United States Navy

United States Navy
Emblem of the United States Navy
FoundedMarch 27, 1794 (1794-03-27)
(in current form)

October 13, 1775 (1775-10-13)
(as the Continental Navy)


CountryUnited States
TypeNavy
RoleNaval warfare
Size
  • 344,600 active personnel
  • 57,500 reserve personnel
  • 210,024 civilian employees (As of 2025)
  • 480 ships total, of which 300 are deployable (As of 2019)
  • 2,623 aircraft (As of 2018)
Part ofUnited States Armed Forces
Department of the Navy
HeadquartersThe Pentagon
Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
MottosSemper Fortis ('Always Courageous'), (unofficial).
Non sibi sed patriae ('Not for self but for country') (unofficial)
ColorsBlue and gold
   
March"Anchors Aweigh" Play
Anniversaries13 October
EquipmentList of equipment of the United States Navy
Engagements
See list
Website
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefPresident Donald Trump
Secretary of DefensePete Hegseth
Secretary of the NavyJohn Phelan
Chief of Naval OperationsADM Daryl Caudle
Vice Chief of Naval OperationsADM James W. Kilby
Master Chief Petty Officer of the NavyMCPON John J. Perryman IV
Insignia
Flag
Ensign
Jack
Pennant
Logo
Ships of the United States Navy
Ships in current service
Ships grouped alphabetically
Ships grouped by type

The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and is designated as the navy of the United States in the Constitution. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, one undergoing trials, two new carriers under construction, and six other carriers planned as of 2024. With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in the Ready Reserve, the U.S. Navy is the third largest of the United States military service branches in terms of personnel. It has 299 deployable combat vessels and about 4,012 operational aircraft as of 18 July 2023. The U.S. Navy is a part of the United States Department of Defense and is one of six armed forces of the United States and one of eight uniformed services of the United States.

The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter. After suffering significant loss of goods and personnel at the hands of the Barbary pirates from Algiers, the United States Congress passed the Naval Act of 1794 for the construction of six heavy frigates, the first ships of the Navy. The United States Navy played a major role in the American Civil War by blockading the Confederacy and seizing control of its rivers. It played the central role in the World War II defeat of Imperial Japan. The United States Navy emerged from World War II as the most powerful navy in the world, succeeding the British Navy. The modern United States Navy maintains a sizable global presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean. It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward deployments during peacetime and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it a frequent actor in American foreign and military policy.

The United States Navy is part of the Department of the Navy, alongside the United States Marine Corps, which is its coequal sister service. The Department of the Navy is headed by the civilian secretary of the Navy. The Department of the Navy is itself a military department of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the secretary of defense. The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the most senior Navy officer serving in the Department of the Navy.