At what rank can you command a ship?

captain
On the sea a captain is usually the commander of a large warship—a cruiser, battleship, or aircraft carrier in the navy and any sizable ship in the mercantile marine service. In the British and U.S. navies the rank corresponds to the army rank of colonel, as does group captain in the Royal Air Force.

What rank would command a destroyer?

With very few exceptions, such as Naval Aviator Astronaut and Naval Flight Officer Astronaut, unrestricted line officer captains in the Navy will have successfully completed at least one commanding officer assignment at the commander (O-5) level, typically a destroyer or frigate for surface warfare officers, a nuclear- …

What is the smallest class of warship?

corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or “rated”) warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloop-of-war.

What is the lowest rank on a US Navy ship?

If you define ship as a commissioned vessel (i.e., has USS before the name), then the lowest rank commanding ships in modern times were Lieutenants commanding the CYCLONE-class PCs. Minesweepers are Lieutenant Commander Commands.

What does a type command do in the Navy?

U.S. Navy type commands perform administrative, personnel, and operational training functions in the United States Navy for a “type” of weapon system (e.g., naval aviation, submarine warfare, surface warships) within a fleet organization.

What are the different types of warships in the Navy?

All other surface warships (i.e., cruisers, destroyers, frigates, littoral combat ships, patrol vessels, and amphibious warfare vessels) fall under the administrative control of the appropriate Commander Naval Surface Force. This type command structure is mirrored in United States Fleet Forces Command and the United States Pacific Fleet.

What are the 7 levels of Navy Fleet Forces Command?

Fleet Forces Command 1 Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet 2 Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic 3 Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic 4 Navy Expeditionary Combat Command 5 U.S. Navy Information Forces 6 Commander, Military Sealift Command 7 Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group