Lesson 4
Chapter 2
The United States Navy
Key Terms
Battlespace
Command by Negation
Composite Warfare
Forward from the Sea
Numbered Fleets
Officer in Tactical Command
Operating Forces
Principle Warfare Commanders
Shore Establishment
task force
Underway Replenishment
What You Will Learn to Do
●
Explore the organization and mission of the U.S. Navy
Linked Core Abilities
●
Do your share as a good citizen in your school, community, country, and
the world
Skills and Knowledge You Will Gain Along the Way
●
Explain the mission of the U.S. Navy
●
Describe the organization of the U.S. Navy
●
Distinguish between the Shore Establishment and Operating Forces
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Explain how the U.S. Navy is able to maintain a global presence
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Identify the three standard force packages of the U.S. Navy
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Identify the elements of Naval Power
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Describe the Navy’s role in nuclear deterrence
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Explain the use of Composite Warfare and Command by Negation
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Define the key words contained in this lesson
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The United States Navy
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Introduction
The U.S. Navy is the branch of the U.S. Armed Forces that maintains command of
the seas. The Navy is able to seek out and destroy enemies on, under, or above the
sea. If attacked, it can return the blow almost anywhere on earth from its warships.
The Navy also serves as an instrument of international relations in times of peace. It
is possible that the presence of naval vessels may be helpful in keeping a crisis from
developing into war. Additionally, the Navy engages in actions such as carrying food
and medical supplies to disaster areas and in assisting merchant and passenger ships
in emergencies. In this lesson you explore the purpose and structure of the U.S. Navy.
The United States Navy
On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the outfitting of a 10gun warship marking the birth of the U.S. Navy.
The Department of the Navy organizes, trains, and equips forces for prompt and
sustained combat incident to operations at sea. The official Navy seal is shown in
Figure 2.4.1. Operational units are assigned to designated Unified Combatant Commands to maintain sea power, sea control, and nuclear deterrence at the direction
of the president of the United States.
The mission of the U.S. Navy is to maintain, train, and equip combat-ready naval
forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of
the seas.
Figure 2.4.1: The official
seal of the U.S. Navy.
Courtesy of CACI.
Organization
The Department of the Navy is headed by the Secretary of the Navy assisted by the
Chief of Naval Operations and Commandant of the Marine Corps supported by the
Navy Staff. The Department of the Navy directs a Shore Establishment composed
of 17 Naval Commands, Bureaus, Offices, and Centers that recruit, organize, train,
equip, and support Navy Operating Forces. Navy Operating Forces are composed
of the Numbered Fleets, the U.S. Marines, and in times of war, the U.S. Coast
Guard. All Navy ships, submarines, and aircraft are permanently assigned to the
Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. Navy Fleet Forces Command will temporarily assign
ships, submarines, and aircraft as needed to the Numbered Fleets. The Numbered
Fleets, as seen in Table 2.4.1, are forward deployed providing a U.S. naval presence
around the world. The ships, submarines, and aircraft of the Numbered Fleet are
tactically organized into Navy task forces. A task force is structured to perform a
specific task or mission, such as amphibious assault, missile deterrence, submarine
warfare, escort, patrol, battle, and so on. At the direction of the Secretary of
Defense, the Chief of Naval Operations will transfer operational control of a task
force to a designated Unified Combatant Command to conduct operations at the
direction of the president of the United States.
Key Note Terms
Shore Establishment –
organization that
recruits, organizes,
trains, equips, and supports Navy operating
forces
Operating Forces – the
combatant arm of the
United States Navy
Numbered Fleets – forward deployed forces of
the United States Navy
task force – structured
force designed to perform a specific task or
mission
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Table 2.4.1: Navy Numbered Fleets
Fleet
Headquarters
2nd Fleet
Norfolk, Virginia
3rd Fleet
San Diego, California
5th Fleet
Bahrain
6th Fleet
Gaeta, Italy
7th Fleet
Yokosuka, Japan
Task Force Packages
A task force can be built from any naval component to perform any specified mission. There is no set requirement for a Navy task force; however, the Navy does
maintain a standard set of task force packages including the Carrier Strike Group,
Expeditionary Strike Group, and Surface Action Group.
A Carrier Strike Group (see Figure 2.4.2) is a task force built around the offensive
power of an aircraft carrier. A Carrier Strike Group is the primary power projection
force of the U.S. Navy. A Carrier Strike Group includes an aircraft carrier, two cruisers, two destroyers, two attack submarines, and a resupply ship. A Carrier Strike
Group projects power far across the ocean and deep inland through the striking
power of the Carrier Air Wing.
An Expeditionary Strike Group (see Figure 2.4.3) is a task force built around the
offensive power of a Marine Amphibious Ready Group. An Expeditionary Strike
Group is comprised of amphibious ships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines.
