The U.S. Navy currently boasts upwards of 400 vessels in its fleet, each with unique operational roles to play. Some of the hallmarks of the fleet are the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers which were introduced more than half a century ago. As such, the U.S. Navy has plans to update its fleet with a new line of aircraft carriers to replace the aging Nimitz-class. Along with these, there are a series of other ships and submarines that are just now entering the service for the U.S. Navy. (This is the Navy’s hidden arsenal: submarines and underwater military tech of today.)
To determine the U.S. Navy’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 — 30 in total — that have been commissioned in the service of the U.S. Navy for five years or less and ranked them by age. It should be noted that this list is current as of February 2024.
For the U.S. Navy, 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 entered service in 2017. Going forward, the Navy is planning to replace the Nimitz carriers on a one-for-one basis for Ford-class carriers as they slowly age out.
As it stands now, the U.S. Navy is namely composed of destroyers which account for roughly 30% of its naval fleet. Submarines come in a close second in terms of allocation, making up about a quarter of the fleet. 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. (These are the 19 warships and submarines of the U.S. Navy.)
Here is a look at the 30 newest ships to enter the U.S. Navy:
30. USS Billings (LCS-15)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: August 3, 2019
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Freedom-class
29. USS Cincinnati (LCS-20)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: October 5, 2019
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Independence-class
28. USS Indianapolis (LCS-17)
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Commission date: October 26, 2019
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Freedom-class
27. USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB-4)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: March 7, 2020
- Unit type: Expeditionary mobile base
- Class: Lewis B. Puller-class
26. USS Delaware (SSN-791)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: April 4, 2020
- Unit type: Attack submarine
- Class: Virginia-class
25. USS Vermont (SSN-792)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: April 18, 2020
- Unit type: Attack submarine
- Class: Virginia-class
24. USS Kansas City (LCS-22)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: June 20, 2020
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Independence-class
23. USS Tripoli (LHA-7)
Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Commission date: July 15, 2020
- Unit type: Amphibious assault ship
- Class: America-class
22. USS St. Louis (LCS-19)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: August 8, 2020
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Freedom-class
21. USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: September 26, 2020
- Unit type: Destroyer
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class
20. USS Oakland (LCS-24)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: April 17, 2021
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Independence-class
19. USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: May 8, 2021
- Unit type: Expeditionary mobile base
- Class: Lewis B. Puller-class
18. USS Mobile (LCS-26)
Source: hyku / Flickr
- Commission date: May 22, 2021
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Independence-class
17. USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: December 8, 2021
- Unit type: Destroyer
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class
16. USS Savannah (LCS-28)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: February 5, 2022
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Independence-class
15. USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: May 14, 2022
- Unit type: Destroyer
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class
14. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: May 21, 2022
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Freedom-class
13. USS Oregon (SSN-793)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: May 28, 2022
- Unit type: Attack submarine
- Class: Virginia-class
12. USS Montana (SSN-794)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: June 25, 2022
- Unit type: Attack submarine
- Class: Virginia-class
11. USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: July 30, 2022
- Unit type: Amphibious transport dock
- Class: San Antonio-class
10. USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: April 1, 2023
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Independence-class
9. USS Cooperstown (LCS-23)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: May 6, 2023
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Freedom-class
8. USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: May 13, 2023
- Unit type: Destroyer
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class
7. USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: June 24, 2023
- Unit type: Destroyer
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class
6. USS Canberra (LCS-30)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: July 22, 2023
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Independence-class
5. USS Marinette (LCS-25)
Source: Lockheed Martin / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: September 16, 2023
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Freedom-class
4. USS Augusta (LCS-34)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: September 30, 2023
- Unit type: Littoral combat ship
- Class: Independence-class
3. USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125)
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Commission date: October 7, 2023
- Unit type: Destroyer
- Class: Arleigh Burke-class
2. USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795)
Source: ooocha / Flickr
- Commission date: October 14, 2023
- Unit type: Attack submarine
- Class: Virginia-class
1. USS John L. Canley (ESB-6)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Commission date: February 17, 2024
- Unit type: Expeditionary mobile base
- Class: Lewis B. Puller-class
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