Destroyer is a major warship found in the larger navies of the world. Navies use destroyers chiefly to defend groups of larger warships and amphibious and merchant ships from enemy attack. Destroyers also bombard enemy shores, participate in searches and rescues at sea, and support amphibious landings.
A modern destroyer measures about 375 to 560 feet (115 to 170 meters) long. Sailors in the United States Navy call destroyers “tin cans” because they have light steel hulls with no armor plating. Destroyers can travel at speeds greater than 30 knots (nautical miles per hour). At 20 knots, the ships can go 6,000 nautical miles (11,110 kilometers) without refueling. Modern destroyers have gas turbine engines.
Destroyers use radar, sonar, and special electronic equipment to detect enemy aircraft, surface ships, and submarines. They use helicopters as their primary antisubmarine weapon. But they also fire rockets and torpedoes against submarines. All U.S. destroyers have at least one 5-inch gun for air, land, or sea targets.
The United States Navy has more than 60 destroyers in active use. All of them are part of a class of destroyers called Arleigh Burke. The Navy began building these destroyers in the 1980’s, and the first one was commissioned (put into active service) in 1991. The Arleigh Burke destroyers are guided missile ships with a special electronics and weapon control system known as AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense. The Navy has had several other classes of destroyers in its history. Recent ones have included the Spruance, Kidd, Coontz, and Charles F. Adams classes. In addition, the United States commissioned the first Zumwalt class destroyer in 2016. The class features advanced weapons and a hull shape that helps reduce radar visibility.
During World War II (1939-1945), the Navy built smaller ships called destroyer escorts. The Navy no longer uses these ships, but some serve in other navies. Destroyer escorts built after the war are called frigates.
