In starship classification, a warship is a generic term which is applied to any armed vessel which is designed for combat. Among the many types of vessels to be included in the warship category, are battleships, battle cruisers, cruisers, escorts and destroyers. Due to the peaceful nature and mission of the Federation Starfleet, they typically avoid assigning the warship classification, and instead apply euphemisms such as "escort" (Defiant-class) and "tactical cruiser" (Prometheus-class). (DS9 novelization: The Search; VOY episode: "Message in a Bottle")