Corvette: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

For the automobile, see Chevrolet Corvette.

A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, smaller than a frigate.

When referring to sailing ships, a corvette is a ship-rigged sloop.

Almost all modern navies use ships smaller than frigates for coastal duty, but not all of them use the term "corvette". During World War II most allied navies had corvettes. The Flower Class were usually Royal Navy vessels, while the Royal Canadian Navy named theirs after Canadian cities and towns. Their chief duty was to protect covoys in the North Atlantic and on the route to Murmansk, USSR.