What would a new large surface-oriented warship be called if not a battleship?
Short answerPrograms may use 'large surface combatant,' but ships entering service would probably return to familiar labels such as cruiser.
NotesFleet favors the general term 'large surface combatant' for a ship combining strike, area air defence, and anti-submarine task-force leadership. A ship that large and costly should justify its size with several roles. Alex Clarke expects familiar labels such as cruiser to return when the vessels enter service, even if procurement programmes use broader language. Type 26 illustrates how a general programme name can give way to a conventional ship category. The disagreement over calling Kirov a battlecruiser also raises the need to distinguish a ship's missile-cruiser role from the terminology used by different navies. Russian 'heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser' terminology provides a further example, with the Montreux Convention raised as part of its context.