The 10 Fastest Warships in the World

The USS Freedom, or LCS-1, was the first Littoral Combat Ship of the U.S. Navy. The fast, agile missile-launching warship was decommissioned in 2021 after 13 years of service. These vessels are named after the littoral zone, the nearshore waters too shallow for larger warships.

Like its sister, the USS Freedom (LCS-1), the USS Independence (LCS-2) was set to be decommissioned in 2021 after 11 years of service. It’s part of a multi-billion-dollar plan to replace the U.S. Navy’s first four littoral combat ships with upgraded ones that will reportedly include hypersonic missile capabilities. Both ships are now in the naval reserve fleet.

The USS Flagstaff is one of a series of small fast-attack patrol boats and of Pegasus-class U.S. Navy hydrofoils, ships whose hulls rise above the water’s surface as they gain speed and ride on winglike structures that greatly reduces the vessel’s drag.

The Pegasus is both the name of a small fast-attack patrol boat and a series of Pegasus-class U.S. Navy hydrofoils, including the USS Flagstaff. These boats were retired at the end of the Cold War because of their limited combat capabilities.

As the name implies, these sea racers are designed to move fast on coastal patrol missions. The DV15, equipped with large machine-gun mounts, is the smaller and faster version of the Interceptor DV33, which is ladened with anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles.