The US Navy operates all over the world, on land, in the air, and at sea, in some of the most extreme environments imaginable. Whether it’s sweltering heat or freezing cold, the Navy finds a way to get there and perform the job. Often, accomplishing this necessitates the use of specialized equipment and vessels built with the latest technology available. Today’s aircraft carriers, supply ships, and submarines appear to have been stolen right from a Star Trek episode; their sheer size, as well as their incredible architecture and technology, are virtually science fiction. So, how do the United States Navy’s most advanced ships appear, and what do they do? Read on to discover out.
Exploring The Secrets Of The Navy’s New Warship
USS Nimitz
The USS Nimitz, the first of its class, was launched on May 13, 1972, ushering in a new era of battleships unlike any seen before. The Nimitz, one of the world’s largest warships, needed only one refueling during its nearly 50-year career. How? It is powered by a sophisticated nuclear core. The Nimitz, nicknamed “Old Salt,” and its 6,000 crew members have long played important roles in US military operations.
USS Nimitz
USS Somerset
The USS Somerset is one of eleven San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks, which are ships designed to transport Marines, armored vehicles, and aircraft wherever they are needed, during war and peacetime. The Somerset was named after Somerset County, Pennsylvania, in honor of the passengers who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The passengers of the flight were able to prevent the jet from reaching its planned destination, forcing it to crash in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County. The ship’s construction used around 22 tons of steel from a crane near the crash site of Flight 93.
USS Somerset
Seawolf-Class Attack Submarine
It’s unusual for an entire class of Navy warships to have such an evocative name as the Seawolf-Class attack submarines, but the folks who named them knew what they were talking about. These nuclear submarines are huge, swift, silent, and deadly. Despite their successful design, they are quite rare. The Seawolf-class was originally intended to replace the earlier Los Angeles-class attack submarines, with a total of 29 vessels being built. This was not to be, as they were quickly replaced by the smaller Virginia-class submarines. Today, just three remain in service.
Seawolf Class Attack Submarine
USS Freedom
The class leader of the Freedom series is the USS Freedom LCS-1, which was launched on September 23, 2006. It is a littoral combat ship stationed near shore as part of a defensive force. Built to compete with Independence-class ships, Freedom-class ships feature a more conventional design but are just as futuristic and capable as trimarans. This particular ship performs a variety of operations close to shore, including humanitarian relief and minesweeping.
USS Freedom
USS Harpers Ferry
“First in Freedom” is the motto of the USS Harpers Ferry, the flagship of the dock landing Harpers Ferry-class ships. This cruiser was named after Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, due to its crucial location during the Civil War. The Harpers Ferry has two 20-millimeter Phalanx CIWS mounts, two 25-millimeter Mk 38 rapid-fire cannons, two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, and six 0.5-inch (12.7-millimeter) M2HB machine guns. Harpers Ferry supplied humanitarian aid in Burma in 2008, and in 2009, the ship participated in humanitarian rescue missions in the Philippines.
USS Harpers Ferry
USS Ticonderoga
The USS Ticonderoga is a guided missile cruiser and the first Ticonderoga-class vessel. This was the first combatant vessel to employ the AEGIS fighting technology, which allowed it to track and engage as many aircraft targets as feasible at once. The Ticonderoga, nicknamed ‘Tico,’ boasts the motto “the First AEGIS Cruiser.” The ship was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 2004 before being disposed of, although it is now inert at the Naval inert Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia.
USS Ticonderoga
USS Enterprise
The USS Enterprise is undoubtedly the most famous ship in the United States Navy. The USS Enterprise CVN-65, which shares her name with a long line of previous proud boats, was the first nuclear-powered vessel in the American fleet and, to this day, remains the longest ship to ever serve in any naval force in the world, measuring 342 meters (1,123 feet). The Enterprise, nicknamed “Big E,” was commissioned on November 25, 1961, and retired on February 3, 2017, over 56 years later. The ship famously inspired the fictional Star Trek starship Enterprise, and it even appeared in the Star Trek film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It was replaced by the USS Gerald R. Ford.
USS Enterprise
USS Wasp
The USS Wasp, like the America, is a multifunctional amphibious ship and the first of its class, hence the name Wasp. Wasp-class ships’ principal function is to land ground forces on enemy territory and provide logistical and tactical support throughout their operations. The Wasp, launched on August 4, 1987, and first commissioned on July 29, 1989, is the flagship of the United States Second Fleet. Its slogan is, “Honor, Tradition, Excellence.”
