List of United States naval aircraft

Naval aircraft used by the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. For a list of naval aircraft designated under the pre-1962 United States Navy designation system, see List of military aircraft of the United States (naval). For a list of naval aircraft designated under the post-1962 unified Department of Defence designations, see List of military aircraft of the United States.

Fixed Wing

Current aircraft

*AV-8B Harrier II - VTOL strike aircraft used by the Marine Corps
*C-2 Greyhound - logistics support to aircraft carriers
*C-12 Huron - transport aircraft for personnel and cargo between Naval air stations
*C-20 Gulfstream III - transport cargo and high-level personnel such as dignitaries and senior leaders
*C-40 Clipper - Navy version of the Boeing 737. Set to replace the C-9 Skytrain.
*C-130 Hercules - medium cargo and personnel transport
*E-2C Hawkeye - all-weather, carrier-based tactical battle management airborne early warning, command and control aircraft.
*E-6 Mercury - airborne command post
*EA-6B Prowler - electronic warfare and aircraft, set to be replaced starting in 2010 by the EA-18G Growler.
*EP-3E Aries II - signals reconnaissance
*F-5 Tiger II - used by the Navy and Marine Corps as adversary aircraft for air combat training purposes
*F-16N Fighting Falcon - used in the Navy as adversary aircraft for air combat training purposes
*F/A-18 Hornet - all-weather fighter/attack aircraft
*F/A-18E/F Super Hornet - updated version of the Hornet (nicknamed "Rhino")
*F-35 Lightning II - set to take over the strike fighter role from AV-8B Harrier II and F/A-18 Hornet.
*P-3 Orion - Maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare.
*RQ-2 Pioneer - unmanned aerial vehicle
*S-3 Viking - carrier-based anti-submarine warfare. To be phased out of service by 2009.
*T-2C Buckeye - North American Aviation jet trainer.
*T-6 Texan II - trainer
*T-34 Mentor - trainer
*T-39 Sabreliner - trainer
*T-44 Pegasus - trainer
*T-45 Goshawk - trainer

Future aircraft

*EA-18G Growler - a modified version of the F/A-18F Super Hornet set to replace the EA-6B Prowler
*P-8 Poseidon - modified Boeing 737 used for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare

Retired aircraft

*F2A Brewster Buffalo - Fighter 1938 - 1941.
*FF 'Fifi' - Biplane fighter, 1933 - 1940.
*F2F - Biplane fighter, 1936 - 1940.
*F3F - Biplane fighter, 1938 - 1940.
*F4F Wildcat - Fighter 1940 - 1945.
*F6F Hellcat - Fighter 1943 - 1954.
*F7F Tigercat - Fighter 1944 - 1954.
*F8F Bearcat - Fighter 1945 -
*F9F Panther developed into the F9F Cougar
*XF10F Jaguar
*F11F Tiger
*FH Phantom - First carrier-based jet aircraft.
*FU - Biplane fighter
*XF2U
*F3U
*F4U Corsair - Fighter
*XF5U
*F6U Pirate
*F7U Cutlass - Fighter
*F8U Crusader
*Ryan FR Fireball - Fighter from 1944-1947
*XF2R Dark Shark
*F-1 Fury (Pre 1962 FJ Fury) - Fighter
*F-2 Banshee (Pre 1962 F2H Banshee) - Fighter from 1951-1959. Replaced by F3H Demon.
*F-3 Demon (Pre 1962 F3H Demon) - Fighter from 1956-1964. Replaced by F-4 Phantom II.
*F-4 Phantom II (Pre 1962 - F4H Phantom II) - Fighter from 1961-1986. Replaced by F-14 Tomcat
*F-10 Skyknight (Pre 1962 F3D Skyknight) - Fighter. Douglas Aircraft.
*F-6 Skyray (Pre 1962 F4D Skyray) - Fighter.
*F-14 Tomcat - Interceptor and multi-role fighter retired in 2006, replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

*AF Guardian (Also known as TB3F Guardian) - First purpose built anti-submarine aircraft.
*AM Mauler
*A-1 Skyraider (Pre 1962 - AD Skyraider) - Attack aircraft. Replaced by A-4 Skyhawk.
*A-2 Savage (Pre 1962 - A2J Savage) - Strategic bomber from 1949-1960, first US Navy plane designed to carry atomic bomb.
*A-3 Skywarrior (Pre 1962 - A3D Skywarrior) - Strategic bomber from 1956-1991. Replaced by A-6 Intruder.
*A-4 Skyhawk (Pre 1962 - A4D Skyhawk) - Attack aircraft from 1954-1976. Replaced by A-7 Corsair II.
*A-5 Vigilante (Pre 1962 - A3J Vigilante) - Attack aircraft, converted to reconnaissance role RA-5C from 1961 onward.
*A-6 Intruder (Pre 1962 - A2F Intruder) - Attack aircraft from 1963-1997. Replaced by F/A-18 Hornet.
*A-7 Corsair II - Attack aircraft from 1965-1992. Replaced by F/A-18 Hornet.

