Since World War II the nature of sea battles and warships has changed dramatically, reflecting profound changes in the world at large. This book offers a close-up look at what these changes entail, and how they have come into play in regional conflicts - South East Asia, in escalating hostilities between the Soviet Bloc and the West, and in the skirmishes and major engagements of our times. Here are the warships of the Korean conflict, and of the larger Cold War; vertical take of and landing aircraft, which, coupled with the new, smaller aircraft carrier allow for a nimbler, more flexible force that can respond to the political brushfires of recent years; and here is the aircraft carrier of the twenty-first century, a true military city on the sea. With detailed pictures and text "Modern Warships" tracks the role of warships in a world of increasingly littoral naval conflict, where small nations can possess increasingly advanced technology and super-power dominance is declining. An invaluable resource for the military and navel historian, with many images appearing for the first time, this book offers a unique vantage point on today's maritime navies.