The strongest militaries throughout history have always been bolstered by a strong navy. And throughout the years, as newer technologies have led to advancements in propulsion and weapons systems and ever increasing naval strength, this old idea has only been reinforced.
The British Empire more or less ruled the world in the 18th century as a result of its maritime power. The British Navy was more advanced, with newer ships that could outmaneuver those of Spanish and French rivals. However, this power would eventually wane as the American Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars took their toll on the empire, leading to new world powers taking the stage with more advanced naval fleets. (This is the world’s largest navy.)
Although the United States does not currently have the largest navy presence, it ranks as the world’s strongest naval power. The U.S. Navy by itself boasts a fleet of over 240 ships and submarines. The biggest and oldest assets in the fleet are the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, which were a stabilizing factor throughout the Cold War. The U.S. owns 11 aircraft carriers overall, while countries like Russia and China only have one and three, respectively.
Looking ahead, the Nimitz-class carriers are starting to age out, as most are 30 years and older, and the U.S. is replacing them with the newer Ford-class supercarriers. The newest is the Gerald R. Ford which is just five years old. The Navy is replacing aircraft carriers on a one-for-one basis as they age out. (This is the world’s largest warship.)
To determine America’s newest warships, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the military data site World Directory of Modern Military Warships’ directory of all active ships in the U.S. and cross-referenced with data from the Naval Vessel Register. We compiled data on all ships and submarines — 33 in total — that have been commissioned in the service of the U.S. Navy for five years or less and ranked them by age.
Currently, the bulk of the U.S. Navy is made up primarily of the destroyer fleet, which accounts for nearly 30% of all naval vessels. The submarine fleet comes in a close second, accounting for roughly another quarter of the total strength of the force. Beyond this, an aging fleet of cruisers followed by Littoral Combat Ships and amphibious assault support ships accounts for the rest of the naval vessels.
The U.S. is in the midst of replacing, updating, and adding to its navy in a bid to maintain global domination at sea.
Here’s a look at the newest ships and submarines in the U.S. Navy.
Click here to read our detailed methodology.
35. USS Omaha
> Commission date: 2/3/2018
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
34. USS Colorado
> Commission date: 3/17/2018
> Unit type: Attack submarine
> Class: Virginia-class
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33. USS Ralph Johnson
> Commission date: 3/24/2018
> Unit type: Destroyer
> Class: Arleigh Burke-class
32. USS Manchester
> Commission date: 5/26/2018
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
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31. USS Indiana
> Commission date: 9/29/2018
> Unit type: Attack submarine
> Class: Virginia-class
Source: usnavy / Flickr
30. USS Sioux City
> Commission date: 11/17/2018
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Freedom-class
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Source: national_museum_of_the_us_navy / Flickr
29. USS Thomas Hudner
> Commission date: 12/1/2018
> Unit type: Destroyer
> Class: Arleigh Burke-class
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28. USS Wichita
> Commission date: 1/12/2019
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Freedom-class
27. USS Michael Monsoor
> Commission date: 1/26/2019
> Unit type: Destroyer
> Class: Zumwalt-class
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
26. USS South Dakota
> Commission date: 2/2/2019
> Unit type: Attack submarine
> Class: Virginia-class
25. USS Tulsa
> Commission date: 2/16/2019
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
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24. USS Charleston
> Commission date: 3/2/2019
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
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23. USS Paul Ignatius
> Commission date: 7/27/2019
> Unit type: Destroyer
> Class: Arleigh Burke-class
22. USS Billings
> Commission date: 8/3/2019
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Freedom-class
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21. USS Cincinnati
> Commission date: 10/5/2019
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
20. USS Indianapolis
> Commission date: 10/26/2019
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Freedom-class
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Source: usnavy / Flickr
19. USS Hershel “Woody” Williams
> Commission date: 3/7/2020
> Unit type: Expeditionary mobile base
> Class: Lewis B. Puller-class
18. USS Delaware
> Commission date: 4/4/2020
> Unit type: Attack submarine
> Class: Virginia-class
17. USS Vermont
> Commission date: 4/18/2020
> Unit type: Attack submarine
> Class: Virginia-class
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
16. USS Kansas City
> Commission date: 6/20/2020
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
15. USS Tripoli
> Commission date: 7/15/2020
> Unit type: Amphibious assault ship
> Class: America-class
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
14. USS St. Louis
> Commission date: 8/8/2020
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Freedom-class
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13. USS Delbert D. Black
> Commission date: 9/26/2020
> Unit type: Destroyer
> Class: Arleigh Burke-class
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
12. USS Oakland
> Commission date: 4/17/2021
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
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11. USS Miguel Keith
> Commission date: 5/8/2021
> Unit type: Expeditionary mobile base
> Class: Lewis B. Puller-class
10. USS Mobile
> Commission date: 5/22/2021
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
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9. USS Daniel Inouye
> Commission date: 12/8/2021
> Unit type: Destroyer
> Class: Arleigh Burke-class
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
8. USS Savannah
> Commission date: 2/5/2022
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
7. USS Frank E. Petersen Jr.
> Commission date: 5/14/2022
> Unit type: Destroyer
> Class: Arleigh Burke-class
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6. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul
> Commission date: 5/21/2022
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Freedom-class
5. USS Oregon
> Commission date: 5/28/2022
> Unit type: Attack submarine
> Class: Virginia-class
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
4. USS Montana
> Commission date: 6/25/2022
> Unit type: Attack submarine
> Class: Virginia-class
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
3. USS Fort Lauderdale
> Commission date: 7/30/2022
> Unit type: Amphibious transport dock
> Class: San Antonio-class
Source: navymedicine / Flickr
2. USS Lenah H Sutcliffe Higbee
> Commission date: 5/13/2023
> Unit type: Guided missile destroyer
> Class: Arleigh Burke-class
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
1. USS Santa Barbara
> Commission date: 4/1/2023
> Unit type: Littoral combat ship
> Class: Independence-class
Methodology
To determine America’s newest warships, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the military data site World Directory of Modern Military Warships’ directory of all active ships in the U.S. and cross-referenced with data from the Naval Vessel Register. We compiled data on all ships and submarines — 35 in total — that have been commissioned in the service of the U.S. Navy for five years and ranked them by age.
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