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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1917-

This tabulation was compiled from such sources as the Navy Directory (issued at varying intervals to 1941); the Annual Reports of the Secretary of the Navy (issued annually to 1931); Comptroller of the Navy (NAVCOMPT) compilations; Department of the Navy (DON) 5-Year Program, Ships & Aircraft Supplemental Data Tables (SASDT); and records and compilations of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OP-802K, now N804J1D) Ship Management Information System (now Ship Management System), refined and edited with the assistance of the annual Naval Vessel Register.

For consistent historical comparison, Naval Reserve Force (NRF) and Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force (NFAF) ships, and Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet support ships, are included in current and recent active totals. Figures, and conclusions drawn from them, would, otherwise, be historically inconsistent, and comparisons would be skewed.

From 1963 through 1974, former guided-missile frigates (DLG/DLGN) are counted under the categories (cruisers, destroyers) to which they were assigned on 30 June 1975: DLG 6 class Became DDG 37 class; DLG 16 class became CG 16 class; DLG 26 class became CG 26 class; DLGN 25, 35, 36 classes became CGN 25, 35, 36 classes .

TABLES:

1917-1923 | 1924-1930 | 1931-1937 | 1938-1944 | 1945-1951 | 1951-1957 |
1958-1964 | 1965-1971 | 1972-1978 | 1979-1985 | 1986-1992 | 1993-1999 | 2000-present

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1917-1923

Type 4/6/17 11/11/18 7/1/19 7/1/20 7/1/21 7/1/22 7/1/23
Battleships 37 39 36 26 22 19 18
Monitors, Coastal 7 7 5 1 2@ - -
Carriers, Fleet - - - - - - -
Carriers, Escort - - - - - - -
Cruisers 33 31 28 27 10 12 13
Destroyers 66 110 161 189 68 (208rc ) 103 103
Frigates 17 17 - - - - -
Submarines 44 80 91 58 69 (11rc) 82 (7rc) 69 (5rc)
SSBNs* - - - - - - -
Command Ships - - - - - - -
Mine Warfare - 53 62 48 50 (8rc) 36 38
Patrol 42 350 65 45 59 (1rc) 43 41
Amphibious - - - - - - -
Auxiliary 96 87 304 173 104 83 82
Surface Warships 160 204 230 243 102 134 134
Total Active 342 774 752 567 384 (228rc) 379 (7rc) 365 (5rc)

Events:

U.S. enters WWI 6 April 1917
Bolshevik Revolution begins 28 October (Old Style) 1917
WWI ends 11 November 1918
Washington Treaty in force 17 August 1923.

Notes:

@ = The last Coast Defense Monitor went out of commission in 1921.
* = Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine (nuclear powered).
rc = Reduced Commission: not included in "active" total.
The drop in ship numbers evident from 1920-21 is a post-WWI readjustment to a peacetime strength, with limited budgets and naval arms limitation.

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U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1924-1930

Type 7/1/24 7/1/25 7/1/26 7/1/27 7/1/28 7/1/29 7/1/30
Battleships 18 18 15(3rc) 15(3rc) 16(2rc) 16(2rc) 16(2rc)
Carriers, Fleet 1 1 1 1 3 3 3
Carriers, Escort - - - - - - -
Cruisers 16 18 18 16 16 16 20
Destroyers 103 105 106 106 106 103 103
Frigates - - - - - - -
Submarines 77(3rc) 76(3rc) 80 77 77 80 81
SSBNs - - - - - - -
Command Ships - - - - - - -
Mine Warfare 39 40 39 40 40 37 36
Patrol 37 37 37 32 33 32 29
Amphibious - - - - - - -
Auxiliary 84 73 71 69 68 68 68
Rigid Airships 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Total Active 376 (3rc) 370 (3rc) 368 (3rc) 357 (3rc) 360 (2rc) 356 (2rc) 357 (3rc)
Surface Warships 137 141 139 137 138 135 139

Events:
Battleship modernization program in effect 1926-1934. London Treaty in force 31 December 1930.

Notes:
rc= Reduced Commission: not included in "active" total.

RETURN TO INDEX


U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1931-1937

Type 7/1/31 7/1/32 7/1/33 7/1/34 4/1/35* 7/1/36 9/1/37*
Battleships 12(3rc) 11(4rc) 11(4rc) 14(1rc) 15 15 15
Carriers, Fleet 3 3 3 4 4 4 3@
Carriers, Escort - - - - - - -
Cruisers 20 19 20 24 25 26 27
Destroyers 87^ 102 101 102^^ 104 106 111
Frigates - - - - - - -
Submarines 56 55 55 54 52 49 52
SSBNs - - - - - - -
Command Ships - - - - - - -
Mine Warfare 33 33 26 26 26 26 30
Patrol 27(1rc) 24 26 24 23 23 22
Amphibious - - - - - - -
Auxiliary 69 65 68 71 71 73 75
Rigid Airships 1 1 1 1 - - -
Surface Warships 119# 132 132 140 144 147 153
Total Active 308 (4rc) 313 (4rc) 311 (4rc) 320 (1rc) 320 322 335

Events:
Japan enters Manchuria 18 September 1931. Hitler to power 30 January 1933. Failure of the International Economic Conference to stabilize world currencies in July 1933 leads to growing instability. Vinson-Trammell Act, 27 March 1934, authorizes--though it does not fund--Navy construction to Treaty strength. Japan renounces Washington Treaty 29 December 1934, effective 31 December 1936. Germany renounces disarmament clauses of the Treaty of Versailles 16 March 1935. Spanish Civil War begins 18 July 1936. Japan begins large-scale military operations in China 7 July 1937.

Notes:
* Data for 1 July not available.
@ = CV-1 to AV-1 (auxiliary).
^ = London Treaty exchange of new DD for older types allowed.
^^ = New DD begin to appear.
# = Post-1921 low.
rc = Reduced Commission: not included in "active" total.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1938-1944

Type 6/30/38 6/30/39 6/30/40 12/7/41 12/31/42 12/31/43 12/31/44
Battleships 15 15 15 17 19 21 23
Carriers, Fleet 5 5 6 7 4 19 25
Carriers, Escort - - - 1 12 35 65
Cruisers 32 36 37 37 39 48 61
Destroyers 112 127 185 171 224 332 367
Frigates - - - - - 234 376
Submarines 54 58 64 112 133 172 230
SSBNs - - - - - - -
Command Ships - - - - - - -
Mine Warfare 27 29 36 135 323 551 614
Patrol 34 20 19 100 515 1050 1183
Amphibious - - - - 121 673 2147
Auxiliary 101 104 116 210 392 564 993
Surface Warships 159 178 237 225 282 635 827
Total Active 380 394 478 790 1782 3699 6084

Events:
WWII begins in Europe when Germany and the USSR invade Poland September 1939.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1945-1950

Type 8/14/45* 6/30/46 6/30/47 6/30/48 6/30/49 6/30/50
Battleships 23 10 4 2 1 1
Carriers, Fleet 28 15 14 13 11 11
Carriers, Escort 71 10 8 7 7 4
Cruisers 72 36 32 32 18 13
Destroyers 377 145 138 134 143 137
Frigates 361 35 24 12 12 10
Submarines 232 85 80 74 79 72
SSBNs - - - - - -
Command Ships - - - - - -
Mine Warfare 586 112 55 54 52 56
Patrol 1204 119 74 50 50 33
Amphibious 2547 275 107 86 60 79
Auxiliary 1267 406 306 273 257 218
Surface Warships 833 226 198 180 174 161
Total Active 6768 1248 842 737 690 634

Events:
WWII in Europe ends 8 May 1945. V-J Day 14 August 1945 (15 August in western Pacific). Pacific War formally ends 2 September 1945. U.S.-USSR relations deteriorate 1945-1950. Chinese Civil War won by communists 1949. Korean War begins 25 June 1950.

