During World War II, corvettes were small, escort vessels that were used for ASW and anti-submarine operations. These vessels were built by many countries, including Britain, Italy, and France. The majority of corvettes had displacements below 1,000 tons. They were primarily used as escort boats for convoys. Corvettes were also made by many countries for use in armed conflict. The Italians constructed 69 corvettes while the Germans made eight Spica classes.
Russian Navy has 21 Tarantul- and Grisha class corvettes. Their main armament is the P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship missiles. NATO has designated these corvettes as "frogates". These corvettes are mainly operated by the Russian Navy. However, the Russian Coast Guard also has them.
Corvettes are a very popular small warship type in many countries. They are used for humanitarian and military missions, especially in the Asia-coastal regions. They can be equipped with various small and medium calibre guns. They are capable of carrying up to twelve tonnes, which is comparable to most small to medium sized aircraft. They are capable of carrying out both anti-submarine as well as anti-aircraft missions. Corvettes can also be equipped with a variety of mission modules that are designed to carry out tasks that were previously assigned to other specialist classes of ships. They can also be converted into a Mine Warfare Command (MWC) ship, which is capable to lay mines.
Three Sa'ar 5-class Corvettes are operated by the Israeli Navy. These ships are equipped a Barak 8 SAM. They are also equipped with an InfraRed Signature Suppression Systems and other indigenous weapons. These ships are designed to be agile and fast. They can also operate in shallow coastal waters. Their main gun is an 76mm naval gun. They can also carry Hsiung Feng III missiles, which are anti-ship missiles. They can travel at 45 knots.
Also, corvettes are used in other places. There are many corvettes in the Royal Canadian Navy. They are named after small Canadian cities. Royal Thai Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy both have several corvettes. They are also named after smaller Asian towns. The Portuguese Navy also operates several corvettes.
Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) are a modern class of ships that can perform many tasks that were previously performed by specialist classes. They look a lot similar to OPVs but include an aviation detachment. While they are more expensive, their ability carry out costly and difficult missions makes these a great option for many nations. These ships can be built at a low cost with flexible hull designs that allow customers to select the equipment they need. The hull is large, making them capable of handling tasks previously assigned to ships of specialized classes. They can also carry out tasks that were once assigned to smaller-scale and less-armed ships.