Welcome back to The Deep Dive, where we take
on vast, complex subjects, providing you with
the shortcuts to becoming thoroughly well -informed.
Today, we are undertaking a massive mission,
a deep dive into the United States. Navy, the
USN. We're looking at a stack of sources detailing
its, well, it's sometimes surprising history,
its intricate global structure and the colossal
unmatched scale of its power projection around
the world. You know, it's impossible to discuss
U .S. global influence, trade routes or international
security without starting right here. The USN
isn't just a military service. It's actually
designated as the NAGY of the United States right
there in the Constitution. And the sources detailing
its modern scale. They usually generate that
true aha moment when you see the numbers laid
out. That's really the only way to describe it,
because when we talk about the size of this force,
we're not just talking about a major military
branch. We're talking about a unique maritime
superpower. To grasp its functional dominance,
I think we have to start with its sheer weight.
Exactly. The key measure here is displacement.
The metric ton weight of water displaced by all
the ships. The USN is the world's most powerful
Navy by far, clocking in at 4 .5 million tons
in 2021. Four and a half million. Yeah. And that
single statistic, the collective mass of the
US Navy, is greater than the combined displacement
of the next several global navies. It just speaks
volumes about the sheer volume of material deployed
globally. And the most potent, most visible representation
of that overwhelming physical scale. has to be
the aircraft carrier fleet. Oh, absolutely. We're
looking at the largest fleet of nuclear -powered
aircraft carriers in the world, 11 active carriers,
which includes the 10 workhorse Nimitz -class
vessels, and the newest, the Gerald R. Ford -class,
which is just beginning its rotation. And that
number is just the beginning. Right. You've got
one carrier undergoing trials, two more under
construction, and six more planned as of the
2024 updates. That capacity for projecting air
power across any ocean, any time, it's functionally...
unprecedented. It is. These aren't just large
ships. They are mobile, self -contained, sovereign
air bases capable of conducting sustained combat
operations thousands of miles from U .S. soil.
And in terms of sheer manpower, the USN is the
third largest U .S. military service branch.
Our sources note the current roster includes
approximately 344 ,600 active duty personnel.
And an additional 57 ,500 reserve personnel.
according to the 2025 figures. And those highly
trained people are operating an astounding amount
of equipment. Yeah, the latest data we have from
2018 and 2019 puts the total ship count at 480
vessels, of which about 300 are classified as
deployable battle force ships, plus over 2 ,600
operational aircraft. It truly is a global three
-dimensional military enterprise. Which means
the purpose behind this immense capability needs
to be perfectly clear. What is the mission statement
guiding this force? So the USN's official mission
statement defines its purpose. Recruit, train,
equip and organize to deliver combat ready naval
forces to win conflicts and wars while maintaining
security and deterrence through the crucial concept
of sustained forward presence. That specific
phrase, sustained forward presence, that feels
like the operational differentiator for the Navy.
It is. It means they aren't waiting at home for
a crisis to emerge. They are consistently deployed.
In the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean,
shaping the global security environment just
by being there. Absolutely. And that sustained
presence enables the Navy's five enduring functions,
which define its strategic priorities. First,
you have sea control, which is dominating a maritime
space and denying its use to an adversary. Second,
power projection. So delivering force from sea
to land. Third, deterrence, which is discouraging
aggression through visible, overwhelming capability.
Right. Just by showing up. Exactly. Fourth is
maritime security, which includes things like
counter piracy and counter smuggling operations.
And finally, sea lift, which is moving vast amounts
of military material and supplies globally. The
sources also detail the Navy's three specific
primary responsibilities outlined by statute.
the preparation of naval forces for war, the
maintenance of naval aviation, including land
-based aviation, air transport and air weapons,
and the development of all necessary equipment,
tactics, and organization. It speaks to a comprehensive,
all -encompassing mandate, doesn't it? Yeah.
They don't just sail ships. They manage everything
from developing the next generation of fighter
jets to defining the tactical doctrine for deep
-sea anti -submarine warfare. Okay, so let's
unpack this. If the USN's current role is maintaining...
global order through overwhelming force. How
did this massive global force develop from its
highly precarious beginnings? And most critically,
how is it organized today to manage a mission
that requires continuous multi -ocean global
reach? A great question. Let's jump into the
history. The very origins of the U .S. Navy are
deeply rooted in the colonial seafaring tradition
of the North American coast. You had expert sailors
and builders long before the nation even existed.
