The United States Navy, an Overview

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The U.S. Navy, an Overview

The operating forces (ships, submarines, aircraft, Marines, Seebees) of the U.S. Navy are assigned to two organizational structures: administrative and tactical.

The administrative organization is responsible for the training and material readiness of naval forces. This is based on “type” categories, with similar forces grouped together to facilitate training, overhaul, repair, logistics and other aspects of readiness. Within each fleet, there are air, surface and submarine type commanders, each responsible for their respective forces. In addition, the Fleet Marine Forces of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets function as type commands. As well, the newly organized maritime Defense Zones, which are under Coast Guard flag officers, report to their respective fleet commanders.

While the type commands are similar in concept in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, the components of the type commands differ considerably. For example, the submarine commands are operational as well as administrative. In the Atlantic Fleet, the commanders of the higher-number destroyer squadrons do not have ships assigned to them, unlike the lower numbered squadrons which are responsible for the training, maintenance and logistics of the ships; when the ships go to sea, the commanders of these higher number squadrons become the tactical commanders and the force assumes a task force or task group designations. In the Pacific Fleet, the destroyer squadron commanders fill both functions (both readiness and as tactical commanders).

The U.S. Navy operates three Commands: Atlantic, European and Pacific. The Naval Components of these commands, are respectively, the Atlantic Fleet, Naval Forces Europe, and the Pacific Fleet. There are four (5th Fleet is a wartime only command) “numbered fleets”:

Second Fleet (Atlantic) is the home or training fleet. 2nd Fleet has the NATO strike force mission and is increasingly responsible for operations in the Caribbean and off Central America in addition to its historical anti-submarine mission in the Atlantic. Most 2nd Fleet units rotate at regular intervals to the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Flagship of the 2nd Fleet is the USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) based at Norfolk, VA.

Third Fleet (Eastern Pacific): Provides units for deployment to the 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific-Indian Ocean areas. The 3rd Fleet also has an anti-submarine mission (based on its origins as ASW Force, Pacific). It also has a strike mission as Soviet naval capabilities in the Pacific increase, with operations in the North Pacific now being conducted on a regular basis. Flagship of the 3rd Fleet is the USS Coronado (AGF-11) based at Pear Harbor, HI.

Sixth Fleet (Mediterranean): This fleet has both US and NATO responsibilities, the latter as the Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe. The 6th Fleet operates in an area within tactical air range of Soviet, Syrian and Libyan bases and in an area with major concentrations of Soviet surface ships and submarines. Several NATO allies provide direct support to the 6th Fleet, but add little to fleet air or strike capabilities. Some 6th Fleet support ships and its cruiser flagship are home ported in the Mediterranean, but most units rotate from the 2nd Fleet, normally spending 6 months deployed in the Mediterranean and in transit and 12 months in home port and on Atlantic operations. Fleet flagship is the USS Belknap (CG-26), home ported at Gaeta, Italy.

Seventh Fleet (Western Pacific-Indian Ocean): The 7th Fleet has a vast area of responsibility, ranging from the Kamchatka Peninsula of the Soviet Union to the Persian Gulf. Following the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979, it is now routine practice to deploy one or two carriers into the Indian Ocean, this has lead to periodic deployments into the region by Atlantic Fleet carriers, which then come under the command of 7th Fleet. A carrier task force based on the USS Midway (CV-41) and an amphibious group are home ported in Japan. Most of the 7th Fleet ships rotate on a 1-in-3 deployment cycle from the 3rd Fleet. Fleet flagship is the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), home ported at Yokosuka, Japan.

Operational Commands
Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet
TF-40 Naval Surface Force
TF-41 Naval Air Force
TF-42 Submarine Force
TF-43 Training Command
TF-44 Coast Guard Force
TF-45 Fleet Marine Force
TF-46 Mine Warfare Force
TF-47 Naval Construction Battalions
TF-49 Poseidon Operational Test Force
TF-80 Naval Patrol and Protection of Shipping
TF-81 Sea Control and Surveillance Force
TF-82 Amphibious Task Force
TF-83 Landing Force
TF-84 ASW Task Force
TF-85 Mobile Logistic Support Force
TF-86 Patrol Air Task Force
TF-87 Tactical Development and Evaluation and Transit Force
TF-88 Training Force
TF-89 Coastal Defense Command
TF-134 Naval Forces Caribbean
TF-137 Eastern Atlantic
TF-138 South Atlantic Force
TF-139 Multilateral Special Operations Force
TF-142 Operational Test and Evaluation Force
*Most task forces reporting to CiC, Atlantic do not exist in peacetime, but are activated by the CiC when appropriate.