USS Wasp
USS America LHA-6
While the USS America LHA-6 appears to be an aircraft carrier, it is actually an amphibious assault ship, the first in its eponymous America-class fleet. However, just because it is classed as an amphibious assault ship does not imply that it can perform amphibious maneuvers. Rather, it serves as a launching platform for amphibious forces; its hull accommodates both aircraft and amphibious vessels, allowing for sophisticated sea-to-shore operations.
USS America LHA 6
USS Michael Monsoor DDG-1001
The second Zumwalt-class destroyer, the USS Michael Monsoor DDG-1001, was launched on June 21, 2016, and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2018. The ship is built for high-intensity coastal strikes as well as advanced land operations. The Michael Monsoor’s motto is “I Will Defend,” and it appears to be designed for that purpose, given its Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile system and capacity to deploy vertical Tomahawk missiles. The ship weighs 14,564 tons and measures 600 feet (182.9 meters) long.
USS Michael Monsoor DDG 1001
USS George H. W. Bush
The USS George H. W. Bush, named after the 41st president of the United States of America, who was a naval aviator during WWII, is the 10th and final Nimitz-class supercarrier. With its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, the George H. W. Bush has been deployed all over the world’s oceans. The massive ship displaces 102,000 long tons of water and has an overall length of 1,092 feet (332.8 meters).
USS George H. W. Bush
USS Emory S. Land
Naval submarines frequently go to remote locations over extended periods of time to carry out covert missions requiring stealth and silence. So, when something goes wrong in a submersible, they don’t always have the option of returning to their home port to have it repaired. This is where the US Navy’s main submarine tender, the USS Emory S. Land AS-39, comes in. The ship, with a staff complement comparable to that of a small town, includes spare components and a production complex with over 50 specialized shops, but the Emory S. Land specializes in more than simply submarine hardware. In addition to manufacturing services and supplies such as water and food, the ship offers legal and medical assistance, dental treatment, mail, and anything else submarine crews may desire.
USS Emory S. Land
Virginia-Class Attack Submarine
The Virginia-class attack submarine, also known as the SSN-774, is a nuclear-powered submarine designed to launch fast attacks in coastal and international waters. The Virginia-class submarines replaced the previous Los Angeles-class submarines and are considered a less expensive counterpart of the Seawolf-class attack submarines. The US Navy believes that this class of assault submarines will be in service far after 2060. Currently, 14 of these vessels are in operation, with an additional 48 scheduled to enter service in the next years. This undersea vehicle stores Tomahawk tubes, torpedoes, and missiles, as well as various technological breakthroughs not found in prior US submarines, such as photonics sensors, modular masts, rescue equipment, and a payload module.
Virginia Class Attack Submarine
USS Los Angeles
One of the United States Navy’s most important strategic missions is reflected through its attack submarine fleet, which was for many years led by the Los Angeles-class attack submarines. The USS Los Angeles led them, having been launched from the Southern Californian city it was named after on April 6, 1974, and remaining in service until February 4, 2011, when it became the oldest submarine still in operation. It has since been recycled, yet its legacy continues to this day.
USS Los Angeles
USS Chief
The United States Navy has a specialized fleet of 14 Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships that conduct minesweeping operations to clear mines from important waterways. One of them, the USS Chief MCM-14, was launched on June 12, 1993, and is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. The structure of the Chief is made of wood with a layer of plastic reinforced with glass. These unique materials serve as a buffer against mine blasts while also moderating the ship’s magnetic signature, making it less likely to trigger mines in close proximity. Its home port is Sasebo, Japan.
USS Chief
USS Ohio
The United States Navy now possesses approximately 20 Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarines, but the USS Ohio was the first and only one when it was launched in 1979. With an entire class of submarines named after it, the Ohio is regarded as the “first and finest” in the fleet. Its motto, “Always First,” emphasizes its pioneering spirit, and it lives up to it. The Ohio was among the first Ohio-class submersibles to be upgraded from an SSBN ballistic missile submarine to an SSGN guided missile submarine, bringing the fleet into the twenty-first century.