Notes:
* = V-J Day.
The increase in fleet size after 1950 is due to the mobilization, begun after North Korea invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1951-1957

Type 6/30/51 6/30/52 6/30/53 6/30/54 6/30/55 6/30/56 6/30/57
Battleships 3 4 4 4 3 3 2
Carriers, Fleet 17 19 19 20 21 22 22
Carriers, Escort 9 10 0 7 3 2 -
Cruisers 15 19 19 18 17 16 16
Destroyers 206 243 247 247 249 250 253
Frigates 38 56 56 57 64 70 84
Submarines 83 104 108 108 108 108 113
SSG/SSBNs 1 1 2 2 1 2 2
Command Ships - - - - - 1 1
Mine Warfare 91 114 121 117 112 113 104
Patrol 40 29 23 22 15 11 12
Amphibious 208 189 226 223 175 139 134
Auxiliary 269 309 287 288 262 236 224
Surface Warships 262 322 326 326 333 339 355
Total Active 980 1097 1122 1113 1030 973 967

Events:
Korean War Armistice signed 1953. Taiwan Straits patrol begins 1955.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1958-1964

Type 6/30/58 6/30/59 6/30/60 6/30/61 6/30/62 6/30/63 6/30/64
Battleships - - - - - - -
Carriers 24 23 23 24 26 24 24
Cruisers 15 12 13 12 13 18 24
Destroyers 245 237 226 223 240 222 215
Frigates 71 61 41 41 68 40 40
Submarines 109 109 106 105 104 102 102
SSG/SSBNs 2 4 7 10 14 17 23
Command Ships 1 1 1 1 1 2 2
Mine Warfare 77 82 81 83 84 84 84
Patrol 12 6 4 4 2 - -
Amphibious 121 120 113 110 130 132 133
Auxiliary 213 205 197 206 218 216 212
Surface Warships 331 310 280 276 321 280 279
Total Active 890 860 812 819 900 857 859

Events:
Lebanon landings 1958. Cuban quarantine October-December 1962. Tonkin Gulf incident 1964.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1965-1971

Type 6/30/65 6/30/66 6/30/67 6/30/68 6/30/69 6/30/70 6/30/71
Battleships - - - 1 1 - -
Carriers 25 23 23 23 22 19 19
Cruisers 27 29 35 35 34 31 30
Destroyers 221 217 216 219 201 155 152
Frigates 39 42 46 50 43 47 61
Submarines 104 104 105 105 100 103 100
SSG/SSBNs 30 37 41 41 41 41 41
Command Ships 2 2 2 2 2 - -
Mine Warfare 84 84 83 84 74 64 59
Patrol - - 3 6 7 15 17
Amphibious 135 159 162 157 153 97 95
Auxiliary 213 212 216 210 207 171 177
Surface Warships 287 288 296 304* 279 249 262
Total Active 880 909 931 932 885 743 752

Events:
Carrier strikes on North Vietnam and Market Time Operations begin 1965. Sea Dragon amphibious operations 1966-1968.

Notes:
* = Vietnam era high.
Notes: The dramatic fall in ship numbers after 1968-1969 is due to the decision to limit the use of American military force in Vietnam and the decommissioning of many WWII-era ships.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1972-1978

Type 6/30/72 6/30/73 6/30/74 6/30/75 6/30/76 6/30/77 9/30/78 ^
Battleships - - - - - - -
Carriers 17 16 14 15 13 13 13
Cruisers 27 29 28 27 26 26 28
Destroyers 132 139 119 102 99 92 95
Frigates 66 71 64 64 64 64 65
Submarines 94 84 73 75 74 77 81
SSBNs 41 41 41 41 41 41 41
Command Ships - - - - - - -
Mine Warfare 31 34 34 34 25 25 25
Patrol 16 14 14 14 13 6 3
Amphibious 77 65 65 64 65 65 67
Auxiliary 153 148 135 123 116 114 113
Surface Warships 225 239 211 193 189 182* 188
Total Active 654 641 587 559 536 523 531

Events:
Last U.S. forces withdraw from South Vietnam following the ceasefire 1973. South Vietnam falls to North Vietnamese communists 1975.

