List of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy

This is a list of destroyer classes of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, organised chronologically by entry into service.

Torpedo boat destroyers

In 1913, the surviving members of the large heterogeneous array of older 27-knot and 30-knot torpedo boat destroyer types (all six of the original 26-knot ships had been disposed of by the end of 1912) were organised into the A, B, C and D classes according to their design speed and the number of funnels they possessed. All were of a "turtle-back" design and, excepting a few "builder's specials", powered by reciprocating engines. It should be stressed that these A to D class designations did not exist before 1913, and only applied to those "turtle-backed" destroyers surviving to that time.

"26-knotter" types
- Daring class: 2 ships, 1893–1894
- Havock class: 2 ships, 1893
- Ferret class: 2 ships, 1893–1894
A class; (27-knot classes)
- Ardent class: 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Charger class: 3 ships, 1894
- Rocket class: 3 ships, 1894
- Hardy class: 2 ships, 1895
- Conflict class: 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Fervent class: 2 ships, 1895
- Janus class: 3 ships, 1895
- Sturgeon class: 3 ships, 1894–1895
- Salmon class: 2 ships, 1895
- Swordfish class: 2 ships, 1895
- Banshee class: 3 ships, 1894
- Handy class: 3 ships, 1895
- Sunfish class: 3 ships, 1895
- Zebra class: 1 ship, 1895
B class (4-funnelled, 30-knot classes)
- Quail class: 4 ships, 1895
- Earnest class: 6 ships, 1896–1897
- Spiteful class: 2 ships, 1899
- Myrmidon class: 2 ships, 1900
C class (3-funnelled, 30-knot classes)
- Star class: 6 ships, 1896–1897
- Avon class: 3 ships, 1896–1897
- Brazen class: 4 ships, 1896–1898
- Violet class: 2 ships, 1897
- Mermaid class: 2 ships, 1897–1898
- Gipsy class: 3 ships, 1897
- Bullfinch class: 3 ships, 1898
- Fawn class: 6 ships, 1897–1899
- Falcon class: 2 ships, 1899–1900
- Greyhound class: 3 ships, 1900–1901
- Thorn class: 3 ships, purchased 1901
- Hawthorn special type: 2 ships, 1899, steam turbine specials
- Thornycroft special: 1 ship, 1898
- Armstrong-Whitworth special,: 1 ship, 1900
D class; (2-funnelled, 30-knot classes) Unlike the A, B and C classes, the D class comprised a series of similar ships built by one contractor (Thornycroft), although there were small variations between the batches ordered in each year.
- 1893-94 Programme: 4 ships, 1896
- 1894-95 Programme: 2 ships, 1897
- 1895-96 Programme: 3 ships, 1897–1898
- 1896-97 Programme (special type): 1 ship, 1899
Taku type: 1 ship, 1900, ex-Chinese prize

Conventional destroyers

In 1913, lettered names were given to all Royal Navy destroyers, previously known after the first ship of that class. The River or E class of 1913 were the first destroyers of the Royal Navy with a high forecastles instead of "turtleback" bow making this the first class with a more recognizable modern configuration.

River or E class: 36 ships, 1903–1905 (including 2 later purchases)
Cricket-class coastal destroyer: 36 ships, 1906–1909
Tribal or F class: 13 ships, 1907–1909
Beagle or G class: 16 ships, 1909–1910
Acorn or H class: 20 ships, 1910–1911
Acheron or I class: 23 ships, 1910–1915
Acasta or K class: 20 ships, 1912–1913
Swift type: 1 ship, 1907, large 36-knot flotilla leader prototype
Laforey or L class: 22 ships, 1913–1915
Arno type: 1 ship, 1914, Italian built for Portugal but purchased in 1915
Admiralty M class: 74 ships, 1914–1917
Hawthorn M class: 2 ships, 1915
Yarrow M class: 10 ships, 1914–1916
Thornycroft M class: 6 ships, 1914–1916
Talisman class: 4 ships, 1914–1916, ex-Turkish purchases
Medea class : 4 ships, 1915, ex-Greek purchases
Faulknor-class leader: 4 ships, 1914, ex-Chilean purchases
Marksman-class leader: 7 ships, 1915–1916
Parker-class leader: 6 ships, 1916–1917
Admiralty R class: 39 ships, 1916–1917
Yarrow Later M class: 7 ships, 1916–1917
Thornycroft R class: 5 ships, 1916–1917
Admiralty modified R class: 11 ships, 1916–1917
Admiralty S class: 55 ships, 1918–1924
Yarrow S class: 7 ships, 1918–1919
Thornycroft S class: 5 ships, 1918–1919
Admiralty V class: 28 ships, 1916–1918
Admiralty W class: 19 ships, 1916–1918
Thornycroft V and W class: 4 ships, 1918
Thornycroft modified W class: 2 ships, 1918–1924
Admiralty modified W class: 15 ships, 1918–1922
Admiralty type leader: 8 ships, 1917–1919
Thornycroft type leader or Shakespeare class: 5 ships, 1917–1921

Inter-war standard classes

Ambuscade type: 1 ship, 1926, Yarrow prototype of new design.
Amazon type: 1 ship, 1926, Thornycroft prototype of new design.
- A class: 9 ships, 1928–1931
- B class: 9 ships, 1929–1931
- C class: 5 ships, 1930–1934
- D class: 9 ships, 1931–1933
- E class: 9 ships, 1933–1934
- F class: 9 ships, 1933–1935
- G class: 9 ships, 1934–1936
- H class: 9 ships, 1935–1937
  - ex-Brazilian H class: 6 ships, 1938–1940, ex-Brazilian purchases
- I class: 9 ships, 1936–1937
  - ex-Turkish I class: 2 ships, 1939–1941, ex-Turkish purchases
Tribal class: 27 ships, 1936–1944
J, K and N class: 24 ships, 1938–1941
Hunt class: 83 ships (20 Type I, 33 Type II, 28 Type III, 2 Type IV), 1939–1942, "escort destroyers"
L and M class: 16 ships, 1939–42
Town class: 50 ships from three classes of United States Navy destroyers, built 1917–1920, transferred 1940

World War II War Emergency Programme destroyers

The following were ordered as part of the War Emergency Programme classes:

O and P class: 16 ships, 1941–1942
Q and R class: 16 ships, 1941–1942
S and T class: 16 ships, 1942–1943
U and V class: 16 ships, 1942–1943
W and Z class: 16 ships, 1943–1944
C class: 32 ships, (8 Ca-, 8 Ch-, 8 Co-, 8 Cr-), 1943–1945
Battle class: 23 ships (16 Group I, 7 Group II), 1943–1946
Weapon class: 4 ships, 1945–1946
G class: 0 ships (8 cancelled), 1944

Post-war all-gun design

Daring class: 8 ships, 1949–1952

Guided-missile destroyers

County class: 8 ships (4 Batch I, 4 Batch II), 1961–1967
Type 82: 1 ship, 1969
Type 42: 14 ships (6 Sheffield, 4 Exeter, 4 Manchester), 1971–1983
Type 43: 0 ships (8 cancelled), 1981
Type 45: 6 ships, all commissioned between 2009–2013