USS Ohio
USS Peleliu
The USS Peleliu, a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship, was decommissioned in 2015. The ship was scheduled to be named the USS Khe Sanh or the USS Da Nang after significant engagements in the Vietnam War, but it was instead named after the Battle of Peleliu during World War II. The Peleliu began service in 1980 and quickly earned the nicknames ‘Iron Nickel’ and ‘The Fighting Five’ for the numerous evacuation and rescue missions it completed. During the Peleliu’s active duty, its motto was “Pax per Potens,” which translates to “Peace through Power.”
USS Peleliu
USS Arleigh Burke
The USS Arleigh Burke is the first of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers. The ship was launched on September 16, 1989, and commissioned on July 4, 1991. Perhaps its most notable feature is its sophisticated stealth technology, which allows it to escape anti-ship missiles. The USS Arleigh Burke employs a somewhat reduced version of the AEGIS fighting system, which has the capability to track, evade, and unleash missiles all in one. This guided missile destroyer’s motto is “Fast and Feared” – and it is, at least by its foes!
USS Arleigh Burke
USS Turner Joy
The USS Turner Joy DD-951, one of 18 Forest Sherman-class destroyers in the United States Navy, was launched on May 5, 1958. The ship was named after Vice Admiral Charles Turner Joy, who served in the US Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Turner Joy spent its entire duty in the Pacific Ocean, where it was heavily involved in the Vietnam War and was one of the primary ships during the USS Maddox Incident, also known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. It was eventually decommissioned in 1982.
USS Turner Joy
Ohio-Class Ballistic Missile Submarines
The Ohio-class of nuclear-powered submarines is divided into two subgroups: 14 submarines capable of deploying ballistic missiles and four vessels updated with guided missile launch capability. Ohio-class submarines can launch intercontinental missiles undetected, making them a valuable strategic asset with exceptional stealth characteristics. They are frequently deployed in top-secret operations.
Ohio Class Ballistic Missile Submarines
USS Pueblo (AGER – 2)
In the 1960s, the United States Navy launched three environmental research ships known as the Banner-class series to serve as intelligence spy ships. The class included the Banner, Pueblo, and Palm Beach. On January 23, 1968, the North Koreans captured the USS Pueblo after attacking it during the Pueblo Crisis. The Pueblo was carrying 83 people when it was taken. The resulting violence, which resulted in one death, only heightened Cold War tensions. The ship is still held in North Korea as a museum ship, although the US Navy considers it active and in duty.
USS Pueblo (AGER – 2)
USS Independence
Independence-class ships appear more like spaceships than boats. These next-generation destroyers were developed with speed and mobility in mind, with the goal of patrolling and operating in the littoral zone, which refers to relatively shallow, nearshore waters. The USS Independence, shown below, and after which the ship class was named, was commissioned in 2009. It can operate with a minimal crew and perform a wide range of activities, including submarine hunting, minesweeping, and transporting small aircraft. The ship’s trimaran design reduces water drag greatly, and its outer hull makes it difficult to locate. Could this be the ship of tomorrow? It appears that someone in the Navy believes so, as more than ten new Independence class ships have been ordered in recent years.
USS Independence
USS Kidd
The USS Kidd, named after Read Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who served aboard the USS Arizona and was killed during World War II’s Pearl Harbor attack, appears to have a tendency for generating headlines. The Kidd, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, has appeared on screens around the world and in the media multiple times during its service. The ship was involved in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the South China Sea in 2014, but moviegoers may recall it from its role in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
USS Kidd
USS Samuel B. Roberts
The USS Samuel B. Roberts was dubbed “the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship” after its remarkable performance in the Battle of Leyte Gulf off the island of Samaron on October 25, 1944. While the Samuel B. Roberts was eventually sunk by Japanese enemy warships, it did so with a fight and contributed to the battle’s outcome. The ship, which was launched on January 20, 1944, was named after Samuel Booker Roberts, Jr., who got the Navy Cross in 1942 for willingly piloting a landing craft near enemy flotillas while other vessels were conducting evacuation attempts.
USS Samuel B. Roberts
USS Santa Fe
The USS Santa Fe SSN-763 is one of thirty Los Angeles-class submarines. This submarine was launched on December 12, 1992, and commissioned on January 8, 1994. It is capable of firing Tomahawk land missiles and Harpoon anti-surface ship missiles. It also contains ten Mk48 ADCAP torpedo reloads. In 1997, the Santa Fe had its first deployment to the western Pacific Ocean and Persian Gulf. When fully loaded, it weighs 6,927 tons and measures 361 feet and 11 inches (110.3 meters) in length. The Santa Fe, like its sister ships, is an important part of America’s naval armament, having won five naval honors between 2000 and 2006.