Commander, Second Fleet
TF-20 Battle Force
TF-21 Sea Control and Surveillance Force
TF-22 Amphibious Force
TF-23 Landing Force
TF-24 ASW Task Force
TF-25 Mobile Logistics Support Force
TF-26 Patrol Air Force
TF-28 Caribbean Contingency Force

Commander-in-Chief, US Naval Forces Europe (also NATO Commander Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe)
Sixth Fleet
TF-60 Battle Force
TF-61 Amphibious Force
TF-62 Landing Force
TF-63 Service Force
TF-64 FBM Submarine Force
TF-66 Area ASW Force
TF-67 Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force
TF-68 Special Operations Force
TF-69 Attack Submarine Force
TF-108 Middle East Force

Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet
Third Fleet
TF-30 Battle Force
TF-31 Combat Support Force
TF-32 Patrol and Reconnaissance Force
TF-33 Logistic Support Force
TF-34 Submarine Force
TF-35 Surface Combatant Force
TF-36 Amphibious Force
TF-37 Carrier Strike Force
TF-49 Landing Force
Fifth Fleet (wartime only)
TF-50 Battle Force
TF-51 Command and Coordination Force
TF-52 Patrol and Reconnaissance Force
TF-53 Logistic Support Force
TF-54 Submarine Force
TF-55 Surface Combatant Force
TF-56 Amphibious Force
TF-57 Carrier Strike Force
TF-59 Landing Force
Seventh Fleet
TF-70 Battle Force
TF-71 Command and Coordination Force
TF-72 Patrol and Reconnaissance Force
TF-73 Logistic Support Force
TF-74 Submarine Force
TF-75 Surface Combatant Force
TF-76 Amphibious Force
TF-77 Carrier Strike Force
TF-79 Landing Force

As of the start of the Twilight War, the Atlantic Fleet consists of:

Combat Vessels
34 SSBN; 50 SSN; 1 SS; 3 CVN (one deploying to the Pacific); 6 CV; 1 BB;
5 CGN; 9 CG; 23 DDG ; 17 DD; 31 FFG; 29 FF; 6 PHM

Amphibious Ships:
1 LCC; 2 LHA; 4 LPH; 2 LKA; 5 LSD; 6 LPD; 10 LST

Support Ships:
12 MSO; 7 MSB; 1 AGF; 5 AD; 5 AE; 5 AO; 2 AOE; 3 AOR; 2 AFDB; 3 AFS;
1 AR; 1 ARL; 8 AS; 10 ARS; 1 ASR; 1 ARD; 3 ARDM; 1 ATS

Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic consists of:
II Marine Amphibious Force
2nd Marine Division
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
2nd Force Service Support Group
4th Marine Amphibious Brigade
6th Marine Amphibious Brigade

As of the start of the Twilight War, the Pacific Fleet consists of:

Combat Vessels
7 SSBN; 47 SSN; 3 SS; 2 CVN; 4 CV (one deploying to Atlantic Fleet); 2 BB;
5 CGN; 14 CG; 14 DDG; 14 DD; 19 FFG; 29 FF

Amphibious Ships
1 LCC; 3 LHA; 3 LPH; 3 LKA; 5 LSD; 7 LPD; 10 LST

Support Ships
9 MSO; 1 AGF; 4 AD; 7 AE; 2 AO; 2 AOE; 4 AOR; 4 AFS; 2 AR; 3 AS; 4 ARS;
2 ASR; 1 ARD; 2 ARDM; 2 ATS

Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, consists of:
I Marine Amphibious Force
1st Marine Division
1st Force Service Support Group
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
5th Marine Amphibious Brigade
7th Marine Amphibious Brigade
III Marine Amphibious Force
3rd Marine Division
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
3rd Force Service Support Group

Source material is the “13th and 14th Editions, The Ships and Aircraft of the US Fleet”