sigh or a few words whispered in forgiveness and joy.

[hzaidan]

13 Classic Works of Art, Marine Paintings - With Footnotes, #31

13 Classic Works of Art, Marine Paintings – With Footnotes, #31

FOLLOWER OF ANGE-JOSEPH-ANTOINE ROUX, (french 1765-1835)“ACTION BETWEEN H.M FRIGATE ”AMBUSCADE” AND THE FRENCH FRIGATE ”BAYONNAISE””Oil on canvas23 3/8 x 30 in. (59.4 x 76.2cm)Private Collection HMS Ambuscade was a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, built in 1773. The French captured her in 1798 but the British recaptured her in 1803. She was broken up in 1810. On 13 December 1798,…

[judgemark45]

DDG -96 USS Bainbridge ...

USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is the fifth ship to carry that name, and the 46th destroyer of a planned 75-ship class. Bainbridge is named in honor of Commodore William Bainbridge, who as commander of the frigate USS Constitution distinguished himself in the War of 1812 when he and his crew captured HMS Java, a 38-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy.

[alineuponthewind]

A Fifth Rate Frigate Signalling to a Ship of the Line Off the Coast of Devon - Thomas Butterworth Jr

[aviationdefences-blog]

Advisor – Naval Platforms

Commodore Benny Methala (Retd.) was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the year 1983. He has experience of 30 years with the Indian Navy. Mostly in sea billets. Initially, he did a watchkeeping certificate stint on INS Godavari. The newest addition to the Indian Navy at that time was built at Mazgaon docks.

Subsequently, he did a stint at National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla as an instructor for two years. Later he completed the Navigation and Direction specialisation course at Kochi.

To his credit, he has worked in both the aircraft carriers of that time, INS Viraat and INS Vikrant intermittently for about five years. Subsequently, he went on to be the direction officer of INS Viraat, later navigating officer too.

In his, illustrious career, he was appointed as Commodore Presidents Fleet Review at Mumbai. Incidentally, in 2011 he organised the conduct of the review 2011. He did his last posting in charge of our Tactical Evaluation Group in Mumbai.

An Overview into Naval Platforms Segments

Naval warfare commenced about 3000 years ago. Transportation has heavily relied on navigable waterways before the arrival of railways. A fleet’s capacity to maneuver naval engagements was crucial to gaining control of marine warfare. The naval ships differ according to the functionality or role that each warship performs. These are aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers, submarines, corvette, coastal types, frigates, unmanned underwater vehicles, amphibious vehicles, assault support vessels, and auxiliaries on a global scale. The integration of technologies like Stealth, protection system, ship radar, etc facilitates is anticipated to boost the lethality of warships. The introduction of hybrid systems like amphibious vehicles allows the soldiers to have a multi-platform access thus increasing the lethality of the forces across land and naval platform.

The top ten worldwide navies account for around 46% of the total global naval budget. With a Naval Fleet of 777 warships, China has dominance over the global naval platform with the largest fleet. Russia secures the second-largest fleet with 603 warships. With a fleet of 492 warships, the North Korean fleet is the third largest followed by the United States with 490 warships. The Naval Budget allotment in the United States for the year 2020 was USD 207.1 billion. The change in geo-political environment has hereby led to a power struggle between China and the US. Both the nations have been amping their potential fleet in order to gain governance over the Naval platform.

A destroyer is a long-range warship that is swift and agile. The naval combatant is employed to protect larger vessels in a fleet against short-range attacks by escorting them. On a global scale, the United States possesses 69 destroyers and is the world’s largest destroyer force. The United States is responsible for around 33% of all navy destroyer acquisitions. Japan has the second-largest destroyer force, followed by China. Japan and China are responsible for 20% and 15% of global destroyer spending, respectively. Russia and South Korea have the world’s fourth and fifth largest destroyer fleets, respectively. Russia has 17 destroyers at its disposal.

