Portal:United States Navy

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Main page   Categories   Tasks and Projects edit   The United States Navy Portal Shortcut: P:USN 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. More about the USN... edit   U.S. Navy News The craft used by the suspected pirates floats in front of the USS Ashland Piracy charges dismissed by judge Original articles by Steve Szkotak, The Associated Press. Summary: Piracy charges against six Somali's accused of attacking the USS Ashland were dismissed Tuesday after the judge ruled that the U.S. government failed to make a case for piracy. Defense attorneys had argued that the men did not seize or rob the Ashland and therefore not committed piracy. The six were accused of attacking the Ashland, which was destroyed by 25mm fire from Ashland. Seven lesser charges have not been ruled upon. The men claim only to have been ferrying refugees. Source: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/08/ap-navy-ashland-piracy-charges-dropped-081710/ News Archive Show new content... edit   Featured article The Iowa-class battleships were the biggest, the most powerful, and the last battleships built for the United States Navy. Four were built in the early 1940s for World War II; two more were laid down but were scrapped prior to completion. The four were decommissioned, then recommissioned in the 1980s, and decommissioned again in the 1990s. Built with cost as no object "The Iowa-class fast battleships were arguably the ultimate capital ship in the evolution of the battleship." Yet even as these behemoths entered service they were being eclipsed by aircraft carriers as the most important naval vessels. The Iowa-class battleships improved upon the earlier South Dakota class with more powerful engines, longer-caliber guns giving greater range, and an additional 200 feet (60 m) of length for improved seakeeping. The Iowas are widely considered to be amongst the most attractive battleships ever built, with a long, narrow, elegant bow and three powerful gun turrets. While excellent sea boats, the ships are quite wet forward owing to the long bow. Like all American battleships of their generation, their armament was laid out in two turrets before the superstructure and one after ("2-A-1"), with the 5 inch dual-purpose secondaries (anti-ship and anti-aircraft) flanking the superstructure. Suggest • More featured articles... edit   Selected picture The U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet at transonic speed. Image Credit:US Navy Photo, Ensign John Gay Suggest • More pictures... edit   Equipment The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system. It uses active radar homing and low-level, sea-skimming cruise trajectory to improve survivability and effectiveness. The missile system has also been further developed into a coastal strike version Suggest • More equipment... edit   Quotes "The difference between a good and great officer is about ten seconds." — Admiral Arleigh Burke More quotes... edit   Selected biography John Paul Jones (July 6, 1747–July 18, 1792) born in Scotland was America's first well-known naval hero in the American Revolutionary War. Though his naval career never reached the heights predicted for him after his victory over the Serapis, Jones remains a highly regarded battle commander. During his engagement with Serapis, Jones uttered the legendary reply to a British officer's surrender request, "I have not yet begun to fight." Suggest • More biographies... edit   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? Archive edit   Major topics Command Secretary of the Navy, Under Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Judge Advocate General, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Personnel Awards, Badges, Chaplain Corps, Enlisted Classification, Enlisted rate insignia, Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Medal of Honor recipients, Navy Band, Nurse Corps, Officer designators, Officer insignia, Ratings, Seabees, Supply Corps, Uniforms History Acronyms, Fleet Week, Line-crossing ceremony, Naval Academy alumni, Navy Band, Navy Hymn, Navy Losses in WWII, Navy Song, Ship commissioning, Ship decommissioning Naval Forces Fleet Forces Command, Naval Forces Central Command, Naval Forces Europe, Pacific Fleet, Reserve Force, Sealift Command, Special Warfare Command Structure Active Units, Air wings, Aircraft Carriers, Aircraft Squadrons, Bases, Current Fleet, Naval Aircraft, Naval Observatory, Naval Reactors, Sealift Command ships, Weapons edit   Related Wikiprojects WikiProject Military history WikiProject United States WikiProject Aircraft WikiProject Ships edit   Associated Wikimedia US Navy on Wikinews News US Navy on Wikiquote Quotes US Navy on Commons Images US Navy on Wikisource Texts US Navy on Wikibooks Books What are portals? · List of portals · Featured portals Wikipedia portals: Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Natural sciences People Philosophy Religion Society Technology