USS Santa Fe
USS Midway
The USS Midway was launched on March 20, 1945, and commissioned only one week after World War II concluded. Up until 1955, it was the world’s largest ship, so large that it couldn’t transit the Panama Canal. After 47 years of service, the Midway was decommissioned on April 11, 1992. Today, it operates as a museum ship in San Diego, California, where visitors may admire its outstanding engineering and learn about her storied military history.
USS Midway
USS Hurricane
In 1992, the United States Navy started a new generation of coastal patrol ships, led by the Cyclone-class warships, to protect its borders. The third of its sort, the USS Hurricane, was launched on June 6, 1992. The Hurricane’s tiny size allows for quick movement, while its automatic grenade launchers and machine guns are secured in place in case of a foreign assault. The Hurricane, nicknamed ‘The Hurt and Pain,’ has its home port in Manama, Bahrain, but it docked in numerous places throughout the Great Lakes to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
USS Hurricane
The USS Zumwalt
The USS Zumwalt DDG-1000, the largest and most futuristic destroyer to date, is the first of its type, and the Zumwalt-class is named after it. It’s 600 feet long, displaces 14,564 long tons of water, and is expected to cost between $3.5 billion and $4.4 billion. The Zumwalt, with its home port in San Diego, California, was launched in October 2013 and commissioned on October 15, 2016. This type of ships are multi-session capable. Previous destroyer classes were solely entrusted with deep-water combat tasks, but the Zumwalt-class can also support ground forces in land attacks thanks to its capacity to hit targets up to 83 miles (114 kilometers) distant.
The USS Zumwalt
USS Lewis B. Puller ESB-3
The USS Lewis B. Puller ESB-3 was the US Navy’s first Expeditionary Mobile Base, having previously served as a Mobile Landing Platform and an Afloat Forward Staging Base. In 2017, the Lewis B. Puller replaced the USS Ponce AFSB as part of the US Fifth Fleet’s Persian Gulf operations. The Lewis B. Puller was launched on November 6, 2014, and commissioned in Bahrain on August 17, 2017, after the prefix was changed from USNS to USS. The vessel is assigned with a number of low-intensity activities including Expeditionary Sea Bases, allowing more expensive surface combatant warships to handle crucial missions.
USS Lewis B. Puller ESB 3
USS Chinook PC-9
The USS Chinook PC-9 is another US Navy Cyclone-class patrol ship that protects the country’s shores. The Chinook was launched on February 26, 1994, and commissioned on January 28, 1995. It weighs 331 tons and measures 174 feet (53 meters) in length. The Chinook carries six Stinger missiles, two Mk38 chain guns, two 0.50 (12.7 millimeter) machine guns, and two Mk19 grenade launchers. Since being commissioned, the ships have received seven maritime honors. Continue reading for more information about other great ships.
USS Chinook PC 9
USS Ponce AFSB-15
The United States Navy developed many amphibious transport dock classes. The USS Ponce LPD-15 is part of the Austin class, which was preceded by the Raleigh class and superseded by the San Antonio class dock ships, also known as floating forward station bases. Despite attempts to decommission the Ponce in recent years, it remained operational until 2017, ending a 48-year run. It spent the majority of its time on the east coast of the United States, but it was also deployed during Operation Desert Shield in 2006 and US missions during the first Libyan Civil War in 2011.
USS Ponce AFSB 15
USS Blue Ridge LCC-19
For significant maritime invasions, the United States Navy invested in huge amphibious command ships, one of which is known as the Blue Ridge-class. The USS Blue Ridge LCC-19, commanded by the US Seventh Fleet, serves as the class’s commander. The Blue Ridge’s primary mission is to assist the command, control, intelligence, and computers of the staff and commander of the US seventh fleet. The warship is named after the Blue Ridge Mountain region in the eastern Appalachian Mountains, and its current home port is Yokosuka, Japan.
USS Blue Ridge LCC 19
USS Gerald R. Ford
The USS Gerald Ford has yet to see battle, with a deployment scheduled for 2022, but it has already created history. One of the largest naval ships ever built, it’s not just its sheer size that makes it such an important vessel; it also houses cutting-edge technology, including two A1B nuclear reactors, four anti-aircraft missiles, an electromagnetic launch system for aircraft, and a RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missile system. However, its size is not to be taken lightly. The ship displaces 100,000 long tons of water and reaches an incredible length of 1,106 feet (337 meters), accommodating a crew of thousands. However, despite her size, the Gerald R. Ford is not the largest ship to have ever served in the United States Navy. That ship is still to arrive, so continue reading!