The Expeditionary Strike Group is designed to project Naval power deep inland by
augmenting the striking power of an amphibious ready group with submarine
launched cruise missiles and shipboard anti-air and antimissile capability.
Figure 2.4.2: Carrier Strike
Group.
Courtesy of the US Department of Defense.
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The United States Navy
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Figure 2.4.3: Expeditionary Strike Group.
Courtesy of AP/Wide World
Photos.
A Surface Action Group (Figure 2.4.4) is a task force built around cruisers, destroyers, and frigates to conduct specified operations without the aide of an aircraft carrier or Marine amphibious-ready group.
Elements of Naval Combat Power
Elements of naval combat power include the Aircraft Carriers, Carrier Air Wing,
Guided Missile Cruiser, Guided Missile Destroyer, Guided Missile Frigates, Nuclear
Attack Submarines, Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine, Sea Air Land Teams, and the
U.S. Marines. The following sections tell you a little bit about each element.
Aircraft Carrier
The Aircraft Carrier, as shown in Figure 2.4.5, is a Navy strike warfare platform. The
Aircraft Carrier carries a complement of 84 combat aircraft comprising the Carrier
Air Wing.
Figure 2.4.4: Surface
Action Group.
Courtesy of the US Department of Defense.
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Figure 2.4.5: Aircraft
Carrier.
Courtesy of the US Department of Defense.
The Aircraft Carrier surpassed the battleship as the capital ship of the U.S. Navy in
World War II during the Battle of Midway when the American fleet crippled the Japanese through naval airpower without the two fleets ever coming within range of each
other’s naval gunfire. An Aircraft Carrier is a power projection platform. Operating
from international waters, it provides 41⁄2 acres of sovereign U.S. territory to stage carrier air operations without the need to request basing rights from foreign countries.
Because it’s forward deployed with the Numbered Fleets, as shown in Table 2.4.2, the
Aircraft Carrier can respond quickly to crises anywhere around the world.
Carrier Air Wing
The Carrier Air Wing is composed of fighter and attack aircraft capable of engaging
enemy aircraft, surface vessels, and land targets. The primary fighter jet is the F-18
Hornet, shown in Figure 2.4.6, capable of conducting air-to-air and air-to-surface
Figure 2.4.6: F-18 Hornet.
Courtesy of the US Department of Defense.
Lesson 4
The United States Navy
Table 2.4.2: Navy Aircraft Carriers
ID
Name
Fleet
CV 63
Kitty Hawk
Pacific
CVN 65
Enterprise
Atlantic
CV 67
John F. Kennedy
Atlantic
CVN 68
Nimitz
Pacific
CVN 69
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Atlantic
CVN 70
Carl Vinson
Pacific
CVN 71
Theodore Roosevelt
Atlantic
CVN 72
Abraham Lincoln
Pacific
CVN 73
George Washington
Atlantic
CVN 74
John C. Stennis
Pacific
CVN 75
Harry S. Truman
Atlantic
CVN 76
Ronald Reagan
Pacific
CVN 77
George H. W. Bush
TBD
missions. The Hornet is supplemented by the F-14 Tomcat. Initially designed as an
air superiority fighter, the swing-wing design made the Tomcat a capable attack aircraft against enemy surface and land targets. The Tomcat is soon to be retired from
naval operations, as is the S-3 Viking. Initially designed to hunt enemy submarines,
the S-3 has proven capable as an in-flight refueling platform. Both the F-14 and S-3
will soon be supplanted by the F-18 and the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Guided Missile Cruiser
The Guided Missile Cruiser is an anti-air and antimissile warfare platform. Employing the Aegis weapon system, the Guided Missile Cruiser carries a complement of
SM-2 missiles capable of engaging enemy aircraft and intermediate range missiles
from a distance of 200 miles. The Aegis Cruiser is an important asset for defending
the task force against enemy air and missile attack. The Aegis Cruiser can also be
used to establish local air superiority within close proximity to shore. The Aegis
Cruiser has a limited antisubmarine and antisurface capability.
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Guided Missile Destroyer
The Guided Missile Destroyer is an antisubmarine warfare platform. Employing a
sophisticated sonar system, the Guided Missile Destroyer carries a complement of
ASROC rocket-launched MK-48 torpedoes that can fly out to a suspected target area,
then drop in the water and initiate a self-seeking program to hone in and destroy an
enemy submarine within 5 nautical miles. The Guided Missile Destroyer is an
important asset for defending the task force against enemy submarine attack. The
Guided Missile Destroyer has a limited strike, anti-air, and antisurface capability.