And the actual founding date we recognize is
October. 13, 1775. That's when the Continental
Congress authorized the purchase of two armed
vessels, officially kicking off the Continental
Navy during the Revolutionary War. And, you know,
it's interesting that Congress was highly divided
on this. Many felt that challenging the British
Royal Navy, the dominant sea power on Earth,
was a fool's errand. Right. A suicide mission.
They believed any money spent on a Navy would
be better spent on the Army. But Commander -in
-Chief George Washington. He didn't really wait
for permission or consensus. He essentially created
a precursor Navy himself, commissioning the schooner
USS Hannah to begin interdicting British merchant
ships. And that proved the strategic concept
was viable and lucrative. We have the quote from
Washington himself articulating the existential
necessity of sea force. Without a decisive naval
force, we can do nothing definitive. And with
it. Everything honorable and glorious. Those
words should have been the final word on the
matter, but the young nations struggled with
funding. Immensely. Despite successfully raiding
British ships and achieving some mixed victories,
the Continental Navy faced huge losses and was
barely functional by the end of the war. And
here is the truly fascinating, almost unbelievable
strategic twist. The Great Lapse. After securing
independence, Congress, facing massive debt and
prioritizing other needs, effectively disbanded
the entire Continental Navy by August 1785. They
sold off their last ship, the Alliance. The last
one. And the nation was just left without a standing
military sea force. Which really raises an important
question. What was the political calculation
there? Why would they so easily discard a force
that Washington himself said was essential? It
seems like it was primarily economic, fueled
by this dangerous sense of isolationism. The
prevailing sentiment was that the Atlantic Ocean
provided sufficient protection. Right, the big
moat theory. Exactly. And maintaining an expensive
standing navy in peacetime was a luxury the debt
-ridden nation simply couldn't afford. They believed
they could rely on diplomacy or the good graces
of European allies. And that political calculation
proved disastrously wrong within a decade. That
vulnerability immediately exposed U .S. merchant
ships. traveling in the Mediterranean and Atlantic
to severe attacks by the Barbary pirates, specifically
those operating from Algiers. And thousands of
American sailors were captured and held for ransom.
This wasn't just a security risk. It was a devastating
economic assault on American trade. This was
the true catalyst for the Navy's reestablishment.
The ransoms demanded by the pirates were far
greater than the cost of six frigates. So it
became an economic necessity. It did. The direct
response was the Naval Act of 1794, which finally
created a permanent standing Navy. It was an
admission that sea power was vital to economic
survival. And that act immediately led to the
construction of six heavy frigates. The first
three commissioned in October 1797 were the USS
United States, the USS Constellation, and of
course the now legendary USS Constitution. And
we really credit John Adams with cementing this
permanent necessity. He's often called the father
of the American Navy for his strong, unwavering
posture on maintaining this force. The new force
was immediately tested, wasn't it? Right away.
First, the undeclared Quasar War with France
from 1798 to 99, and then the decisive First
Barbary War from 1801 to 1805. These conflicts
showed the Navy could project force thousands
of miles away, successfully defending U .S. ships.
So the War of 1812 revealed the continued gap
between U .S. and European naval power. It did.
While the USN achieved spectacular individual
ship victories and secured crucial operational
success, like the Battle of Lake Erie. Which
was huge. It was. But ultimately the size difference
meant the U .S. Navy could not prevent the massive
British effort to blockade its ports and land
troops. It was a serious learning experience
about scale. They kept adapting, though. The
Mexican -American War in the 1840s allowed the
Navy to demonstrate its logistical and large
-scale force projection capabilities. And this
is where they successfully executed the U .S.
military's first large -scale amphibious joint
operation, landing 12 ,000 Army troops with all
their equipment at Veracruz in one single coordinated
day. In one day. That's incredible. It set the
standard for amphibious operations for the next
century. And the Navy became an instrument of
foreign policy beyond just warfare. In 1854,
Commodore Matthew C. Perry used naval power and
diplomacy to force the opening of isolationist
Japan. Right, establishing the U .S. as a critical
player in the Pacific. Then came the Civil War,
where the Union Navy's advantage was truly distinct.
