The Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy , which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was essentially disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. The United States Constitution provided the legal basis for a military force by giving Congress the power "to provide and maintain a navy".
Depredations against U.S. shipping by Barbary Coast pirates in the Mediterranean Sea spurred Congress to employ this power by passing the Naval Act of 1794 ordering the construction and manning of six frigates . These ships were used to end most pirate activity off the Barbary Coast . In the 20th century, American blue-water navy capability was demonstrated by the 1907–1909 world tour of the Great WhiteFleet .
The 21st century United States Navy maintains a sizable global presence, deploying in such areas as East Asia , the Mediterranean , and the Middle East . It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward areas during peacetime, and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it an active player in U.S. foreign and defense policy.
The Navy is administratively managed by the Department of the Navy , which is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Navy . The Department of the Navy is itself a division of the Department of Defense , which is headed by the Secretary of Defense . Traditionally, the highest ranking naval officer is the Chief of Naval Operations , a position currently held by Admiral Jonathan Greenert , however one naval officer currently outranks him. The highest ranking naval officer is the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , Admiral James Winnefeld .
Equipment
The Navy operates 290 ships, 3,700 aircraft, 50,000 non-combat vehicles and owns 75,200 buildings on 3,300,000 acres (13,000 km2). The Navy plans to slash the dependence on fossil fuels .Ships
The names of commissioned ships of the U.S. Navy are prefixed with the letters "USS", designating "United States Ship" Non-commissioned, civilian-manned vessels of the Navy have names that begin with "USNS", standing for "United States Naval Ship" The names of ships are officially selected by the Secretary of the Navy , often to honor important people or places. Additionally, each ship is given a letter-based hull classification symbol (for example, CVN or DDG) to indicate the vessel's type and number. All ships in the Navy inventory are placed in the Naval Vessel Register , which is part of "the Navy List" (required by article 29 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). The Register tracks data such as the current status of a ship, the date of its commissioning, and the date of its decommissioning. Vessels that are removed from the register prior to disposal are said to be stricken from the register. The Navy also maintains a reserve fleet of inactive vessels that are maintained for reactivation in times of need.
The U.S. Navy was one of the first to install nuclear reactors aboard naval vessels; today, nuclear energy powers all of U.S. active aircraft carriers and submarines . In the case of the Nimitz-class carrier, two naval reactors give the ship almost unlimited range and provide enough electrical energy to power a city of 100,000 people. The U.S. Navy previously operated nuclear-powered cruisers and destroyers, but all have been decommissioned.
The U.S. Navy has identified a need for 313 combat ships, but under the current plans will only be able to afford 232 to 243.
Aircraft carriers
The Navy has established a minimum requirement for 11 aircraft carriers, but will drop to 10 when the Enterprise retires before the Gerald R. Ford is ready for service. Former defense Secretary Robert Gates has questioned this need.A carrier is typically deployed along with a host of additional vessels, forming a carrier strike group . The supporting ships, which usually include three or four Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers, a frigate, and two attack submarines, are tasked with protecting the carrier from air, missile, sea, and undersea threats as well as providing additional strike capabilities themselves. Ready logistics support for the group is provided by a combined ammunition, oiler, and supply ship.
- Enterprise class (1 in commission)
- Nimitz class (10 in commission)
- Gerald R.Ford class(1 under construction, at least 2 more planned)
Amphibious warfare vessels
Amphibious assault ships are the centerpieces of US amphibious warfare and fulfill the same power projection role as aircraft carriers except that their striking force comprises land forces instead of aircraft. They deliver, command, coordinate, and fully support all elements of a 2200-strong Marine Expeditionary Unit in an amphibious assault using both air and amphibious vehicles. Resembling small aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships are capable of V/STOL , STOVL, VTOL , tiltrotor, and rotary wing aircraft operations. They also contain a well deck to support the use of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and other amphibious assault watercraft. Recently, amphibious assault ships have begun to be deployed as the core of an expeditionary strike group , which usually consists of an additional amphibious transport dock and dock landing ship for amphibious warfare and an Aegis-equipped cruiser and destroyer, frigate, and attack submarine for group defense. Amphibious assault ships are typically named after World War II aircraft carriers.
- Tarawa class (1 in commission, 4 decommissioned)
- Wasp class (8 in commission)
- America class (1 under construction, at least 3 more planned)
- Austin class (2 in commission, 10 decommissioned)
- San Antonio class (5 in commission, 4 under construction, 1 more planned)
The dock landing ship is a medium amphibious transport that is designed specifically to support and operate Landing Craft Air Cushions (LCACs), though it is able to operate other amphibious assault vehicles in the United States inventory as well. Dock landing ships are normally deployed as a component of an expeditionary strike group's amphibious assault contingent, operating as a secondary launch platform for LCACs. All dock landing ships are named after locations in the United States.
- Whidbey Island class (8 in commission)
- Harpers Ferry class (4 in commission)
Surface vessels
Cruisers are large surface combat vessels that conduct anti-air/anti-missile warfare, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and strike operations independently or as members of a larger task force. Modern guided missile cruisers were developed out of a need to counter the anti-ship missile threat facing the United States Navy. This led to the development of the AN/SPY-1 phased array radar and the Standard missile with the Aegis combat system coordinating the two. Ticonderoga-class cruisers became the first to equip Aegis and were put to use primarily as anti-air and anti-missile defense in a battle force protection role. Later developments of vertical launch systems and the Tomahawk missile gave cruisers additional long-range land and sea strike capability, making them capable of both offensive and defensive battle operations. All cruisers since CG-47 have been named for famous battles with USS ThomasS. Gates (CG-51) as the only exception. Previously, cruisers were either named for cities (until CG-12), former important navy figures (CG-15 to CG-35), or states (CGN-36 to CGN-41).- Ticonderoga class (22 in commission, 5 decommissioned)
- Arleigh Burke class (60 in commission, one awaiting commissioning, one under construction, at least three more planned)
Modern U.S. frigates mainly perform anti-submarine warfare for carrier strike groups and amphibious expeditionary groups and provide armed escort for supply convoys and merchant shipping. They are designed to protect friendly ships against hostile submarines in low to medium threat environments, using torpedoes and LAMPS helicopters. Independently, frigates are able to conduct counterdrug missions and other maritime interception operations. The U.S. Navy expects to retire and replace its current class of frigates by 2020 as the Littoral Combat Ships are introduced into operation. As in the case of destroyers, frigates are named after naval heroes.
- Oliver Hazard Perry class(19 in commission, 8 in active reserve, 24 decommissioned)
Submarines
The primary missions of submarines in the U.S. Navy are peacetime engagement, surveillance and intelligence, special operations, precision strikes, battlegroup operations, and control of the seas. The U.S. Navy operates two types: ballistic submarines and attack submarines. Ballistic submarines have only one mission: to carry and launch the nuclear Trident missile . Attack submarines have several tactical missions, including sinking ships and other subs, launching cruise misiles , gathering intelligence, and assisting in special operations. Earlier attack submarines (such as the Los Angeles class ) are typically named for cities while Ohio class and later attack submarines are typically named for states. Attack submarines prior to the Los Angeles class were named for "denizens of the deep", while pre-Ohio class ballistic missile submarines were named for "famous Americans" (including foreigners with notable connections to the United States).
- Ohio class ballistic missile submarines (18 in commission, with 4 converted into guided missile submarines)
- Los Angeles class attack submarines (43 in commission, 2 in reserve, 17 decommissioned)
- Seawolf class attack submarines (3 in commission)
- Virginia class attack submarines (7 in commission, 3 under construction, 4 ordered, at least 4 more planned)
