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).
Current permanent flagships
Former permanent flagships
Fleet
Ship
Class
Notes
References
Argentine Navy
ARA Rivadavia
Battleship
1914-1952
Argentine Navy
ARA Independencia
Aircraft carrier
1958-1969
Argentine Navy
ARA Veinticinco de Mayo
Aircraft carrier
1969-1997
Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Australia
Battlecruiser
1913-1921
Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Sydney
Aircraft carrier
1948-1955
Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Melbourne
Aircraft carrier
1955-1982
[14]
Belgian Navy
Lieutenant ter zee Victor Billet
Frigate
1947-1958
Brazilian Navy
Riachuelo
Battleship
1889-1910
Brazilian Navy
Minas Geraes
Battleship
1910-1951
Brazilian Navy
Almirante Tamandaré
Cruiser
1951-1976
Brazilian Navy
Minas Gerais
Aircraft carrier
1976-2001
Brazilian Navy
São Paulo
Aircraft carrier
2001-2017
Royal Canadian Navy
HMCS Uganda
Cruiser
1944-1946
Royal Canadian Navy
HMCS Warrior
Aircraft carrier
1946-1948
Royal Canadian Navy
HMCS Magnificent
Aircraft carrier
1948-1957
Royal Canadian Navy
HMCS Bonaventure
Aircraft carrier
1957-1970
Royal Canadian Navy
HMCS Iroquois
Destroyer
1972-2015
Royal Canadian Navy
HMCS Athabaskan
Destroyer
2015-2017
Chilean Navy
Capitán Prat
Battleship
1893-1920
Chilean Navy
Almirante Latorre
Battleship
1920-1958
Chilean Navy
O'Higgins
Cruiser
1958-1992
Chilean Navy
Blanco Encalada
Destroyer
1992-2003
Imperial Chinese Navy
Dingyuan
Battleship
1885-1895, sunk in action
Republic of China Navy
CNS Ning Hai
Cruiser
1932-1937, sunk in action
Republic of China Navy
CNS Chung King
Cruiser
1948-1949, sunk in action
Dominican Navy
Presidente Trujillo / Mella
Frigate
1946-1998
Royal Danish Navy
HDMS Niels Juel
Coastal defense ship
1923-1943, sunk in action
Ethiopian Navy
Ethiopia
Frigate
1962-1991
Estonian Navy (Ceremonial)
EML Lembit
Submarine
1994-2011
Estonian Navy
EML Admiral Pitka
Frigate
2000-2013
Finnish Navy
Väinämöinen
Coastal defense ship
1932-1947
French Navy
Béarn
Aircraft carrier
1940-1943
French Navy
Richelieu
Battleship
1943-1946
French Navy
Arromanches
Aircraft carrier
1946-1961
French Navy
Clemenceau
Aircraft carrier
1961-1997
French Navy
Foch
Aircraft carrier
1997-2000
Royal Hellenic Navy
HS Elli
Cruiser
1951-1965
Indian Navy
INS Delhi
Cruiser
1948-1961
Indian Navy
INS Vikrant
Aircraft carrier
1961-1987
Indian Navy
INS Viraat
Aircraft carrier
1987-2013
[15]
Indonesian Navy
KRI Irian
Cruiser
1963-1970
Irish Naval Service
LÉ Eithne
Patrol ship
1984-2022
[16]
Italian Navy
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Cruiser
1961-1969
Italian Navy
Vittorio Veneto
Cruiser
1969-1985
Italian Navy
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Aircraft carrier
1985-2008
Imperial Japanese Navy
Mikasa
Battleship
1904-1905
Imperial Japanese Navy
Yamato
Battleship
1942-1943, 1944-1945, sunk in action
Imperial Japanese Navy
Musashi
Battleship
1943-1944, sunk in action
Royal Netherlands Navy
HNLMS Karel Doorman
Aircraft carrier
1948-1968
Royal Norwegian Navy
HNoMS Norge
Coastal defense ship
1900-1940, sunk in action
Royal Norwegian Navy
HNoMS Stord
Destroyer
1943-1959
Pakistan Navy
PNS Babur
Cruiser
1956-1985
Peruvian Navy
BAP Almirante Grau
Cruiser
1906-1958
Peruvian Navy
BAP Almirante Grau
Cruiser
1959-1973
Peruvian Navy
BAP Almirante Grau
Cruiser
1973-2017
Portuguese Navy
NRP Vasco da Gama
Cruiser
1876-1935
Romanian Naval Forces
ROS Mărășești
Destroyer
1985-2001
Spanish Navy
Pelayo
Battleship
1888-1914
Spanish Navy
España
Battleship
1914-1923
Spanish Republican Navy
Jaime I
Battleship
1933-1937
Spanish Navy
Canarias
Cruiser
1939-1967
Spanish Navy
Dédalo
Aircraft carrier
1967-1989
Spanish Navy
Príncipe de Asturias
Aircraft carrier
1989-2013
Swedish Royal Navy
HSwMS Gustav V
Coastal defense ship
1939-1945, 1947-1957
Turkish Naval Forces
TCG Yavuz
Battlecruiser
1914-1950
Ukrainian Navy
Hetman Sahaidachniy
Frigate
1993-2022. Scuttled during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine . Final Status TBD
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (United States)
NOAAS Oceanographer
Research vessel
Prior to serving as flagship of the NOAA fleet , Oeanographer was flagship of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey .
[17]
Royal Yugoslav Navy
KB Dubrovnik
Destroyer leader
1932-1941, captured in action
Yugoslav Navy
JRM Split
Destroyer leader
1958-1980
See also
References
^ "HMAS Canberra (III)" . navy.gov.au . Royal Australian Navy . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
^ "Canadian World War II destroyer becomes ceremonial flagship" . navaltoday.com . Naval Today. 28 May 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
^ Crampton, Liz (July 1, 2014). "Crowd of hundreds greets Tampa arrival of tall ship 'Gloria' " . Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
^ "Everything you need to know about the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier" .
^ " "Handfeste Affäre": Der "Gorch Fock"-Skandal weitet sich aus" . Yacht Online . January 14, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2019 .
^ "Italian vessel to be Iraqi navy's flagship" .
^ "allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Navy Flagship Leaves Calabar for Military Exercise in Australia" . Archived from the original on 2013-08-26.
^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news" . Archived from the original on 2017-09-28.
^ Gady, Franz-Stefan (April 2, 2018). "Modernization of Russia's Sole Aircraft Carrier Still Facing Delays" . The Diplomat . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
^ http://2-news.ru/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi [dead link ]
^ "HMS Queen Elizabeth assumes role as new Fleet Flagship" . Royal Navy . January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021 .
^ "Tall Ship Eagle" . uscga.edu . United States Coast Guard Academy . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
^ "Ronald H. Brown" . washington.edu . University of Washington . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
^ Hall, Timothy (1982). HMAS Melbourne . North Sydney, NSW: George Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-86861-284-7 . OCLC 9753221 .
^ Mambra, Shamseer (November 17, 2017). "INS Viraat – 'Mother' Air Craft Carrier Of Indian Navy" . Marine Insight . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
^ "Ageing Naval Service Flaghip LÉ Eithne to Be Replaced By MRV, Opens to Public This Saturday" . afloat.ie . Afloat. Retrieved March 23, 2019 .
^ "Oceanographer" . noaa.gov . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Retrieved March 23, 2019 .