They enforced the Anaconda Plan, a devastating
blockade on all major Confederate ports, strangling
the South's economy. And their control over the
inland rivers, the Brown Water Navy, made internal
movement and supply nearly impossible for the
Confederacy. This conflict also marked a revolutionary
moment in naval technology. the first combat
involving ironclads. The famous clash between
the turreted USS Monitor and the converted CSS
Virginia in 1862. It just signaled the death
knell of the wooden warship era. But here's where
we see that dangerous cycle repeat itself. Once
the Civil War concluded, the fleet was again
neglected for nearly two decades. The focus shifted
away from the sea. and the aging, mostly wooden
fleet became technologically obsolete compared
to rising European powers. This neglect eventually
forced a dramatic turnaround, though. It did.
Modernization began in the 1880s, driven by naval
strategists like Alfred Thayer Mahan. This new
steel navy spurred the American steel industry
and led to the building of the first purpose
-built steel -hulled warships. And that modernization
paid dividends pretty quickly. The decisive victory
over the outdated Spanish Navy in 1898 brought
immense global respect for American technical
quality and ambition. Which really set the stage
for President Theodore Roosevelt to cement that
global arrival. The Great White Fleet of 1907
was Roosevelt's masterstroke. It really was.
He ordered a 14 -month circumnavigation of the
world, sending 16 battleships and support vessels
to demonstrate the Navy's blue water capability.
This wasn't just a military exercise. It was
global diplomacy and engineering confidence wrapped
into one very visible package. World War I saw
the Navy focusing heavily on protection, logistics,
and anti -submarine operations. They were critical
in safely shipping the American Expeditionary
Force troops and supplies. across the U -boat
-infested Atlantic. And they played a major role
in laying the massive North Sea mine barrage
to counter German submarine activity. Then after
WWI, the world entered an age of strategic disorientation
and calls for peace. Naval construction faced
severe limitations imposed by the Washington
Naval Conference of 1921 -22. Right, the treaty
that tried to cap the size and number of capital
ships for all the major global navies. Exactly.
But this restriction actually forced critical
innovation, didn't it? It did. The Navy, constrained
by the treaty limits, found a loophole. Instead
of scrapping partially built battlecruisers that
were canceled, they converted those massive available
hulls into the first significant aircraft carriers.
USS Saratoga, and USS Lexington. So it was an
accidental strategic pivot that laid the foundation
for the next great power shift. Completely accidental.
And at the same time, they were developing their
strategy for the coming storm war plan Orange,
which was a theoretical plan for victory against
Japan and the Pacific, tragically anticipating
the war that arrived 20 years later. World War
II was the crucible. Despite the devastating
surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the U .S. Navy
played the central, defining role in defeating
Imperial Japan, executing the necessary island
-hopping campaign across the Pacific. And the
monumental shift to the war was undeniable. Aircraft
carriers and their planes completely replaced
battleships as the decisive weapon on the seas.
Battles like Midway, the Coral Sea, Lake Gulf,
they weren't won by big guns. No, they were won
by the reach of naval aviation. The doctrine
changed forever. Reach became more important
than armor. The scale of growth during that period
is still staggering. By 1943, the U .S. Navy
was larger than the combined fleets of every
other combatant nation. Combined. Combined. By
1945, the U .S. operated 6 ,768 ships. That is
a logistical feat unlikely to ever be repeated.
Post -WWII, the Cold War redefined naval strategy
yet again. The focus shifted to continuous technological
advancement, permanent forward deployment, and
the establishment of the self -contained carrier
your battle group concept. And crucially, the
Navy became integral to strategic nuclear deterrence
through the introduction of ballistic missile
submarines, the SSBMs. Right. Guaranteeing the
U .S. maintained a robust, survivable second
strike capability. This naval pillar was vital
in conflicts from Korea and Vietnam to the critical
Cuban Missile Crisis. As the Cold War concluded,
the focus shifted from massive global conflict
to regional stability and special operations,
the war on terror operations dominating the 21st
century, and the modern strategic document. A
cooperative strategy for 21st century sea power
codified this change in 2007. Developed with
the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, it made
a key philosophical shift. Which was? Elevating
the prevention of war to the same strategic level
as the conduct of war. And the rationale for
this preventative posture. The strategist recognized
that the entire global economic system relies
on secure sea lanes. Exactly. Any regional disruption,
whether from piracy, terrorism, or instability,
adversely impacts the U .S. economy. Therefore,
the Navy views itself as the principal means
through which the U .S. enforces and maintains
that international global order, not just defensively,
but proactively through that sustained forward
presence. This brings us to the present -day
dilemma regarding fleet size. In the early 2010s,
the goal was 313 combat ships. By 2016, that
plan called for 350 ships. And Congress, via
the 2018 NDAA, mandated expanding the fleet to
355 ships as soon as practicable. But the reality
is that the active battle force, as of 2022,
stands at 296 ships. And more tellingly, the
chief of naval operations himself has stated
that given global commitments, the Navy actually
needs a fleet of over 500 ships to execute its
mandate effectively. Wow. That is a staggering
operational gap. 500 needed, 296 active. It is.
