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United States Navy

United States Navy
Emblem of the United States Navy
Founded27 March 1794
(230 years)
(in current form)

13 October 1775
(248 years, 5 months)
(as the Continental Navy)[1][2]


Country United States
TypeNavy
Size334,896 active duty personnel [3]
54,741 Navy Reserve personnel [4]
387,637 total uniformed personnel (official data as of July 31, 2023)
279,471 civilian employees (As of 2018)[5]
480 ships total, of which 300 are deployable (As of 2019)[5]
2,623 aircraft (As of 2018)[6]
Part ofUnited States Armed Forces
Department of the Navy
HeadquartersThe Pentagon
Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Motto(s)Semper Fortis ('Always Courageous'), (unofficial).
Non sibi sed patriae ('Not for self but for country') (unofficial)
ColorsBlue and gold[7][8]
   
March"Anchors Aweigh" Play
Anniversaries13 October
EquipmentList of equipment of the United States Navy
Engagements
See list
Website
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief President Joe Biden
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro
Chief of Naval Operations ADM Lisa M. Franchetti
Vice Chief of Naval Operations ADM James W. Kilby
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy MCPON James Honea
Insignia
Flag
Ensign
Jack
Pennant
Logo

The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of its active battle fleet alone exceeding the next 13 navies combined, including 11 allies or partner nations of the U.S. as of 2009.[9][10] It has the highest combined battle fleet tonnage[11][9] (4,635,628 tonnes as of 2023)[12] and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with 11 in service, 1 undergoing trials, two new carriers under construction, and six other carriers planned as of 2024. With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in the Ready Reserve, the U.S. Navy is the third largest of the United States military service branches in terms of personnel. It has 299 deployable combat vessels and about 4,012 operational aircraft as of July 18, 2023.[12][13]

The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. After suffering significant loss of goods and personnel at the hands of the Barbary pirates from Algiers, the United States Congress passed the Naval Act of 1794 for the construction of six heavy frigates, the first ships of the Navy. The United States Navy played a major role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy and seizing control of its rivers. It played the central role in the World War II defeat of Imperial Japan. The United States Navy emerged from World War II as the most powerful navy in the world. The modern United States Navy maintains a sizable global presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean. It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward deployments during peacetime and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it a frequent actor in American foreign and military policy.

The United States Navy is part of the Department of the Navy, alongside the United States Marine Corps, which is its coequal sister service. The Department of the Navy is headed by the civilian secretary of the Navy. The Department of the Navy is itself a military department of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the secretary of defense. The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the most senior Navy officer serving in the Department of the Navy.[14]

  1. ^ "Establishment of the Navy, 13 October 1775". Naval History and Heritage Command. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Precedence of the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps". Naval History & Heritage Command. 4 October 2009. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  3. ^ [Strength Changes (Last 12 Months)
  4. ^ [1], DMDC official website, accessed 14 September 2023
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference status was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "World Air Forces 2018". flightglobal.com. p. 17. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2022.(registration required)
  7. ^ "Customs and Traditions, Navy". History.Navy.mil. United States Navy. Retrieved 27 August 2022. The official Navy colors are blue and gold
  8. ^ "America's Navy Color Palette: Digital" (PDF). United States Navy Licensing Guide. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  9. ^ a b "The Russian Navy Is Aiming To Be Much Larger Than The US Navy". Business Insider. 24 September 2014. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Carl Lavo: The gigantic advantage the U.S. Navy has over all others". carllavo.blogspot.de. 9 March 2015. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  11. ^ Gates, Robert M. (January–February 2009). "A Balanced Strategy: Reprogramming the Pentagon for a New Age". Foreign Affairs. 88 (January/February 2009). Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  12. ^ a b "Navy Raises Battle Force Goal to 381 Ships in Classified Report to Congress". United States Naval Institute. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Navy aircraft inventory by type U.S. 2024". Statista. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Responsibilities". Chief of Naval Operations. United States Navy. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.

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