Q&A · 3:04:04-3:06:41

Classifying a modern 12-inch-gun missile ship

A hypothetical heavy-gun missile ship prompts a cruiser-versus-battlecruiser disagreement and criticism of imprecise naval terminology in journalism.

Question

What would a modern ship with twin 12-inch guns, 57 mm, 40 mm and 20 mm secondary weapons, and 90-120 VLS cells be called?

Short answer

Cruiser is the preferred answer, although another participant proposes battlecruiser.

Notes

Cruiser is the preferred classification for the hypothetical ship with twin 12-inch guns and 90-120 VLS cells, despite an objection favoring battlecruiser. News coverage is treated cautiously because warship and battleship are often used interchangeably. The criticism connects these mistakes to the scarcity of journalists given time to specialize in defence subjects. Subeditors choosing words to fit headline space provide another route for technical distinctions to be lost.