And strategically, the U .S. has executed the
major pivot to East Asia, meaning 60 % of the
total fleet was slated to be deployed to the
Pacific by 2020. This underscores how geographic
requirements directly influence the required
size and capability of the fleet. It truly sets
the stage for the rest of our discussion. How
does this enormous, historically adaptive force
manage the organizational complexity required
to operate 300 -plus battle force ships globally,
especially when they feel they need 500? Let's
pivot now to the organization and the people
who make it run. So the USN is part of a complex
hierarchy, starting with civilian oversight.
It belongs to the Department of the Navy, which
is led by the civilian secretary of the Navy,
the SCCNA. Beneath the SENAV is the uniformed
leadership, headed by the Chief of Naval Operations,
the CNO. This is the most senior Navy officer,
a four -star admiral. The CNO reports directly
to the SECNA and is responsible for organizing,
recruiting, training, and equipping the Navy.
Importantly, the CNO is also a member of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff. What's the distinction
in that role? It's purely advisory. So while
the CNO manages the internal functioning of the
Navy, the Joint Chief's role involves advising
the President and the Secretary of Defense on
military matters across all branches. So operational
control is different. Right. The actual operational
control of forces is delegated from the President
through the Secretary of Defense to the commanders
of the Unified Combatant Commands, those geographical
and functional commands that manage global operations.
And the operational teeth of the Navy are the
numbered fleets. These are the forces we actually
see deploying around the world. That's right.
The Navy maintains seven active numbered fleets.
The first six are geographically focused, covering
specific areas of responsibility or AORs. The
10th fleet is different. It handles cyber command
and intelligence operations. OK, let's talk about
those geographic fleets. Where are they and what
are they doing? Well, the third fleet covers
the eastern Pacific, largely operating out of
San Diego. The seventh fleet is the largest forward
deployed fleet. based in Yokosuka, Japan, covering
the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The tip
of the spear in Asia. Exactly. The Fifth Fleet,
headquartered in Bahrain, is responsible for
security in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea,
a critical, high -tension region. And we saw
a significant recent change with the Second Fleet.
A very strategic move. The second fleet, headquartered
in Norfolk, Virginia, was reestablished in 2018.
It focuses specifically on the East Coast and
the North Atlantic. And this was a direct response
to Russia. A direct, palpable response to increased
naval activity and perceived threats from Russia
in the North Atlantic and Arctic. It underscores
the shift. back toward great power competition.
We also have the fourth fleet reactivated in
2008, which covers Central and South America.
So they truly have an ocean spanning structure.
And supporting this global operational reach
is the enormous shore establishment. This is
the network of land facilities, bases, training
centers, repair depots designed entirely to enable
and support the deployable fleet. This includes
crucial commands like the Naval Education and
Training Command, the Office of Naval Intelligence,
and, of course, the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Let's focus on the scale of these support facilities.
On the eastern U .S., the Hampton Roads, Virginia
area is the second largest concentration of U
.S. military installations anywhere. It's the
core home port of the Atlantic Fleet, and you
have key specialty training centers. often in
surprising places. Charleston, South Carolina
is home to the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command.
That's where the crews for our nuclear carriers
and submarines are trained. That's it. And every
enlisted sailor begins their career at NS Great
Lakes, Illinois, which hosts the Navy's only
enlisted boot camp. Moving west, the sheer acreage
of some of these installations is just mind -boggling.
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California
is the largest complex in terms of size, covering
1 .1 million acres. That is massive. And to put
that land holding into perspective, China Lake's
size relates directly to its requirement as a
remote, safe location for large -scale explosive
testing and weapons development. You need a big
buffer zone for that. You really do. fleet remains
Naval Base San Diego, though the official headquarters
is Pearl Harbor. And for those interested in
special operations, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado
is the essential training center for the West
Coast SEAL teams. Globally, that forward presence
demands huge overseas footprints. The largest
overseas base is Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan.
