United States Navy

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. It has the highest combined battle fleet tonnage (4,635,628 tonnes as of 2023) 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.

United States Navy
Emblem of the United States Navy
Founded27 March 1794
(229 years, 10 months)
(in current form)

13 October 1775
(248 years, 4 months)
(as the Continental Navy)


Country United States
TypeNavy
Size333,896 active duty personnel
54,741 Navy Reserve personnel
387,637 total uniformed personnel (official data as of July 31, 2023)
279,471 civilian employees (As of 2018)
480 ships total, of which 290 are deployable (As of 2019)
2,623 aircraft (As of 2018)
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
   
March"Anchors Aweigh" Play
Anniversaries13 October
EquipmentList of equipment of the United States Navy
Engagements
See list
Websitewww.navy.mil
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 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.

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