The U.S. Navy is constantly involved in the process of building new ships for its fleet. Typically, this is a very straightforward and linear process, but it actually takes years to complete a new ship or submarine. Each of these new vessels is subject to a design phase, shipbuilding phase, trial phase, and then it is commissioned into the U.S. Navy. (These are U.S. Navy ships being decommissioned this year, and when.)
To identify the upcoming vessels that the Navy will be adding to its fleet, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed upcoming Navy commissionings from the Navy League, an online publication that tracks the construction and commissioning of naval vessels. We ordered these ships alphabetically and included ships at various stages of construction and commissioning but only those that have at least had their keel laid. Supplemental information about each ship’s hull number, class, construction location, and the current status came from the Navy League as well.
Among the newest vessels to enter the U.S. Navy are the Ford-class of aircraft carriers. These behemoths have been dubbed the next generation “supercarrier,” building on the innovations of the Nimitz-class, which was first introduced in the 1970s. (This is every aircraft carrier in U.S. Navy history.)
The flagship of this class, the Gerald R. Ford, is able to house at least 75 aircraft of various makes and models, including helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. More of these aircraft carriers are currently in production, namely the John F. Kennedy and Enterprise.
Outside of these aircraft carriers, the newest rounds of vessels about to enter the U.S. Navy are predominantly the Virginia-class nuclear submarines and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers. A few Independence-class and Freedom-class littoral combat ships are on the way as well.
Here is a look at the future ships and submarines of the U.S. Navy:
SSN-803 Arizona
Source: Petty Officer 1st Class Paul L. Archer / U.S. Navy
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Keel Laid December 2022
- Construction location: Newport News, VA
SSN-800 Arkansas
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Newport News, VA
LCS-29 Beloit
- Class: Freedom-class littoral combat ship
- Status: Christened May 2022
- Construction location: Marinette, WI
LHA-8 Bougainville
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: America-class amphibious assault ship
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
LCS-31 Cleveland
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Freedom-class littoral combat ship
- Status: Launched April 2023
- Construction location: Marinette, WI
FFG-62 Constellation
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Constellation-class guided-missile frigate
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Marinette, WI
SSBN-826 District of Columbia
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
- Status: Keel Laid June 2022
- Construction location: Groton, CT
CVN-81 Doris Miller
- Class: Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Newport News, VA
CVN-80 Enterprise
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier
- Status: Keel Laid August 2022
- Construction location: Newport News, VA
LHA-9 Fallujah
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: America-class amphibious assault ship
- Status: Keel Laid September 2023
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
DDG-131 George M. Neal
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
LPD-30 Harrisburg
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Christened July 2023
- Construction location: Bath, ME
ESB-8 Hector A. Cafferata
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: ESB-class (Expeditionary Sea Base)
- Status: Announced July 2023
- Construction location: San Diego, CA
SSN-795 Hyman G. Rickover
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Christened July 2021
- Construction location: Groton, CT
SSN-799 Idaho
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Groton, CT
SSN-797 Iowa
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Christened June 2023
- Construction location: Groton, CT
DDG-129 Jeremiah Denton
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
DDG-122 John Basilone
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Christened June 2022
- Construction location: Bath, ME
CVN-79 John F. Kennedy
- Class: Gerald Ford-class aircraft carrier
- Status: Fitting Out
- Construction location: Newport News, VA
ESB-6 John L. Canley
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: ESB-class (Expeditionary Sea Base))
- Status: Delivered March 2023
- Construction location: San Diego, CA
LCS-36 Kingsville
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Independence-class littoral combat ship
- Status: Christened April 2023
- Construction location: Mobile, AL
DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Keel Laid May 2023
- Construction location: Bath, ME
DDG-1002 Lyndon B. Johnson
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Christened April 2019
- Construction location: Bath, ME
SSN-798 Massachusetts
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Christened May 2023
- Construction location: Newport News, VA
LCS-27 Nantucket
- Class: Freedom-class littoral combat ship
- Status: Christened August 2021
- Construction location: Marinette, WI
SSN-796 New Jersey
Source: Ashley Cowan / U.S. Navy
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Launched April 2022
- Construction location: Newport News, VA
SSN-802 Oklahoma
Source: Courtesy of U.S. Navy via Facebook
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Newport News, VA
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Bath, ME
LCS-38 Pierre
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Independence-class littoral combat ship
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Mobile, AL
LPD-31 Pittsburgh
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
DDG-132 Quentin Walsh
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Bath, ME
LPD-29 Richard M. McCool
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock
- Status: Christened June 2022
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
ESB-7 Robert E. Simanek
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: ESB-class (Expeditionary Sea Base)
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: San Diego, CA
DDG-133 Sam Nunn
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
DDG-128 Ted Stevens
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Pascagoula, MS
SSN-801 Utah
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Class: Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine
- Status: Under Construction
- Construction location: Groton, CT
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