(1) In sail-driven navies, a three-masted naval ship, second in size after a ship of the line. Frigates had two gun decks with a total of up to 60 guns, were very stable, and surpassed ships of the line in speed. They were generally used for cruising and reconnaissance. In the mid-19th century, steam frigates appeared, both wheel-driven and propeller-driven; they were made of wood, iron, or a combination of both. Some frigates had armor plating and were called ironclad frigates. Steam frigates were used by the warring parties during the Crimean War (1853–56) and the American Civil War (1861–65).
(2) In World War II, frigates were ships of a transitional type between light cruisers and destroyers (USA) or the analogous patrol vessels (Great Britain). They were used for antisubmarine and antiaircraft defense in formations of warships and in convoys of transport ships. Frigates in the US Navy had a displacement of 3,500–5,000 tons and a speed of approximately 35 knots (65 km/-hr); they were armed with two all-purpose 127-mm cannon, four automatic guns of 76 and 20 mm, four torpedo launchers, and four depth-charge launchers. Frigates in the British Navy had a displacement of up to 2,500 tons and lighter armament.
(3) Modern frigates are specially constructed ships used for locating and destroying atomic submarines at sea and for defending aircraft carriers from naval, aircraft, and rocket attack. Frigates in the US Navy have a displacement of up to 6,000 tons, a speed of 34 knots (63 km/hr), and a range of 8,000 nautical miles. They are armed with long- and short-range antiaircraft rockets, rocket-torpedoes, conventional torpedoes, and naval artillery— usually one 127-mm all-purpose automatic cannon and two 76-mm antiaircraft guns. They have a crew of 350–370 men. In the early 1970’s, series construction of frigates with atomic power plants was begun in the USA.
N. P. V’IUNENKO