This base homeports the largest forward deployed
fleet, centralizing operations in the Western
Pacific. And in Europe, NSA Naples, Italy, serves
as the home port for the Sixth Fleet. In the
Middle East, NSA Bahrain is the headquarters
for the Fifth Fleet. And finally, Guantanamo
Bay in Cuba, which is the oldest overseas facility
the Navy maintains. And that organizational complexity
is managed by the Navy, but they have these unique
formalized relationships with two other armed
services. Right. The first is the U .S. Marine
Corps. They are a co -equal sister service under
the Department of the Navy, a relationship established
way back in 1834. It's a fundamental symbiotic
relationship. The Navy provides essential medical
and religious... support to Marine units. This
is critical. Every Marine unit relies on Navy
personnel, specifically doctors, nurses, medical
technicians, notice coursemen, and chaplains.
So the coursemen are actually Navy sailors attached
to Marine units. They are. They serve as the
frontline medical personnel. And operationally,
the Marines are the amphibious striking force,
relying on Navy amphibious assault ships and
transport docks to get them to the fight. It's
an integrated ecosystem. It is. The second unique
relationship is with the U .S. Coast Guard. Most
of the time, the Coast Guard operates under the
Department of Homeland Security, focusing on
law enforcement and rescue. But in times of war,
they can operate as a service within the Navy.
Correct. And we see this cooperation today through
law enforcement detachments or LDETs. These are
specialized Coast Guard teams that deploy to
Navy vessels specifically to perform arrests
and law enforcement duties during boarding and
interdiction missions. So they're blending the
legal capabilities of the Coast Guard with the
global reach of the Navy. Precisely. Now let's
look at the personnel structure that supports
all of this, the actual sailors. The Navy divides
its personnel into distinct communities, starting
with the enlisted ranks. E4 through E6 are petty
officers, the non -commissioned officers, or
NCOs. They are the technical experts and first
-line supervisors. But the chief petty officer
ranks, E7 to E9, are famously a community unto
themselves. Right. This is a deal. Deep cultural
difference in the Navy. It is. E7, E8, and E9
chief, senior chief, and master chief petty officer
are considered a separate, highly experienced
community. They often have separate designated
chief's messes where they eat, socialize, and
conduct their mentorship. And they serve as the
critical, technical, and experiential backbone
of any ship or unit. They do. And within that
leadership structure, we have the command master
chiefs, the CMCs. What is their specific authority?
The CMC is the senior most enlisted advisor to
the commanding officer. They serve as the liaison,
advising the captain on all matters pertaining
to the health, welfare, morale, and training
of the enlisted personnel, their insignia. Denotes
their seniority. Right. An inverted five -point
star, which is silver for command -level positions,
but gold for fleet or force -level responsibilities.
Given that immense personnel count over 344 ,000,
what is the Navy doing to address the current
retention and recruitment crisis that we hear
so much about? That's a critical point. The Navy
is struggling to hit its recruitment targets,
particularly for highly technical roles like
nuclear operators, which require intense training
and commitment. So what's the strategy? It involves
substantial reenlistment bonuses, especially
for those with hard -to -replace warfare qualifications.
They're also streamlining training pipelines
and increasing quality -of -life incentives.
Things like limiting certain types of rotational
deployments to boost retention. It's a constant
battle. Then we have the specialized warrant
officers. These are the technical experts who
usually don't command, but rather fix and direct.
Correct. Warrant officers are technical specialists
who lead specific critical activities like electronics
maintenance or ordnance disposal. They're accessed
mostly from the highly experienced chief petty
officer ranks, requiring a minimum of 14 years
in service. It's a way to retain deep, practical
expertise. It is, without forcing those personnel
into the administrative pressures of the traditional
officer career. path. And finally, the officers
are divided into line officers and staff corps
officers. Line officers are the commanders, pilots,
surface warfare officers, and submarine commanders
who wear an embroidered gold star above their
rank insignia. Staff corps officers, conversely,
are the specialized support personnel. Doctors,
supply officers, chaplains, and lawyers. The
Jags. Right. They wear specialty designator insignias
instead of the star, visually separating the
operational command track from the specialized
support track. And it all culminates in the Warfare
Qualification, or PQS. This qualification is
the ultimate validation of expertise. It denotes
a journeyman level of capability in specific
fields, like surface warfare officer or submarine
warfare. And achieving these is marked by distinctive
U .S. Navy badges and insignia, like the dolphins
for submariners, worn proudly on the uniform.
This focus on demonstrable verifiable standards
is crucial for ensuring the readiness of every
single deployable unit. The complexity of the...
organization is staggering, but it's only matched
by the complexity of the equipment. Let's shift
our focus now to the hardware, the world's most
sophisticated ships, aircraft, and weapons systems.