Notes:
^ = Beginning with FY 78, the fiscal year runs 1 October through 30 September.
* = Post-Vietnam low for surface warships.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1979-1985

Type 9/30/79 9/30/80 9/30/81 9/30/82 9/30/83 9/30/84 9/30/85
Battleships - - - - 1 2 2
Carriers 13 13 12 13 13 13 13
Cruisers 28 26 27 27 28 29 30
Destroyers 97 94 91 89 71 69 69
Frigates 65 71 78 86 95 103 110
Submarines 80 82 87 96 98 98 100
SSBNs 41 40 34 33 34 35 37
Command Ships - 3 4 4 4 4 4
Mine Warfare 25 25 25 25 21 21 21
Patrol 3 3 1 4 6 6 6
Amphibious 67 63 61 61 59 57 58
Auxiliary 114 110 101 117 103 120 121
Surface Warships 190 191 196 202 195 203 211
Total Active 533 530 521* 555 533 557 571

Events:
Grenada operation 1983. Attempted peacekeeping in Lebanon 1983.

Notes:
* = Post-Vietnam War low (total active ships).

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1986-1992

Type 9/30/86 9/30/87 9/30/88 9/30/89 9/30/90 9/30/91 9/30/92
Battleships 3 3 3 4 4 1 -
Carriers 14 14 14 14 13 15 14
Cruisers 32 36 38 40 43 47 49
Destroyers 69 69 69 68 57 47 40
Frigates 113 115 107 100 99 93 67
Submarines 101 102 100 99 93 87 85
SSBNs 39 37 37 36 33 34 30
Command Ships 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Mine Warfare 21 22 22 23 22 22 16
Patrol 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Amphibious 58 59 59 61 59 61 58
Auxiliary 23 127 114 137 137 112 102
Surface Warships 217 223^ 217 212 203 188 156
Total Active 583 594* 573 592 570 529 471

Events:
Fall of the Berlin Wall and many East European communist governments, 1989-1990. Gulf mobilization and war, 1990-1991. Dissolution of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War, 1991.

Notes:
^= 1980s high for surface warships.
* = 1980s high for total active ships.
Notes: A rapid decline in force level is evident after the anticommunist revolutions in Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union, 1989-1991.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 1993-1999

Type 9/30/93 9/30/94 9/30/95 9/30/96 9/30/97 9/30/98 8/17/99
Battleships - - - - - - -
Carriers 13 12 12 12 12 12 12
Cruisers 52 35 32 31 30 29 27
Destroyers 37 41 47 51 56 50 52
Frigates 59 51 49 43 42 38 37
Submarines 88 88 83 79 73 65 58
SSBNs 22 18 16 17 18 18 18
Command Ships 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Mine Warfare 15 16 18 20 24 26 29
Patrol 2 7 12 13 13 13 13
Amphibious 52 38 39 40 41 40 40
Auxiliary 110 94 80 67 52 62 62
Surface Warships 148 127 128 125 128 117* 116*
Total Active 454 404 392 377 365 357^ 352^

Notes:
* = Low since 1931.
^ = Low since 1938.

RETURN TO INDEX

U.S. Navy Active Ship Force Levels, 2000 to the present

Dates 9/1/00 11/16/01
Battleships - -
Carriers 12 12
Cruisers 27 27
Destroyers 54 54
Frigates 35 35
Submarines 56 54
SSBNs 18 18
Mine Warfare 27 27
Patrol 13 13
Amphibious 39 39
Auxiliary 60 58
Surface Warships 116 116
Total Active 341 337
Events

 

To clarify the ship numbers included in this table, the year 2000 entries include active commissioned ships, those in the Naval Reserve Force (NRF) and ships operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC).  Row entries are self-explanatory, with the auxiliary category including combat logistic ships (such as oilers, ammunition, combat store ships), mobile logistics ships (such as submarine tenders) and support ships (such as command, salvage, tugs and research ships).  Command ships have been subsumed into that category and the separate line entry removed. 

23 January 2002