In its strictest sense, a
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
is any naval vessel on which a
flag officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countr ...
is embarked. Some navies have permanent flagships, a designation which may be either functional (ships specifically intended for use by a fleet commander) or ceremonial (a fleet's most prestigious vessel due to its age, size, or some special characteristic).
Current permanent flagships
Former permanent flagships
See also
*
Royal Navy Fleet Flagship In the Royal Navy, the fleet flagship is, in practice, the warship designated as the fleet's most prestigious vessel, currently .
In the modern era, the fleet flagship has usually been an aircraft carrier, but that changed in 2010 with the assignm ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flagships
Military lists