Guided Missile Frigates
The Guided Missile Frigate (see Figure 2.4.7) was designed as a cost-effective surface combatant. Guided Missile Frigates carry a mixed complement of SM-2,
ASROC, and Harpoon missiles providing a wide ranging capability to conduct limited anti-air, antisubmarine, and antisurface operations. Because of its shallow
draft, the Guided Missile Frigate is an important asset for operating close inland, in
the littoral regions of the world.
Nuclear Attack Submarines
The Nuclear Attack Submarine (see Figure 2.4.8) is an antisubmarine, antisurface,
and strike warfare platform. Operating deep in the ocean depths and employing a
sophisticated sonar system, the Nuclear Attack Submarine is a stealth platform
capable of locating enemy combatant vessels and closing in undetected. The
Nuclear Attack Submarine carries a complement of MK-48 torpedoes to sink
enemy submarines and surface combatants. The Nuclear Attack Submarine also
carries a complement of Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles (TLAMs) capable
of striking enemy targets deep inland.
Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine
The Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine is a nuclear deterrent vessel. The Ohio-class
submarine carries 24 Trident D-II missiles, each capable of flying 4,000 nautical
Figure 2.4.7: Guided
Missile Frigate.
Courtesy of the US Department of Defense.
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Figure 2.4.8: Nuclear
Attack Submarine.
Courtesy of the US Department of Defense.
miles and delivering 5 independently targetable nuclear warheads. The Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine is an oceangoing stealth platform, very quiet and hard to find.
It deters enemy nuclear attack with the threat of assured nuclear retaliation. One
submarine carries 120 warheads. The Navy has 14 Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines.
Sea Air Land Teams (SEALS)
Navy SEALS conduct special reconnaissance and other special operations as
required. Navy Special Boat Units have high-speed, shallow-draft craft capable of
operating close to shore and up-river estuaries to infiltrate and extract SEAL teams.
SEALS can also operate Underwater Delivery Vehicles, miniature submarines that
move in close to shore undetected.
United States Marines
The U.S. Marines provide another strike capability for the Navy. Operating as Fleet
Marine Forces or part of an Expeditionary Strike Group, Marines provide the ability
to strike enemy targets close inshore or far inland.
Naval Operations
The Unified Combatant Commands are given operational control of Navy forces to
maintain sea power, sea control, and nuclear deterrence. Sea power asserts navigation rights, conducts ocean science, facilitates ocean industry, and promotes ocean
commerce. Sea control is the capability to control airspace above the ocean surface, preserve sea lines of communication, and protect against undersea threats.
Nuclear deterrence is provided by Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines, which carry 40
percent of the nations’ nuclear arsenal.
Under the direction of the president and Secretary of Defense, the Navy has four
primary missions during times of war:
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Seek out and destroy enemy forces at sea
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Destroy or reduce enemy sea commerce
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Maintain control of the seas
●
Conduct land, sea, and air operations as needed to achieve these goals
Naval Strategy
For most of the 20th century, the U.S. Navy focused on a Blue Water Strategy
designed to fight a set battle at sea against a peer competitor to establish naval
superiority and maintain vital seal lines of communication. The Blue Water Strategy rose to the challenge to defeat Japan in World War II and prepared to do the
same against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. With the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991, however, the U.S. Navy lost its one and only peer competitor, and
the Blue Water Strategy became obsolete. The U.S. Navy consequently reformulated
its strategy in the mid-1990s to meet the growing demand for a military presence
around the world at the dawn of the 21st century.
Key Note Term
Forward from the Sea –
U.S. Naval strategy to
project power in the littoral regions of the
world
With today’s sea lines of communication more or less assured, the U.S. Navy has
shifted focus to the littoral regions of the world and redirected its power inland in a
strategy called Forward from the Sea. The unique capabilities of the Navy allow it
to maintain a forward presence around the world and project power from 150 miles
offshore to more than 100 miles inland where 75 percent of the world’s population
and 80 percent of nations’ capitals reside.
Power Projection
The purpose of the U.S. Navy is to project U.S. military power to deter or defeat
hostile threats. The U.S. Navy uniquely serves as a visible reminder of U.S. military
power to potential adversaries by maintaining a forward presence around the
globe. Forward presence also positions the U.S. Navy to respond quickly in crisis or
conflict. The U.S. Navy routinely sails into harms way and is ready to leap into
action at moment’s notice.
Key Note Term
Underway Replenishment – logistic supply
method that allows
ships to maintain forward Navy presence
Key Note Term
battlespace – the threedimensional battle area
above, upon, and below
the surface of the ocean
A robust logistics chain underpins the U.S. Navy’s capability to maintain a forward
presence around the globe (see Figure 2.4.9). Although the capital ships of the Navy
are nuclear powered and only need refueling every 30 years, consumable goods
such as aviation fuel and food need to be replaced regularly. The U.S. Navy is
uniquely capable of restocking its ships at sea using a technique called Underway
Replenishment where a supply ship will pull up along side another vessel and
transfer its cargo while matching the fleet’s course and speed. The great advantage
to Underway Replenishment is that the fleet need not halt or return to port to
resupply and can sustain uninterrupted operations.
