Ships and Submarines

The United States Armed Forces comprises a massive fleet and ships and submarines for operations and warfare on sea. This includes amphibious ships, attack submarines, ballistic missile submarines, carriers, cutters, command ships, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, special operations and special mission ships and submarines, and more. Amphibious ships are warships deployed with the intention of landing and supporting ground forces on enemy territory during an amphibious assault. The largest fleet of amphibious ships is operated by the U.S. Navy and includes the Blue Ridge, Tarawa/Wasp, and LHA/R America Class Amphibious Command and Assault ships, as well as the Landing Craft Air Cushion - used to transport Marine Corps troops from ship to shore.

Attack submarines are used primarily for undersea warfare and incorporate latest technology in stealth, intelligence gathering, and weapons systems technology. The primary attack submarines of the U.S. Military are the Virginia Class Attack Submarine and the Los Angeles Class Fast Attack Submarine. Ballistic Missile Submarines are used as part of the military’s ‘triad’ of strategic bombers, ground-based ballistic missiles, and sea-based ballistic missiles. These ships are stealthy and embark on top secret, long-distance missions.

Carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and frigates make up the bulk of the Naval fleet. Aircraft carriers such as the Gerald R. Ford and Nimitz class ships serve as a mobile, seagoing airbase equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Cruisers such as the Ticonderoga Class cruiser operate mainly in a battle role. They are multi-mission ships that have undersea warfare, naval surface fire support, and surface warfare capabilities. Destroyers such as the DDG 51 and DDG 1000 provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. The DDG 1000 Zumwalt is the new class of destroyer tailored for land attack and littoral dominance with the capabilities to defeat current and projected threats. Frigates are similar to cruisers, though usually smaller and used for short-range anti-air warfare capabilities.

Additionally, the armed forces inventory of ships consists of many highly-specialized ships and submarines for specific operations and missions. This includes the M80 Stiletto, Mark VIII SEAL Delivery Vehicle, Riverine Special Operations Craft, Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, Mark V Special Operations Craft, and more. These ships are used for a variety of reasons, from stealth operation, troop transport, sea warfare, and other applications. For instance, the M80 Stiletto is a high-speed ship with many of the capabilities of larger, slower ships.