corvette

/K AO0 R V EH1 T/
noun
  1. 1

    A flush-decked warship of the 17th-18th centuries having a single tier of guns; it ranked next below a frigate; – called in the United States navy a sloop of war.

  2. 2

    In a modern navy, a lightly armed and armoured blue water warship, smaller than a frigate, capable of transoceanic duty.

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/corvette