Portal:United States Navy

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The United States Navy (USN) is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas." The U.S. Navy currently has nearly 500,000 personnel on active duty or in the Navy Reserve and operates 278 ships in active service and more than 4,000 aircraft.

The U.S. Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was disbanded in 1790. The United States Constitution, though, provided the legal basis for a seaborne military force by giving Congress the power "to provide and maintain a navy." Depredations against American shipping by Barbary Coast corsairs spurred Congress to employ this power in 1794 by passing the Naval Act of 1794 ordering the construction and manning of six frigates. The U.S. Navy came into international prominence in the 20th century, especially during World War II. Operating in both the European and Pacific theaters, it was a part of the conflict from the onset of American military involvement from the attack on Pearl Harbor to Japan's official surrender aboard the USS Missouri. The U.S. Navy had a role in the subsequent Cold War, in which it evolved into a nuclear deterrent and crisis response force while preparing for a possible global war with the Soviet Union.

The 21st-century U.S. Navy maintains a sizeable presence in the world, deploying in such areas as East Asia, Southern Europe, and the Middle East. Its ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward areas during peacetime, and rapidly respond to regional crises makes it an active player in American foreign and defence policy.

Featured article

The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third Battle of Savo Island or, in Japanese sources, as the Third Battle of the Solomon Sea, took place November 12–15, 1942, and was the decisive battle in a series of naval battles that took place between Allied (primarily U.S.) and Japanese forces during the months-long Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The battle consisted of a sequence of combined air and sea engagements spread over four days, most of them in the vicinity of Guadalcanal. All of the engagements were directly related to a single effort by the Japanese to reinforce their land forces on Guadalcanal, and are all therefore considered to be different parts of the same battle.

In two extremely destructive nighttime surface warship engagements, both adversaries lost numerous ships. Also, U.S. daytime air attacks over several days sank or damaged a number of Japanese warships and transport ships. The sum of these engagements was that the U.S. was successful in turning back Japan's last major attempt to dislodge Allied forces from their positions on Guadalcanal and nearby Tulagi. Thus, the battle resulted in a significant strategic victory for the U.S. and its allies.

The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal was the last major attempt by the Japanese to seize control of the seas around Guadalcanal or to retake the island. From then on, Japanese air and naval operations around Guadalcanal were defensive in nature.

Selected picture

The U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet at transonic speed.

Image Credit:US Navy Photo, Ensign John Gay

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Equipment

The HH-60H is the primary combat search and rescue (CSAR), naval special warfare (NSW) and anti-surface warfare (ASUW) helicopter. It carries a variety of defensive and offensive sensors making it one of the most survivable helicopters in the world.

Quotes

"The Navy has both a tradition and a future--and we look with pride and confidence in both directions." — Admiral George Anderson

Selected biography

Doris "Dorie" Miller (October 12, 1919 – November 24, 1943) Born in Waco, Texas, was an African American Officer's Cook Third Class in the United States Navy and a hero during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Because of his actions on 7 December 1941 aboard the battleship USS West Virginia (BB-48) Miller became the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy's second highest honor.

Did you know...

• ...that the USS America (CV-66), was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean in 2005?
• ...that the naval base at Key West, Florida was the last U.S. port to berth the USS Maine before an explosion on the ship precipitated the Spanish-American War?
• ...that Anchors Aweigh is not the official song of US Navy, although there is a pending proposal to make it the official song, and to incorporate protocol into Navy regulations for its performance?
• ...that the United States' two Lexington-class aircraft carriers were originally intended to be part of a six-ship battlecruiser class?
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