When discussing the fleet, we should start with
naming conventions. Any commissioned ship is
prefixed with USS, designating United States
ship. And a core defining technological feature
of the entire fleet is its commitment to nuclear
power. Our sources confirm that all active U
.S. aircraft carriers and submarines are nuclear
-powered. Which gives them effectively unlimited
range and endurance. They only need to pull into
port for provisions for the crew, not for fuel.
Let's begin with the capital ships, the aircraft
carriers, the CVNs. These vessels are the largest,
most expensive, and most protected assets in
the fleet. They're mobile air bases. A single
Ford or Nimitz -class carrier can house up to
5 ,000 personnel. It's a small city. It really
is a small city floating on the ocean, and it
can carry up to 90 aircraft. But the carrier
never sails alone. It is the core of a carrier
strike group, a CSG. This isn't just a collection
of ships, is it? No, it's an integrated, self
-defending package designed to operate independently
anywhere in the world. The CSG is typically protected
by three or four Aegis -equipped cruisers and
destroyers, along with one or two fast -attack
submarines. So it's a bubble of protection. It
is. A formation that ensures protection from
air, missile, sea, and undersea threats while
also providing the group with immense collective
strike capabilities. Beyond the carriers, the
Navy defines its tower projection through its
amphibious warfare ships. These are the vehicles
of force focused on delivering military capability
onto land, primarily supporting the U .S. Marine
Corps. The heavy hitters are the amphibious assault
ships, the WASP and America classes. They look
like small aircraft carriers themselves. They
do. And crucially, they are capable of VSTOL,
STOVIAL, VTL, and tiltrotor operations. We need
to unpack that alphabet soup of vertical movement.
What do those acronyms mean for the listener?
That's fair. So VSTOL and VTL refer to aircraft
that can go straight up and down like helicopters.
But STOVIAL, short takeoff vertical landing,
is critical because it describes the capability
of... the F -35B Lightning II. A marine fighter
jet. Right. It takes off with a short run but
can land vertically. This capability allows the
amphibious assault ships to deliver, command,
and support an entire 2 ,200 -strong marine expeditionary
unit. Then you have the support vessels, like
the amphibious transport docks. The newer San
Antonio classes are specifically designed to
operate all three elements of the Marines' mobility
triad. the new expeditionary fighting vehicles,
the crucial V -22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft,
and the massive high -speed landing craft air
cushions, the Elsagase. These ships are the vital
bridge between the sea and the shore. Absolutely.
The Navy operates 32 active vessels across all
amphibious warfare categories, which really illustrates
the commitment to projecting power across the
globe's littoral regions. Now let's move to the
backbone of the defensive fleet. the surface
combatants, and the revolutionary technology
that defines them, Aegis. Aegis is the foundation
of modern naval defense. Cruisers, specifically
the Ticonderoga class, were developed in the
Cold War era specifically to counter the emerging
threat of Soviet anti -ship missiles. Their key
feature is the Aegis combat system, coordinated
with the massive ANS -PY -1 phased ray radar.
All right, so explain how that radar system works
and why it was such a technological leap forward.
Well, older radar systems required a dish to
physically rotate, meaning there were momentary
blind spots or time lags. The ANS -PY1, however,
uses a phased array, thousands of small radar
antenna, working in concert. across four flat
surfaces built into the superstructure of the
ship. So no moving parts. No moving parts. This
allows the system to instantly and simultaneously
track hundreds of aircraft and missiles, coordinate
multiple intercepts, and maintain constant situational
awareness. It was a genuine game changer. And
with the later installation of vertical launch
systems on the cruisers, they gained immense
offensive power. Yes. The VLS cells can carry
a milk of defensive standard missiles and offensive
Tomahawk missiles, providing long -range land
and sea strike capability. This transformed the
cruisers from just fleet defense platforms into
multi -role offensive assets. The destroyers,
primarily the workhorse Arleigh Burke class,
are the high -volume multi -mission ships. They
are the fleet's true utility players, also focused
on strike and fleet defense using Aegis. But
they specialize deeply in anti -submarine warfare,
or ASW. They utilize VLA rockets and sophisticated
sonar arrays combined with MPS -MK3 Seahawk helicopters,
which hunt subs with dipping sonar and torpedoes.
