Blurb

Warships in Action Today
E. L. CORNWELL

During the past decade or so advances in technology have brought about fundamental changes in naval strategy. The changes have followed each other at regular intervals, sometimes with a rapidity that has rendered costly new equipment obsolescent, even obsolete, before it has properly been worked up to full operational efficiency. Just as the big guns and their carrying vessels have been completely outclassed by the hydrogen bomb warhead and nuclear propulsion, so smaller supporting weapons and the fleet escorts that deploy them have been fundamentally changed by guided missiles and the electronics needed for their aiming and control. As these have become more complex and specialised the form and size of ships to carry them have had to change. Overall the trend is away from the multi-capability or general-purpose ship towards vessels, usually smaller than those they replace, designed and equipped for a specialised role, with a particular emphasis on countering the threat of the ballistic missile- armed submarine.

In selecting the pictures for this book no attempt has been made to include snips of every nationality nor even of every class, and in some cases the quality of the photograph rather than its subject has influenced the choice. Nor is every detail catalogued in uniform style for every ship pictured; various catalogues exist that already provide that service. The captions generally give enough information to show each subject's nationality, class, capabilities and any special features. The overall objective has been to produce an attractive and interesting picture book that gives reasonably balanced coverage of the warships in service around the world in the 1970s.