In its strictest sense, a flagship is any naval vessel on which a flag officer is embarked. Some navies have permanent flagships, a designation which may be either functional (ships specifically intended for use by a fleet commander) or ceremonial (a fleet's most prestigious vessel due to its age, size, or some special characteristic).
Fleet | Ship | Class | Notes | References | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Algerian National Navy | |||||
Argentine Navy | |||||
Royal Australian Navy | HMAS Canberra | Canberra was designated flagship of the Royal Australian Navy in March 2015. | [1] | ||
Royal Bahamas Defence Force | |||||
Royal Bahrain Naval Force | |||||
Bangladesh Navy | |||||
Belgian Naval Component | |||||
Brazilian Navy | |||||
Royal Brunei Navy | |||||
Royal Canadian Navy (Ceremonial) | HMCS Haida | Haida is a WW II era Tribal Class Destroyer. She was designated flagship of the Royal Canadian Navy in May 2018. She is not an operational ship. | [2] | ||
Canadian Coast Guard | CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent | ||||
Chilean Navy | |||||
People's Liberation Army Navy | |||||
Republic of China Navy | |||||
Colombian Navy | ARC Gloria | [3] | |||
Royal Danish Navy | Frigate | ||||
Dominican Navy | Almirante Didiez Burgos | ||||
Ecuadorian Navy | |||||
Egyptian Navy | |||||
Estonian Navy | |||||
Finnish Navy | |||||
French Navy | [4] | ||||
German Navy | Gorch Fock | [5] | |||
Ghana Navy | GNS Achimota | ||||
Hellenic Navy (Ceremonial) | Georgios Averof is a ceremonial ship in service as the flagship of the Hellenic Navy. | ||||
Guyana Coast Guard | |||||
Icelandic Coast Guard | |||||
Indian Navy | |||||
Indonesian Navy | |||||
Italian Navy | |||||
Islamic Republic of Iran Navy | |||||
Iraqi Navy | [6] | ||||
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | |||||
Latvian Naval Forces | |||||
Libyan Navy | Al Hani was captured by Libyan rebels in 2011 following the death of Muammar Gaddafi and assumed the role as Libya's new flagship. | ||||
Lithuanian Naval Force | |||||
Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta | |||||
Montenegrin Navy | |||||
Royal Moroccan Navy | |||||
Myanmar Navy | Frigate | ||||
Royal Netherlands Navy | Multi-role support ship | ||||
Royal New Zealand Navy | |||||
Nigerian Navy | [7] | ||||
Royal Norwegian Navy | |||||
Royal Navy of Oman | |||||
Paraguayan Navy | ARP Humaitá has remained the Paraguayan flagship since her commissioning in 1931. | ||||
Peruvian Navy | The frigate BAP Montero was rechristened Almirante Grau following the decommissioning of the cruiser BAP Almirante Grau in 2017. Under Peruvian law, there must always be a ship named for Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario active in the Peruvian Navy, and it must assume the role as the flagship. | [8] | |||
Philippine Navy | BRP Jose Rizal | Frigate | |||
Philippine Coast Guard | BRP Teresa Magbanua | ||||
Polish Navy (Ceremonial) | Błyskawica is Poland's ceremonial flagship, with an active duty crew, but no longer has functioning boilers. | ||||
Portuguese Navy | |||||
Admiral Kuznetsov | [9] | ||||
Russian Navy (Ceremonial) | In 2013, the Russian Navy recommissioned Aurora and made her the ceremonial flagship of the Russian Navy. | [10] | |||
Kozara | |||||
Juan Carlos I | Juan Carlos I assumed the role as Spain's flagship following the decommissioning of the Príncipe de Asturias in 2013. | ||||
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) took over as the Royal Navy's flagship on Wednesday 27 January 2021. | [11] | ||||
Royal Navy (Ceremonial) | HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned warship in the world, and although no longer sails, remains the flagship of the First Sea Lord. | ||||
USCGC Eagle | Eagle is one of only two commissioned sailing vessels in the United States armed forces, the other being the U.S. Navy's USS Constitution. | [12] | |||
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (United States) | NOAAS Ronald H. Brown | Research vessel in NOAA fleet. | [13] | ||