United States Navy

B

Aircraft Carriers

Each U.S. Navy aircraft carrier has a variety of aircraft, including fighters, bombers, and aircraft for airborne surveillance and early warning, electronic warfare, antisubmarine warfare, and logistics. Carriers stand as the most capable warships at sea. The carrier is the core of a large group of vessels known as a carrier battle group, which includes 12 to 15 other vessels, including destroyers, cruisers, and supply ships.

A Nimitz-class aircraft carrier weighs about 90,000 metric tons and carries 85 to 90 aircraft. By comparison, a Russian aircraft carrier weighs about 61,200 metric tons and carries about 20 aircraft. A typical load of aircraft for a Nimitz-class carrier consists of the following: F/A-18 Hornets (20-24 planes) for air-to-air combat or ground attack; F-14 Tomcats (20-24 planes) for air defense of the carrier; FA-6E Intruders (14 planes) for all-weather bomber attack; E-A6B Prowlers (5 planes) for electronic warfare; S-3A Vikings (8 planes) for antisubmarine warfare; and SH-60 Sea Hawks (4 helicopters) for search-and-rescue and for antisubmarine warfare.

Other aircraft on board might include support airplanes and the AV-8B Harrier—the vertical takeoff and landing attack aircraft used by the Marines. This array of aircraft can strike enemy aircraft, surface ships, or submarines, as well as ground targets deep in enemy territory. Some of the carrier’s aircraft employ electronic warfare, using special electronics to jam enemy communications and to cloak U.S. forces from detection by the enemy. Because of its varied and long-range fighting capabilities, the aircraft carrier also serves a central role in maintaining sea control.

C

Surface Warships

The U.S. Navy’s surface warships, including cruisers, destroyers, and frigates, can perform a variety of roles. Typically about a dozen surface combat ships escort an aircraft carrier to protect it from enemy attack. Cruisers and destroyers possess extensive antiair, antisubmarine, and antisurface weapons, putting them at the heart of the carrier’s defense. Frigates are designed to escort shipping and also can be used as part of a carrier battle group. Many surface warships carry helicopters, which add an important dimension to antisubmarine warfare, antiship surveillance, and targeting operations. Surface warships also operate independent of carrier battle groups, supporting amphibious landings, bombarding coastlines, attacking distant enemy targets with cruise missiles, and other missions.

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D

Attack Submarines

Powerful, quiet attack submarines can sink enemy submarines and ships with torpedoes, lay mines off enemy ports, monitor enemy ships and coastal activities, deploy and support special operations units, and launch cruise missile strikes against land targets. The U.S. Navy maintains more than 50 of these so-called hunter-killer submarines.

E

Land-Based Naval Aircraft

The U.S. Navy’s land-based aircraft support its ocean deployments. Long-range antisubmarine planes detect, track, and destroy enemy submarines, and keep track of surface ships over large areas of ocean. The Navy’s communications aircraft allow the president of the United States to order submerged ballistic missile submarines to launch a nuclear attack. Many types of logistical aircraft provide transport, communications, and refueling support to U.S. forces.

F

Amphibious Vessels

Amphibious forces, working together with the U.S. Marine Corps, provide the United States with an unmatched capability to send combat forces ashore nearly anywhere along the world's coastlines. Amphibious vessels transport Marines into battle along with their equipment and can provide supplies during combat. See Naval Vessels.

IV

Other Naval Forces

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