What is a Destroyer?

In a word, a destroyer is a "bodyguard." We protect the aircraft carriers, battleships, troop ships, and all of the other ships of the fleet from attack by enemy ships, enemy aircraft, or enemy submarines. We did this by forming a protective screen or perimeter around the main body of ships in a task force. Destroyers weren't only meant to be on the defensive, however. These "little" ships were also designed to be quite fast and to pack a powerful punch. They might rush in against an enemy fleet and launch a surprise torpedo attack or race in close to shore to bombard enemy gun batteries or troop movements. In short, destroyers are maids-of-all-work, capable of performing all types of naval missions.  more

A destroyer is a ship which has been designed for effective combat maneuverability. As the name would imply, a destroyer destroys the enemy, protecting battle groups, merchant fleets, and coastlines. Most navies have several classes of destroyer sailing the high seas, and new designs are constantly in development. For fans of films which involve naval combat, the destroyer is the small, lightweight ship bristling with firepower which somehow always misses when it belongs to the enemy, while landing direct hits when captained by the hero. The original concept for the specialized destroyer design began to emerge in the 1800s, when several nations realized that a customized combat ship could be immensely useful. The key defining trait of a destroyer is maneuverability, combined with a high level of firepower including missiles, antiaircraft guns, torpedoes, and depth charges. Destroyers are also very fast, and most are capable of long range deployments, although early destroyers were ...  more

A destroyer is a surface vessel whose primary role is in escort and anti-submarine operations. Modern destroyers, such as the Arleigh Burke class, also carry a healthy complement of Tomahawk cruise missiles however which only illustrates the breadth of their capability.  more