In Azur Lane, light cruisers are an escort ship type aside from the fragile yet fast Destroyers and slow but armoured Heavy Cruisers. The last light cruiser in service was BAP Almirante Grau of the Peruvian Navy, which has since been decommissioned. Throughout their history, they served in a variety of roles, primarily as convoy escorts and destroyer command ships, yet also as scouts and fleet support vessels for battle fleets. While lighter and smaller than other contemporary ships they were still true cruisers, retaining the extended radius of action and self sufficiency to act independently across the world. Prior to this, smaller cruisers had been of the protected cruiser model, possessing armored decks only. The term is a shortening of the phrase ' light armored cruiser', describing a small ship that carries armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: with a protective belt and deck. A light cruiser (CL, or Cruiser Light) is a retired classification of small- or medium-sized warships.

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