Within a Naval Fleet, a corvette is the smallest rated warship. Coastal patrol craft, missile ships, and fast attack craft are among the modern corvettes. The design of these ships weighs an average of 500 to 2000 tons. On a global scale, Russia possesses the largest Corvette fleet with 85 positioned. China has the second largest with 72 Corvettes, followed by Indonesia and India with 24 and 23 corvettes. The United States has 21 corvettes under its Naval fleet. Global defense economies have also been investing in Unmanned underwater vehicles as well as unmanned surface vehicles. The growth in proliferation of this technology is poised to increase automation across the naval platform.  Amongst unmanned systems, autonomous underwater vehicles are anticipated to be a key growth segment owing to its application in high risk environment.

Another type of warship crafted in various shapes and sizes is the frigate. This category includes warships with one to two decks with batteries or carriage-mounted cannons. Ships that were too tiny to stand within the battle line were involved in the concept. China has the largest frigate fleet with 46 positioned, followed by Taiwan (22). Turkey has the third-largest frigate fleet with 16 in place, followed by Greece (13) and India (13).

A vessel that functions as a seagoing airbase is known as an aircraft carrier. The vessel has a full-length flight deck that allows for easy deployment and recovery of aircraft. For aircraft-oriented naval operations, the system provides armament facilities at sea. An aircraft carrier is essentially the navy force’s capital ship. As of 2020, the United States has the most aircraft carriers (11), accounting for 42% of the market for aircraft carriers. China, Italy, and the United Kingdom have two aircraft carriers each. Other countries, such as Russia, India, France, and Spain, each have one aircraft carrier that serves as the fleet’s lead ship.

After aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, modern cruisers are the largest ships in the navy. The United States and Russia are two countries that utilize operable cruisers equipped with guided missiles. The BAP Almirante Grau, used by the Peruvian marine until 2017, was the last Gun Cruiser in service.

Patrol boats are one of the most popular forms of support vessels used by Naval Forces everywhere. A patrol boat is for coastal security, aiding border patrol, immigration enforcement, and search-and-rescue missions. Sweden has the largest offshore patrol vessel fleet, with 297 vessels guarding the coast. Colombia has around 285 support patrol vessels, making it the second-largest fleet, followed by North Korea (250), Indonesia (179), India (139), and Mexico (133). China has around 123 patrol vessels.

The U.S Naval force had roughly 280 battlecruisers in 2018. In the course of a force structure evaluation in 2016, the naval facility set the 355-fleet aim. Between 2019 and 2048, they planned to build 301 battleships. It would be impossible for the U.S naval forces to maintain these criteria if they continued to retire ships. As a result, the military improved the current method to increase the service life of their destroyers from 30 to 45 years.

In contrast to the historical average of USD 13.8 billion, the yearly shipbuilding cost estimated for the 2020 plan is almost 50% greater. In 2019, it was speculated that the United States Navy would need to invest USD 631 billion to achieve the strategy for 2019-2048. The 2020 Naval Acquisition Plan is around 27% more expensive than the 2019 Naval Acquisition Plan. The current naval budget is 16% more expensive than the budget appropriations made during the Cold War.

The modernization of China’s PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) has resulted in a massive increase in the naval forces’ fleet capacity. The Chinese navy in 1996 consisted of 57 destroyers and frigates. There were 335 battlecruisers in the Chinese navy as of 2019. The marine force grew at an exponential rate between 2014 and 2018. In the year 2016, China commissioned a total of 18 ships. In 2017, another 14 warships were appended to the fleet. If the current expansion rate continues, China will have a fleet of 425 battle force ships by 2030.

China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) accounted for 75% of the whole shipbuilding industry in China in 2019. All indigenous programs within the Chinese Naval Forces were under the control of these enterprises. Due to the merger of these two, the China Shipbuilding Group Corporation began in November 2019. In addition, unlike other countries, China’s state council encourages integration and knowledge transfer between the commercial and military shipbuilding segments.