*SB2U Vindicator - Dive Bomber
*SBC Helldiver - Dive Bomber
*SB2C Helldiver - Dive Bomber
*SBD Dauntless - Dive Bomber

*TBD Devastator - Torpedo Bomber
*TBF Avenger - Torpedo Bomber

*S-2 Tracker (Pre 1962 - S2F Tracker) antisubmarine aircraft from 1952-1976. Replaced by S-3 Viking.
*E-1 Tracer - first purpose built airborne early warning aircraft used by the US Navy
*C-1 Trader - COD and anti-submarine aircraft from 1955-1988. Replaced by C-2 Greyhound.
*ES-3 Shadow - retired in 1999.

*PV Ventura/Harpoon -
*P-2 Neptune (Pre 1962 - P2V Neptune) - land-based antisubmarine aircraft from 1947-1963. Replaced by P-3 Orion.

*T-28 Trojan - North American Aviation basic prop trainer; light attack.

*J2F Duck
*SC Seahawk
*SOC Seagull
*SO3C Seamew
*OS2U Kingfisher

*PBY Catalina
*PB2Y Coronado
*PB4Y Privateer
*R3Y/P5Y Tradewind
*PBM Mariner
*RY Liberator Express
*R4Y

*RD
*R2D
*R3D
*R4D Skytrain
*R5D Skymaster
*R6D Liftmaster
*R6V Constitution

Cancelled projects

*Aerial Common Sensor

Rotary Wing

Current aircraft

The Navy has a variety of aircraft, though the vast majority of rotary wing (helicopter) squadrons now rely on a variation of the H-60.

*UH-1 Iroquois - search and rescue, command and control, and special operations
*H-3 Sea King - multi-purpose helicopter
*CH-53 Sea Stallion - medium helicopter transport of personnel and cargo
* MH-53E Sea Dragon or [CH-53E Super Stallion] - anti-mine warfare, shipboard delivery, and assault support. Derived from Sea Stallion
*TH-57 Sea Ranger - primarily used for training and other utility missions
*SH-60 Seahawk series includes the SH-60 submarine-hunter, MH-60 Knighthawk multi-mission helicopter, CH-60 cargo transport, and others.

*CH-46 Sea Knight - cargo transport for the United States Marine Corps
*V-22 Osprey - multi-mission rotary / fixed wing hybrid used by the United States Marine Corps

Retired aircraft

*CH-46 Sea Knight - retired from the Navy in 2004 (though still in use by the United States Marine Corps)
*SH-2 Seasprite - retired in 2001

Designation System Pre 1962

In 1962 the designation system used for aircraft by all branches of the US military was changed to match that used by the Air Force. Previously the US Navy had used the following system:

XPB4Y-2

*X denotes that the aircraft was a prototype.
*PB denotes the intended mission of the aircraft, in this case Patrol Bomber.
*4 denotes that it is the 4th design for the navy in this role by the manufacturer.
*Y denotes the manufacturer ID, in this case Consolidated.
*-2 denotes that this is the second version of this aircraft.

Where there is no number before the manufacturer ID then it is the 1st design, e.g. AD Skyraider being the first Attack aircraft designed by Douglas.

Post WWII the suffix K came into use after the version of the aircraft to denote that it was a drone.

Mission Types

*A = Attack
*B = Bomber
*BT = Bomber (Torpedo)
*F = Fighter
*H = Helicopter
*J = Utility (Transport)
*JR = Utility (Transport)
*M = Multi-Mission
*N = Trainer
*O = Observation
*OS = Observation Scout
*P = Patrol
*PB = Patrol Bomber
*R = Transport
*S = Scout
*SB = Scout Bomber
*SN = Scout Trainer
*SO = Scout Observation
*T = Torpedo
*TB = Torpedo Bomber
*U = Utility
*W = Warning

Manufacturer IDs

Other manufacturer IDs were used, these are the major manufacturers:

*A Brewster Aeronautical Corporation
*B Boeing
*C Curtiss-Wright Corporation
*D Douglas Aircraft Company
*F Grumman
*G Goodyear Aircraft Company
*H McDonnell
*J North American Aviation
*K Kaman Aircraft
*L Bell Aircraft
*M General Motors (Eastern Aircraft Div.)
*M Glenn L. Martin Company
*N Naval Aircraft Factory
*O Lockheed see also 'V'
*P Piasecki Helicopter
*R Ryan Aeronautical Company
*S Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
*T Northrop
*U Vought
*V Vultee, later Lockheed
*Y Consolidated, also Convair (CONsolidated Vultee AIR)

References

* [http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact.asp Navy Fact File]