The wooden ships, propelled the sails were equipped with heavy guns, that went to battle long lines of exchanged battle shells. The battle could continue if necessary with knives and rifle butt.
Things evolved during the nineteenth century, guns became more accurate and propulsion with steam began to make its appearance. The first battleships, vessels made from steel for mechanically propelled vessels appeared during the American Civil War.
At the beginning of the twentieth century battleships had also equipped with turrets artillery and armor increasingly resistant. Alongside the first torpedo boats made their appearance. The first submarines were also put into service at the time, even though they were primarily used to move ambushes they attacked the convoy.
At the beginning of World War II, warships were imposing structure equipped with larger pieces of artillery existing (up to 600 mm) to combat vessels or equivalent to support troops fighting near the coast. Germany wreaked havoc to convoys across the North Atlantic with its submarines with a number of detection equipments. It took light and fast vessels equipped with sonar and depth charge to overcome them.
Japanese and their use of aviation wings, sounded the death knell over the huge warships. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the intensive use of aviation against ships was a success doctrine which definitively changed the face of the naval warfare.
The nuclear-propelled vessels make their appearance during the Cold War. The use of nuclear propulsion allows the construction of aircraft carrier in colossal size, especially the nuclear submarines which changed the situation considerably. They no longer need to navigate around or on the surface to recharge their batteries. They are now attack submarines, intended to attack other submarines, surface vessels and SLBM a submarine designed to launch missiles with nuclear warheads almost from anywhere. The issue of the Navy is no longer just the safety of marine communications line, but a strategic threat involving weapons of mass destruction.
The surface vessels have also evolved, many detection equipments and weapons intended to face threats from the air, sea and the bottom of the sea They must as far as possible in detecting their targets , while leave themselves as silent as possible. The aircraft, helicopters and planes play a fundamental role. The distances of engagement have also lengthened.
