Corvette

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Corvette shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Corvette offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Corvette at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Corvette? Wrong! If the Corvette is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Corvette then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Corvette? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Corvette and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Corvette wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Corvette then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Corvette site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Corvette, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Corvette, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

For the automobile, see Chevrolet Corvette, or for the aircraft see Aérospatiale Corvette. steam corvette FS Dupleix (1861) (1856-1887) corvettes on antisubmarine convoy escort duty during World War II.

A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, smaller than a frigate and larger than a offshore patrol vessel. During the Age of Sail, corvettes were smaller than frigates and larger than sloop-of-war, usually with a single gun deck. Almost all modern Navy use ships smaller than frigates for coastal duty, but not all of them use the term corvette (from the French corvair). The rank Corvette Captain derives from the name of this type of ship.

Sailing vessels During the Age of Sail, corvettes were one of many types of smaller warships. They were very closely related to sloops-of-war. The role of the corvette consisted mostly of coastal patrol, fighting minor wars, supporting large fleets, or participating in show-the-flag missions. The British Navy began using small ships in the 1650s, but described them as sloops rather than corvettes. The first reference to a corvette was with the French Navy in the 1670s, which is where the term itself possibly originated. The Royal Navy did not use the term until after the Napoleonic Wars to describe a small rating system of the Royal Navy vessel similar to a sloop.

Most corvettes and sloops of the 17th century were around 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 meters) in length and weighed 40 to 70 short ton (36 to 64 metric tonnes). They carried 4 to 8 smaller guns on a single deck. Corvettes slowly increased in size and capability, until 1800 when they reached lengths over 100 feet (30 meters) and weight ranging from 400 to 600 short ton (circa 365 to 544 metric tonnes). One of the largest corvettes during the Age of Sail was the American ship, USS Constellation (1854), built in 1855. The ship was 176 feet (54 meters) long and carried 24 guns. It was so large that some naval experts consider it a frigate. It has also been referred to as a sloop-of-war.

Steam ships Ships during the steam era became much faster and more maneuverable than their sail ancestors. Corvettes during this era were typically used along side gunboats during colonial missions. Battleships and other larger vessels were unnecessary when subduing native peoples in the Far East and Africa.

World War II The modern corvette appeared during World War II as an easily built patrol and convoy escort vessel. The British naval designer William Reed drew up a small ship based on the single-driveshaft Smiths Dock Company whale catcher Southern Pride, whose simple design and mercantile construction standards lent itself to rapid production in small yards unused to naval work, and in large numbers. Future Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, had a hand in reviving the name "corvette". The first corvettes were the Flower class corvette (Royal Navy ships were named after flowers, though ships in Royal Canadian Navy service took the name of smaller Canadian cities and towns). Their chief duty was to protect convoys in the North Atlantic and on the routes from the UK to Murmansk carrying supplies to the USSR.

The Flower corvette was originally designed for offshore patrol work, and was not an ideal design for an anti-submarine escort; they were really too short for open ocean work, lightly armed for AA defence, and little faster than the merchantmen they escorted (a particular problem given the faster Nazi Germany U-boat designs then emerging). They were very seaworthy and maneuverable, but crew living conditions for ocean voyages were appalling. Because of this, the corvette was superseded in the Royal Navy as the escort ship of choice by the frigate, which was larger, faster, better armed and had two shafts. However, many small yards could not produce vessels of frigate size, so an improved corvette design, the Castle class corvette, was introduced later in the war, some of which remained in service until the mid-1950s.

The Royal Australian Navy built 60 Bathurst class corvettes, including 20 for the Royal Navy crewed by Australians, and 4 for the Indian Navy. These were officially described as Australian Mine Sweepers, or as Minesweeping Sloops by the Royal Navy, and were named after Australian towns.

Modern corvettes (F 260) of the German Navy class corvette of the Turkish Navy

Modern navies have begun to see a trend in the late part of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century towards smaller, more maneuverable surface combatants. Such vessels can theoretically operate close to shore, as well as at sea. With recent naval operations concentrated in littoral waters the desire for smaller vessels has increased considerably. Corvettes combine the ability to defend a country's assets and interests far away from its own shores, with sophisticated weapons and surveillance equipment while being smaller and cheaper to operate than frigates and destroyers. Corvettes surpass all current patrol craft/offensive missile-boats from an air-defence standpoint, as they are large enough to mount current air/self defence systems.

Typical corvettes today are between patrol vessels and frigates in both size and capability. They have a displacement between 540 and 2,750 tons (550 and 2,800 metric tons) and measure 180-330 feet (55-100 meters) in length. They usually are armed with medium and small caliber guns, surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and underwater warfare weapons. Many can accommodate a small or medium anti-submarine warfare helicopter.

Current Corvette Classes Many countries today operate corvettes. Some of them include Sweden, Germany, India, China, Israel, Poland, Turkey, Greece, and Russia. Countries that border smaller seas, such as the Baltic Sea or the Persian Gulf are more likely to build the smaller and more maneuverable corvettes. Spanish Descubierta class frigates, in service with Royal Moroccan Navy and Navy of Egypt, are actually 1400 tm corvettes.

Arguably, the most advanced corvette in service today is the Swedish Navy's Visby class corvette. It is the first operational warship to extensively utilize stealth technology.

The United States is developing a Littoral Combat Ship, which will be very similar to a corvette. The LCS is slotted to replace the Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate in American service.

The new Germany Braunschweig class corvette is designed to supplement Germany's Fast Attack Craft and also incorporates stealth technology and land attack capabilities.

Turkey began construction on the first of twelve Milgem class corvettes in July 2005. The lead ship, named TCG Heybeliada, is scheduled to begin sea trials in October 2010. The design concept and mission profile of Milgem is similar to the Littoral Combat Ship of the United States.

The Hellenic Navy currently operates the FACM Class Super Vita class ships, which are 580 tons full load. The Hellenic Navy has categorised the class as fast attack missile craft. A similar vessel is the Kılıç class fast attack missile boat of the Turkish Navy which is classified as a corvette by Lürssen Werft, the German designer of the ship.

The Indonesian Navy will receive indigenously designed corvettes, called 104 M corvette in 2008. It is possible, the corvette will be armed with C-802, which is already installed in the locally-built Patrol Boat FPB-57.

See also

List of corvette classes
List of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy
HMAS Castlemaine, a museum ship, Bathurst class corvette
HMCS Sackville, a museum ship, the sole remaining Flower-class corvette
Braunschweig class corvette, the new class of corvettes of the German Navy
Milgem, the next generation corvette class of the Turkish Navy