USS Gerald R. Ford
USS Tripoli LHA-7
The USS Tripoli LHA-7, a second America-class amphibious assault ship, was launched on May 1, 2017, but did not receive its commission until July 15, 2020. That’s because there were numerous delays caused by the pandemic, including the fact that some of the sailors assigned to the ship tested positive for the virus and had to be evacuated for precautionary reasons. The Tripoli is 844 feet long and carries 45,693 tons. It houses two rolling airframe missile launchers, two advanced sea sparrow missile launches, two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts, seven twin.50 BMG machine guns, an AV-8B Harrier II, an MV-22B Osprey, an F-35B Lightning II, a CH-53K King Stallion, a UH-1Y Venom, an AH-1Z Viper, and an MH-60S Knighthawk.
USS Tripoli LHA 7
USS Charleston LCS-18
Did you know that six ships are named after Charleston? Well, they’re named after South Carolina’s oldest and largest city. The USS Charleston LCS-18 is an Independence-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy that was launched on September 14, 2017 and commissioned on March 2, 2019. The USS Charleston deploys LCS-18, which displaces 2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, and 797 metric tons deadweight. It measures 418 feet long and houses a BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm gun, four.50 cal guns, an Evolved SeaRAM 11 cell missile launcher, mission modules, two MH-60R/S Seahawks, and a MQ-8 Fire Scout.
USS Charleston LCS 18
USS Daniel Inouye DDG-118
The USS Daniel Inouye, named after the former US senator from Hawaii who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II, is the third of eight projected Flight IIA “technology insertion” ships that incorporate components of the Flight III ships. The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer was launched on October 27, 2019, and is scheduled to be commissioned on December 8, 2021. The USS Daniel Inouye is 513 feet long and has a displacement of 9,200 long tons. The ship is equipped with one 5 inch 54 caliber Mk 45 naval gun, two 25 mm Mk 38 autocannons, four.50 cal machine guns, one 30 mm Phalanx CIWS, two Mk 32 torpedo tubes for Mk 46 torpedoes, a 96-cell Mk VLS, and two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
USS Daniel Inouye DDG 118
USS Mobile LCS-26
The USS Mobile LCS-26 is another ship named after a U.S. city, this time Mobile, Alabama. She is also the fifth ship with the name, and she was even built in her namesake. The USS Mobile, which was launched on January 11, 2020 and will be commissioned on May 22, 2021, displaces 2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, and 797 metric tons deadweight and measures 418 feet in length. The ship’s weaponry includes a BAE System Mk 110 57 mm cannon, four.50 cal guns, guns, an Evolved SeaRam 11 cell missile launcher, and mission modules. It also has two MH-60R/S Seahawks and a MQ-8 Fire Scout.
USS Mobile LCS 26
USS Oakland LCS-24
The USS Oakland LCS-24, the third ship named after the city of Oakland, California, is a littoral combat ship in the United States Navy’s Independence class. The USS Oakland, which was launched on July 21, 2019, and will be commissioned on April 17, 2021, has a displacement of 2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, and 797 metric tons deadweight and measures 418 feet in length. The ship’s weapons include a BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm cannon, four.50 cal guns, an Evolved SeaRam 11 cell missile launcher, mission modules, two MH-60R/S Seahawks, and a MQ-8 Fire Scout.
USS Oakland LCS 24
USS Delbert D. Black DDG-119
The ship was named in honor of Master Chief Petty Officer Delbert Black, the Navy’s first Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPON), who died in 2000. MCPONs had advocated for a decade to commemorate him with a combatant ship. The USS Delbert D. Black is a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that was launched on September 8, 2017 and commissioned on September 26, 2000. It displaces 9,200 long tons and is 513 feet in length. The USS Delbert D. Black is equipped with one 5 inch 54 caliber Mk 45 naval gun, two 25 mm Mk Autocannons, four.50 cal machine guns, one 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, two MK 32 triple torpedo tubes for Mk 46 torpedoes, a 96-cell Mk 41 VLS, and two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
USS Delbert D. Black DDG 119