Editing Flagship (section)

==Naval use==
In common naval use, the term ''flagship'' is fundamentally a temporary designation; the flagship is wherever the [[admiral]]'s flag is being flown. However, admirals have always needed additional facilities, including a meeting room large enough to hold all the captains of the fleet and a place for the admiral's staff to make plans and draw up orders.  Historically, only larger ships could accommodate such requirements.

The term was also used by commercial fleets, when the distinction between a nation's navy and merchant fleet was not clear. An example was ''[[Sea Venture]]'', flagship of the fleet of the [[Virginia Company of London|Virginia Company]], which was captained by [[Royal Navy]] Vice-Admiral [[Christopher Newport]] yet bore the [[Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)|Merchant Navy]] admiral of the company's fleet, Sir [[George Somers]], during the ill-fated [[Third Supply]] of 1609.

In the age of [[sailing ship]]s, the flagship was typically a [[first rate]]; the aft of one of the three decks would become the admiral's quarters and staff offices. This can be seen on {{HMS|Victory}}, the flagship of Admiral [[Horatio Nelson]] at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in 1805, still serving the [[Royal Navy]] as the ceremonial flagship of the [[First Sea Lord]] from [[Portsmouth, England]].  Non-first rates could serve as flagships, however: {{USS|Constitution}}, a [[frigate]] (a fourth rate), served as flagship for parts of the [[United States Navy]] during the early 19th century.

In the 20th century, ships became large enough that the larger types, [[cruiser]]s and up, could accommodate a commander and staff. Some larger ships may have a separate flag bridge for use by the admiral and his staff while the captain commands from the main navigation bridge. Because its primary function is to coordinate a fleet, a flagship is not necessarily more heavily armed or armored than other ships. During [[World War II]], admirals often preferred a faster ship over the largest one.

Modern flagships are designed primarily for [[command and control]] rather than for fighting, and are also known as [[command ship]]s.