Special Report

The Fastest Military Ships and Submarines in the World

24/7 Wall St. Staff

Published: January 21, 2024 11:31 am

Geopolitical tensions have been rising across the globe, from Houthi Rebels in Yemon to the growing tensions in East Asia where the U.S. Navy may be called upon to help defend Taiwan against a possible Chinese invasion. Although the United States Navy is considered the most powerful in the world and has been vital to victories in previous wars, the buildup of the Chinese Navy in recent years is a cause for concern. China now has the world’s largest navy. (See the countries with the largest naval fleets.)

From as far back as the Persian Empire, navies have been used in warfare, to transport troops, defend coastlines, and bombard targets. They play a critical role in any military power and these vessels have come a long way since the first constructed ship by the Phoenicians. Part of maintaining a strong navy is employing a diverse fleet of warships, each with different features that could be advantageous in a given scenario. Fast warships are often used for combat, ground assault, patrol, and more. 

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the list of Modern Warships & Submarines compiled by Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more to determine the fastest warships in the world. Warship classes were ranked based on the top speed of the fastest ship within the class, and only those currently in service with a top speed of over 41 miles per hour were considered. Supplemental information about the year entered service, personnel, displacement, and which navies employ these ships also came from Military Factory.

Initially developed by the Soviet Union and later built in Russia and Ukraine, the Zubr LCAC, or landing craft air cushion, is employed by multiple navies around the world. The Zubr is designed to counter different terrains, as it can effectively maneuver across diverse surfaces such as shallow waters, ice, and marshlands. Its operational range is 300 miles and its maximum speed clocks in at 69 mph.

The Freedom-class littoral combat ship, designed to conduct various missions in shallow waters, is at the top of this list. The first of this class was the USS Freedom, which was launched in September 2006 and commissioned into the U.S. Navy in November 2008. The USS Freedom is built to carry out coastal defense, reconnaissance, and rescue operations, among others. It has a top speed of 54.1 mph propelled by two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines and two Colt-Pielstick diesel engines. This combination of propulsion systems grants the vessel with commendable speed and agility in littoral zones. (Also see, the oldest ships and submarines still operating in the U.S. Navy.)

Here are the fastest military ships and submarines in the world

19. Houbei-class fast attack missile boat

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Top speed: 41.4 mph (36 knots)
• Year entered service: 2004
• Navy(s) serving in: China
• Personnel: 12
• Displacement: 225 tons

18. Sina-class fast attack missile boat

Iranian Separ Cruiser010... (CC BY 4.0) by Tasnim News Agency

• Top speed: 41.4 mph (36 knots)
• Year entered service: 2003
• Navy(s) serving in: Iran
• Personnel: 31
• Displacement: 275 tons

17. Alvand-class light frigate warship

IRIS 72 Alborz and IRIS 73 (CC BY 4.0) by Iran Front Page

• Top speed: 44.9 mph (39 knots)
• Year entered service: 1971
• Navy(s) serving in: Iran
• Personnel: 135
• Displacement: 1,100 tons

16. CB90-class shallow-draught fast assault craft

Riverine patrol boats are repu... (CC BY 2.0) by Official U.S. Navy Page

• Top speed: 46.0 mph (40 knots)
• Year entered service: 2007
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 24
• Displacement: 22 tons

15. Naval special warfare special forces inflatable insertion-extraction boat

RIB at speed. (CC BY 2.0) by Les Chatfield

• Top speed: 46.0 mph (40 knots)
• Year entered service: 1992
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 13
• Displacement: 09 tons

14. Patrol boat light light-class patrol boat

BEST OF THE MARINE CORPS - May... (CC BY 2.0) by Expert Infantry

• Top speed: 46.0 mph (40 knots)
• Year entered service: 1990
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 11
• Displacement: 06 tons

13. LCAC hovercraft

A Landing Craft Air Cushion ap... (CC BY 2.0) by Official U.S. Navy Page

• Top speed: 46.0 mph (40 knots)
• Year entered service: 1987
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 5
• Displacement: 87 tons

12. Stridsbat-90H-class personnel fast landing craft

IRIS 72 Alborz and IRIS 73 (CC BY 4.0) by Iran Front Page

• Top speed: 46.0 mph (40 knots)
• Year entered service: 1991
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 25
• Displacement: 16,865 tons

11. Tarantul-class guided-missile corvette warship

Sevastopol 207 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Alexxx Malev

• Top speed: 48.3 mph (42 knots)
• Year entered service: 1977
• Navy(s) serving in: India, Russia, Turkey
• Personnel: 50
• Displacement: 550 tons

10. Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport

USNS Spearhead (T-EPF-1) (CC BY 2.0) by R'lyeh Imaging

• Top speed: 49.5 mph (43 knots)
• Year entered service: 2012
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 350
• Displacement: 2,362 tons

9. Independence-class littoral combat ship

USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10... (CC BY 2.0) by Official U.S. Navy Page

• Top speed: 50.6 mph (44 knots)
• Year entered service: 2017
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 75
• Displacement: 3,300 tons

8. Yoon Youngha-class patrol vessel

Gum... (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Helznite at English Wikipedia

• Top speed: 50.6 mph (44 knots)
• Year entered service: 2011
• Navy(s) serving in: South Korea
• Personnel: 40
• Displacement: 630 tons

7. Tuo Chiang-class stealth coastal guided-missile corvette

ROCN Ta Chiang (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Kenchen945

• Top speed: 51.8 mph (45 knots)
• Year entered service: 2014
• Navy(s) serving in: Taiwan
• Personnel: 41
• Displacement: 567 tons

6. Freedom-class littoral combat ship

Source: usnavy / Flickr

• Top speed: 54.1 mph (47 knots)
• Year entered service: 2008
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 125
• Displacement: 3,000 tons

5. Patrol Boat Mark V high-speed insertion-extraction vessel

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Top speed: 57.5 mph (50 knots)
• Year entered service: 1995
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 22
• Displacement: 68 tons

4. Sea Fighter-class littoral combat ship

Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images

• Top speed: 63.3 mph (55 knots)
• Year entered service: 2005
• Navy(s) serving in: United States
• Personnel: 26
• Displacement: 1,600 tons

3. Zubr-class air-cushioned landing craft

Zubr-class LCAC 'Eugeniy Koche... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Andrey Korchagin

• Top speed: 69.0 mph (60 knots)
• Year entered service: 1988
• Navy(s) serving in: Greece, Ukraine, Russia, China
• Personnel: 31
• Displacement: 415 tons

2. Skjold-class stealth coastal patrol corvette

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Top speed: 74.8 mph (65 knots)
• Year entered service: 1999
• Navy(s) serving in: Norway
• Personnel: 14
• Displacement: 300 tons

1. Type 726 landing craft, air-cushioned amphibious vessel

PLAN Type 726 LCAC (CC BY 3.0) by China News Service

• Top speed: 92.1 mph (80 knots)
• Year entered service: 2010
• Navy(s) serving in: China
• Personnel: 5
• Displacement: 150 tons