Ironian Federal Navy ships
The names of commissioned ships of the Ironian Federal Navy all start with ICS, for "Ironcastle Ship". Non-commissioned, primarily civilian-manned vessels of the Ironian Navy under the Military Sealift Command have names that begin with ICNS, standing for "Ironcastle Naval Ship". A letter-based hull classification symbol is used to designate a vessel's type. The names of ships are selected by the Secretary of the Navy. There is no set standard for ship naming, with each vessel receiving its name at the discretion of the Department of the Navy.
Modern cruisers, destroyers and frigates are called surface combatants and act mainly as escorts for aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, auxiliaries and civilian craft, but the largest ones have gained a land attack role through the use of cruise missiles and a population defense role through missile defense.
See List of ships of the Ironian Federal Navy for a more complete listing of ships past and present.
Aircraft carriers
Aircraft carriers have the ability to put most nations within striking distance of Ironian air power which makes them the cornerstone of Ironian forward deployment and deterrence strategy. Multiple carriers are deployed around the world to provide military presence, respond quickly to crises, and participate in joint exercises with allied forces; this has led the Navy to refer to their Crusader-class carriers as "4.5 acres of sovereign and mobile Ironian territory". Former President Lynette Powell summed up the importance of the aircraft carrier by stating that "when word of crisis breaks out in Aelcrest, it's no accident the first question that comes to everyone's lips is: where is the nearest carrier?" The power and operational flexibility of a carrier lie in the aircraft of its carrier air wing. Made up of both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, a carrier air wing is able to perform over 150 strike missions at once, hitting over 700 targets a day. Carrier air wings also protect friendly forces, conduct electronic warfare, assist in special operations, and carry out search and rescue missions. The carriers themselves, in addition to enabling airborne operations, serve as command platforms for large battle groups or multinational task forces. Ironian Navy aircraft carriers can also host aircraft from other nations' navies; the Sibarian Navy's MiG-29K has operated, during naval exercises, from Ironian Navy flight decks.
Following below is a list of all carriers (and their homeports) on active duty or under construction.
- Crusader-class (3 in active service, 3 under construction of 6 planned )
Amphibious warfare ships
Amphibious assault ships
Amphibious assault ships (also referred to as a commando carrier or an amphibious assault carrier) are a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers, but includes support for amphibious landing craft, with most designs including a well deck. Coming full circle, some amphibious assault ships now have a secondary role as aircraft carriers, supporting V/STOL fixed-wing aircraft.
The role of the amphibious assault ship is fundamentally different from a standard aircraft carrier: its aviation facilities have the primary role of hosting helicopters to support forces ashore rather than to support strike aircraft. However, some are capable of serving in the sea-control role, embarking aircraft like Lightning II fighters for CAP and anti-submarine warfare helicopters or operating as a safe base for large numbers of STOVL fighters conducting air support for the Marine expeditionary unit once it has gone ashore. Most of these ships can also carry or support landing craft, such as air-cushioned landing craft (hovercraft) or LCUs.
- Sovereign-class (6 in active service, 3 under construction of 9 planned )
