The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differently ...
of
ship
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
s all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to
naval ship
A naval ship is a military ship (or sometimes boat, depending on classification) used by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose. Generally, naval ships are Damage control, damage resilient a ...
s and large civilian vessels.
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress, Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs, May 12, 2017
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Large ships are very complex and may take as many as five to ten years to build. Improvements based on experience with building and operating the lead ship are likely to be incorporated into the design or construction of later ships in the class, so it is rare to have vessels that are identical.
The second and later ships are often started before the first one is completed, launched and tested. Nevertheless, building copies is still more efficient and cost-effective than building prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to ...
s, and the lead ship will usually be followed by copies with some improvements rather than radically different versions. The improvements will sometimes be retrofit
Retrofitting is the addition of new technology or features to older systems. Retrofits can happen for a number of reasons, for example with big capital expenditures like naval vessels, military equipment or manufacturing plants, businesses or go ...
ted to the lead ship. Occasionally, the lead ship will be launched and commissioned for shakedown testing before following ships are completed, making the lead ship a combination of template and prototype, rather than expending resources on a prototype that will never see actual use.
Naming
Ship classes are typically named in one of two ways; echoing the name of the lead ship, such as the s, whose lead ship was , or defining a theme by which vessels in the class are named, as in the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
's s, named after tribes of the world, such as . If a ship class is produced for another navy, the first active unit will become the lead ship for that navy; for example, the s are known as the in Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister o ...
service.
References
External links
Example of a lead ship announcement from US Navy
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030416203645/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-p/bb38.htm , date=16 April 2003
Ship types