The USS Savannah (LCS-28), an Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS), sails during a mine countermeasure exercise off the coast of California in August 2022. The Independence-class LCS is the fastest vessel currently in US Navy service, reaching a top speed of roughly 47 knots (54.1 mph). (US Navy/Mass Communication Spc. 2nd Class Christina Ross)

These Are the 10 Fastest Warships Ever Built

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The fastest warships in the world are not built like conventional ships; each is designed around a physics principle known as the “surface effect.”

For millennia, naval warfare has been a primary expression of state power. Strong navies have created and protected empires and kingdoms around the world.  

Indeed, few states in history with imperial aspirations have ignored naval power. The examples of strong states built on strong navies are too many to count: ancient Athens, the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great’s Macedonia, the Byzantine Empire, Venice, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Imperial Japan, and, more recently, the United States and China have all depended on naval strength as a means of upholding their might.

The attributes that make a warship effective on the naval battlefield have varied through the ages. In modern times, speed is an important feature that has allowed warships to cover distance fast and address threats on a wider part of the battlefield. Most warships today can achieve maximum speeds of between 28 and 33 knots (32 and 38 mph). But many ships have achieved much faster speeds.

The fastest warships today have all taken advantage of the “surface effect,” a physical phenomenon whereby an air cushion underneath a specially designed ship’s twin hull allows most of the ship’s hull to remain outside the water, dramatically decreasing friction and increasing speed. These vessels are less practical for cargo transport or amphibious operations such as landing troops ashore, but they are ideal for rapid coastal defense—and have been used for this purpose by several modern navies. This list includes these vessels, but excludes “ekranoplans” and other flying vessels. It also excludes speedboats in service with some navies around the world—notably Iranian “fast boats”—as these vessels typically lack formal designations.

With those caveats, here........

© The National Interest