Naval designation cut-off

[Supreme_Warlord]

Hi,
Anyway who knows, please help me with the following question.

At what point does the designation capital ship no longer apply? I am pretty sure that anything from a cruiser upwards is designated as such, but specifically, can a destroyer or a frigate be labelled likewise?

Thanks.

[Sea Skimmer]

Capital ships are battleships, battlecruisers and more recently aircraft carriers. Cruisers are not capital ships.

The term is often blurred by sci fi fans who refer to anything bigger then a fighter as a capital ship.

[Sir Sirius]

Monitors have on occasion been counted as capital ships as well, possibly due to their armament, but those instances were the exeption, not the rule.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Could the Kirov be called a Capital Ship?

[Col. Crackpot]

Could the Kirov be called a Capital Ship?

i would imagine so, she's only half a dozen or so meters shorter than the Iowa BB's even though she's a cruiser by name.


EDIT: i found some stuff:

Kirov: http://www.warships1.com/RUSrkr05_Ushakov_specs.htm

Iowa: http://www.warships1.com/USbb61_specs.htm

[Frank Hipper]

"Capitol" Ship is a term that is losing it's meaning due to a blurring of definition. It could be argued that SSBNs are the premiere capitol ships of the U.S. navy. Then again, modern destroyers are of a size and capability to earn them the title, too.

And I'd rate the Kirovs as capitol ships, without doubt. In the classic sense.

[Sea Skimmer]

Could the Kirov be called a Capital Ship?

Yup, by size and role there capital ships. Often there referred to as being CBN's, CB is basically what the USN uses to designate battlecruisers. N is nuclear of course.

[Howedar]

Given the flag facilities aboard a Ticonderoga, it *might* be within the capital ship designation.