And there are 75 of them currently active. That's
right. Now, we retired our last traditional frigate
class in late 2015. Their intended replacement
was the Littoral Combat Ship, the LCS. This has
been a major story of strategic ambition colliding
with operational reality. It's a textbook example
of procurement challenges. The LCS concept was
highly ambitious. Small, fast, modular vessels
designed for nearshore combat. The idea was they
could swap out mission packages for different
threats. But the sources suggest the LCS largely
failed to meet expectations. Correct. The LCS
suffered from massive cost overruns, speed being
prioritized over survivability, and crucially,
the modular mission packages were consistently
late or failed to fully integrate and meet operational
standards. They just couldn't perform the missions
they were designed for reliably. Which is why
we now see the plan to return to traditional
frigates, but modernized. Precisely. The Navy
plans to purchase up to 20 Constellation -class
frigates, and these vessels are notably based
on established, proven European designs, specifically
the Italian FREM frigates, which suggests a critical
shift back toward proven, robust capability.
We must now turn to the submarines, the Silent
Force. The U .S. Navy operates three distinct
types, all nuclear -powered, attack, guided missile,
and ballistic missile. The ballistic missile
submarines, the Ohio class, are the strategic
lifters. They have one sole world -shaping mission,
nuclear strategic deterrence, carrying the Trident
nuclear missile. Why is the submarine leg of
the nuclear triad considered the most critical
and survivable component? Because of concealment
and mobility. A submarine, once it descends into
the ocean, is virtually undetectable. It's the
ultimate insurance policy. If an enemy launched
a preemptive strike against U .S. land or air
forces, the SSBNs would remain concealed, guaranteeing
a devastating retaliatory strike. The ultimate
deterrent. The very definition of deterrence.
And the tactical versatility is shown by the
conversion of some of the Ohio -class SSBNs into
SSGNs, or guided missile submarines. That's a
huge story of disarmament meeting tactical innovation.
It is. Four Ohio -class boats were converted.
They sacrificed their Trident nuclear missile
capability, but in its place, they gained the
capacity to carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Wow. They can also deploy large numbers of SEALs
and other special operations forces, making them
incredible... conventional strike, and special
forces platforms. So the Navy operates 69 submarines
in total, including 14 SSBNs and 19 modern Virginia
-class attack submarines. That's right. Finally,
let's look skyward at naval aviation. The sources
confirm that naval air research began way back
in the 1910s. With the first naval aviator in
1911 and the first carrier, USS Langley, commissioned
in 1922. And as we said, World War II proved
that carrier aviation was the future. Today,
the primary fighter attack aircraft is the F
-A -18EF Super Hornet, with the stealthy fifth
-generation F -35C having entered service in
2019. The F -35C, optimized for carrier operations,
gives the Navy a true fifth -generation air capability
from the sea, which is essential for contested
air environments. And they are already planning
the eventual replacement for the Super Hornet
through the F -AXX program, demonstrating that
constant cycle of technological advancement.
And the weapon systems reflect the missile -centric
nature of modern warfare. What are the key offensive
pieces of ordnance? Well, the BGM -109 Tomahawk
missile remains the primary weapon for long -range
precision land strike. For anti -ship engagements,
the dedicated missile is the harpoon. though
they're actively developing new generations of
anti -ship missiles. And for defense. Medium
to long -range defense is managed by the Standard
Missile 2 and SM6, all coordinated through Aegis.
For short -range, close -in defense, you have
the Phalanx CIWS. The Gatling gun. Right, firing
thousands of rounds per minute. And the RIM -162
Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. And on the nuclear
front, the SSBNs carry the Trident's second SLBM,
capable of hitting targets anywhere on Earth.
That's right. And the Navy's other nuclear weapon
is the air -deployed B61 nuclear bomb, a thermonuclear
device that can be carried by strike aircraft
like the F -18 and F -35C. The sheer volume and
technological depth of this integrated, layered
arsenal are what allow the U .S. to commit to
global dominance. Moving from the sophisticated
hardware to the intangible assets, the Navy maintains
a rich culture and tradition, often defined by
its visual symbols. One of the most visible changes
in recent years relates to the naval jack. The
naval jack is the flag flown from the bow of
a ship. when it's moored or anchored. The standard
and current jack is the Union Jack, the small
bleef flag featuring the 50 stars. But for almost
two decades during the War on Terror, it was
famously replaced by a historic emblem. Indeed.
