United States Navy

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The United States Navy is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations.

Image:NavySeal.png

Contents

Creation of the US Navy

The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which the Continental Congress established on October 13, 1775 by authorizing the procurement, fitting out, manning, and dispatch of two armed vessels to cruise in search of munitions ships supplying the British Army in America. The legislation also established a Naval Committee to supervise the work. All together, the Continental Navy numbered some fifty ships over the course of the war, with approximately twenty warships active at its maximum strength.

After the American War for Independence, Congress sold the surviving ships of the Continental Navy and released the seamen and officers. The Constitution of the United States, ratified in 1789, empowered Congress "to provide and maintain a navy." Acting on this authority, Congress ordered the construction and manning of six frigates on March 27, 1794 and in 1797 the first three frigates, USS United States, USS Constellation and USS Constitution went into service.

The War Department administered naval affairs from that year until Congress established the Department of the Navy on April 30, 1798.

Naval Culture

Navy sailors are trained in the core values of Honor, Courage, Commitment. Sailors cope with boredom on long cruises of six months to a year, and cherish their time in their home ports, as well as vacations at ports abroad.

Navy Jargon

Sailors have a history of using different words to mean things. These words are rooted in deep tradition and are said with pride by all sailors.

Aye, Aye: I understand and will obey
Bulkhead: Wall
Deck: Floor
Geedunk: Candy
Hatch: Door
Head: Toilet
Ladderwell: Stairs
Overhead: Ceiling
P-way: Short for passageway or a hall
Salty: Old and experienced
Swab: Mop

History of the US Navy

See History of the United States Navy.

Development of modern US Navy power

to be written

Fleets

The 2nd Fleet, Atlantic

The Second Fleet is responsible in peacetime for training the Atlantic battle fleet in war-fighting skills, developing and evaluating new naval tactics and maintaining theater battle group readiness. Second Fleet operates primarily in the Atlantic Ocean from the North Pole to the South Pole and from the shores of the United States to the west coast of Europe. It also operates along both coasts of South America and part of the west coast of Central America. In all, it covers more than 38 million square miles. The US Second Fleet is a part of US Atlantic Command. Based in Norfolk, VA, Second Fleet has USS MOUNT WHITNEY as the fleet flagship. The force consists of a balanced mix of capabilities including aircraft carriers, surface combatants, submarines, surveillance assets, amphibious forces, marine landing and mobile logistic units.

The 3rd Fleet, Central and Eastern Pacific

The main task of the Third Fleet is to patrol and to control the waters of the central and eastern Pacific. In peacetime the Third Fleet has no ARG and the carriers in the area are on their way to the Seventh Fleet or conduct training cruises after an overhaul for example. The Third Fleet hadquarters are Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The 5th Fleet, Middle East

Fifth Fleet maintains a visible deterrent force in the Arabian [Persian] Gulf area. The Fifth Fleet was initially established 26 April 1944 from Central Pacific Force, and disbanded after the war. In the era of the first Gulf War, the region was patrolled by ships from the East and West Coasts, but no defined fleet existed. By July 1995, the course of events made a new numbered fleet necessary. After a 48-year hiatus, the US 5th Fleet was reactivated and it now cruises the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea. Its headquarters are in Manama, Bahrain. These forces normally consist of an Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (CVBG), an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), surface combatants, submarines, maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and logistics ships.

The 6th Fleet, Meditteranean

6th Fleet

The 7th Fleet, Western Pacific and Indian Ocean

Seventh Fleet, established during World War II, is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with 50-60 ships, 350 aircraft and 60,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The Seventh Fleet, with the support of its Task Force Commanders, performs three major assignments:

  • Joint Task Force commander in the event of natural disaster or joint military operation
  • Operational commander for all naval forces in the region
  • Defense of the Korean peninsula.

Of the 50-60 ships typically assigned to Seventh Fleet, 18 operate from U.S. facilities in Japan and Guam. These forward-deployed units represent the heart of Seventh Fleet. The 18 permanently forward-deployed ships of the US 7th Fleet are the centerpieces of American forward presence in Asia. They are 17 steaming days closer to locations in Asia than their counterparts based in the continental United States. It would take three to five times the number of rotationally based ships in the United States to equal the same presence and crisis response capability as these 18 forward deployed ships. On any given day, about 50 percent of Seventh Fleet forces are deployed at sea throughout the area of responsibility. The Seventh Fleet Command Ship is the USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC 19), forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

Submarine warfare and nuclear deterrence

to be written

Ships of the US Navy

The names of combat ships of the US Navy all start with USS, meaning 'United States Ship'. Non-combat, civilian-manned vessels of the US Navy have names that begin with USNS, standing for 'United States Navy Ship'.

The US Navy uses a letter based Hull classification symbol to designate a vessel's type.

Modern large ships use nuclear reactors for power. See United States Naval reactor for information on classification schemes and the history of nuclear powered vessels.

Notable Ships

(See List of ships of the United States Navy for a more complete listing.)

Aircraft carriers are the major strategic arm of the Navy. They put US air power within reach of most land-based military power.

Submarines are the other major strategic arm of the Navy as they can be used directly to control naval and shipping activity by other powers as well as serving as missile-launching platforms.

Battleships

Cruisers

Frigates

Destroyers

Others

Early Vessels

  • USS Constitution - "Old Ironsides," oldest commissioned warship afloat
  • USS Monitor - first US ironclad warship, also first rotating turret
  • USS Merrimac - a wooden warship rebuilt by the Confederates as the ironclad CSS Virginia
  • CSS Hunley - First Submarine successfully used in combat. Built by the Confederates near the end of the Civil War. Sank the USS Husitania with its spar-mounted torpedo, but was sunk during or soon after the same battle, with all hands on board.

Weapons Systems

Naval Aircraft

Notable members of the US Navy

See Also

Naval Bases

  • Guantanamo Bay - small section on the south coast of Cuba is being leased by the United States and is used as a naval base.
  • Norfolk, VA - The largest Naval base in the world. This is the main port for ships on the east coast.
  • San Diego, CA - A large Navy base. This is a main port for ships on the west coast.

External Links

References

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