Composite Warfare
The Carrier Strike Group maintains an extensive range of weaponry capable of
engaging threats on land, at sea, in the air, and below the surface. The maritime environment requires the U.S. Navy to be uniquely proficient in all warfare regimes and
capable of projecting power within a sphere of influence termed the battlespace.
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Figure 2.4.9: The U.S.
Navy maintains a presence around the world.
Courtesy of the US Department of Defense.
Composite Warfare allows the Navy to achieve battlespace dominance by controlling
the space above, on, and below the surface of the ocean. Composite Warfare was
developed in the late 1970s in response to the rapid growth in potential air and surface threats facing U.S. naval forces during the Cold War. Composite Warfare delegates
principle warfare functions to subordinate commanders under the overall direction of
the Officer in Tactical Command (OTC). Composite Warfare’s emphasis on decentralized authority facilitates quick response to threats, as well as efficient use of maritime
resources supporting the Navy’s primary mission of Power Projection.
The Officer in Tactical Command manages the battlespace through the efforts of
assigned Principle Warfare Commanders. The Principle Warfare Commanders are
given tactical control of task force assets to control different segments of the battlespace.
Air Defense Commander (ADC)
The Air Defense Commander directs defensive anti-air warfare operations to protect
against enemy aircraft, cruise missiles, and theater ballistic missiles. The ADC may be
given tactical control of cruisers and fighter aircraft to perform his mission.
Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW)
The ASuW Commander directs offensive and defensive operations against enemy
surface vessels. The ASuW Commander may be given tactical control of attack aircraft and frigates (firing the Harpoon missile) to engage enemy ships.
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
The ASW Commander directs offensive and defensive operations against enemy
submarines. The ASW Commander may be given tactical control of attack submarines, destroyers, and helicopters to engage enemy submarines.
Strike Warfare
The Strike Warfare Commander directs offensive operations against enemy surface
and land targets. The Strike Warfare Commander may be given tactical control of
attack aircraft and attack submarines to perform his mission.
Key Note Terms
Composite Warfare –
dividing the battlespace
into principle warfare
functions
Officer in Tactical
Command – commands warfare functions within the
battlespace
Principle Warfare
Commanders – ADC,
ASuW, ASW, and Strike
Warfare Commanders
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Key Note Term
Command by Negation –
orders to continue operations until told to stop
Chapter 2
Service to the Nation
When sailing into hostile waters, time is of essence. To ensure prompt reaction to
hostile threats, the Officer in Tactical Command will delegate warfare functions to
the Principle Warfare Commanders. Once such functions are delegated, the Principle Warfare Commanders will take the required action without delay, always keeping the OTC informed of the situation. The Principle Warfare Commanders do not
request permission to fire. The Principle Warfare Commanders continue to fire
until told to stop by the OTC. This is called Command by Negation.
Conclusion
Chapter 2 Lesson Review
The Department of the Navy directs Shore Establishments to recruit, organize, train,
equip, and support Operating Forces. The Operating Forces of the U.S. Navy are permanently assigned to the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets but are task assigned to the
Numbered Fleets providing a forward deployed, permanent naval presence around
the world. Navy assets are task organized for specific mission in Navy Task Forces.
There are three standard Task Force Packages: Carrier Strike Group, Expeditionary
Strike Group, and Surface Action Group. The Carrier Strike Group is comprised of an
Aircraft Carrier, two Guided Missile Cruisers, two Guided Missile Destroyers, two
Nuclear Attack Submarines, and a Replenishment Ship. The Carrier Strike Group is
the Navy’s primary Power Projection force. Current naval strategy provides for the
Navy to operate in the littoral regions of the world projecting power from 150 miles
offshore to 100 miles inland, where 75 percent of the world’s population and 80 percent of nations’ capitals reside. When the Carrier Strike Group enters hostile waters,
the Officer in Tactical Command will direct the actions of Principle Warfare Commanders to maintain control within the three-dimensional battlespace. Because
time is of essence, Officer in Tactical Command will use Command by Negation
directing the Principle Warfare Commanders to continue actions until told to stop.
In the following lesson, you will be introduced to the U.S. Air Force, another branch
of the U.S. military.
Lesson Review
1. What is the mission of the U. S. Navy?
2. What are the two major organizational components of the U. S. Navy?
3. What is the purpose of the Numbered Fleets?
4. How does the Navy organize its assets to conduct specific tasks and missions?