From 2002 to 2019, Secretary of the Navy Gordon
R. England directed all U .S. naval ships to
fly the first Navy Jack. The Don't Tread on Me
flag. Exactly. The one with the 13 red and white
stripes and a coiled rattlesnake. It was originally
adopted to commemorate the first anniversary
of 9 -11 and stood as a symbol of maritime combat
readiness during a time of conflict. And the
return to the Union Jack was a highly symbolic
move. It was. The changeback occurred on June
4, 2019, commemorating the start date of the
Battle of Midway in 1942. This battle, as we
discussed, fundamentally shifted naval warfare
toward the carrier, so the timing underscored
a return to the long -term global strategic commitment
symbolized by the Union Jack. The history of
the Navy is so intertwined with the history of
the country, and that's really evident when you
look at the incredibly diverse roster of notable
sailors who served. It's a powerful list, illustrating
the kind of leaders the service molds. Six American
presidents served in the Navy. JFK. LBJ, Nixon,
Ford, George H .W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter. Jimmy
Carter's service is particularly relevant to
his later civilian career, isn't it? Absolutely.
Carter served as a nuclear engineering officer
working under Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the
father of the nuclear navy. This highly specialized
technical background deeply influenced his later
policy decisions, particularly his focus on energy.
We also have the foundational officers like John
Barry, the first flag officer, and James Lawrence,
whose famous last words, don't give up the ship,
are immortalized in the Naval Academy motto.
And the roster of others is truly surprising
in its diversity. We have astronauts like Neil
Armstrong and Alan B. Shepard, alongside the
pioneering computer scientist and Navy officer
Grace Hopper. Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, who
was instrumental in developing the first commercial
compiler and popularized the term debugging.
Her entire technical career was built on her
naval service. And the cultural impact is huge.
Entertainers like Johnny Carson, Paul Newman
and Jack Lemmon all served. Authors to Robert
Heinlein and Thomas Pynchon both spent time in
the Navy. It's clear the Navy is a melting pot.
And to pull out one small, fascinating detail
that really shows the human and logistical side
of the Navy. the naval post offices. This sounds
incredibly anachronistic now in the age of instant
satellite communications. It is, but it was hugely
important. The first U .S. government post offices
were established aboard Navy ships during World
War I. Before instant messaging, hand -stamped
mail was literally the only way crew members
at sea could communicate with their families.
And the sources highlight that mail delivery
was considered almost as essential to crew morale
as food and ammunition. It was, and this gives
rise to valuable historical documentation. It's
known as postal history. Because nearly every
U .S. Navy ship has its own post office and unique
postmark, Naval Mail provides historians with
valuable, concrete evidence. Details like names,
ranks, signatures, and postmarks can confirm
the precise dates and locations of ships and
crew members during specific operations or battles.
Sometimes when official records were lost or
delayed. It's a fantastic reminder that the organizational
mass and technical complexity of the Navy is
ultimately built upon the individual experience
of the sailor. So what does this all mean? We've
traced the USN's journey from a necessary defense
against Barbary pirates to a global power broker,
defined by that monumental strategic shift from
relying on battleships to embracing carrier dominance
and nuclear deterrence. Right. We've covered
the complexity of its organization, from the
civilian SETA to the numbered fleets that span
the globe, and the highly structured enlisted
and officer corps built around specialized warfare
qualifications. And we also detailed its vast
arsenal, centered on the nuclear -powered carrier
strike groups and the critical integrated defense
provided by the Aegis combat system. The US Navy's
primary defining role is maintaining security
and deterring conflicts via sustained forward
presence. This knowledge is essential for you,
the listener, because the organizational complexity,
the sheer scale of the equipment and the massive
personnel count are directly tied to US foreign
policy execution and global economic stability.
It is the physical means through which the US
secures and maintains the current international
global order. It is the operational reality behind
global policy. Which brings us back to that strategic
dilemma we noted early on. Given the current
Chief of Naval Operations assessment that a fleet
of over 500 ships is truly needed to meet global
commitments, while the active battle force hovers
consistently around 300 vessels, well, this raises
an important question for you to consider. If
resources consistently fall short of that required
fleet size goal, how might the Navy's strategic
commitment to sustain forward presence have to
fundamentally change? Will the Navy be forced
to trade presence in one vital region for readiness
in another? Or might they have to shift their
strategy altogether to prioritize deterrence
capabilities over continuous forward deployment?
It's a fascinating dilemma of resources versus
commitment for the world's most powerful Navy.
An essential question to ponder as global dynamics
continue to shift. Thank you for joining us for
this deep dive into the United States Navy.