United States 7th Fleet
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The United States 7th Fleet is a naval military unit based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near South Korea and Japan. It is subordinate to Commander, Pacific Fleet. At present it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with 50–60 ships, 350 aircraft and 60,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel. With the support of its Task Force Commanders, it has three major assignments:
- Joint Task Force command in a natural disaster or joint military operation,
- Operational command of all naval forces in the region, and
- Defense of the Korean Peninsula.
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[edit] History
The 7th Fleet was formed on March 15, 1943 in Brisbane, Australia, during World War II. It served in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) under General Douglas MacArthur, and the 7th Fleet commander also served as commander of Allied naval forces in the SWPA.
Most of the ships of the Royal Australian Navy were also part of the fleet during 1943–45. The 7th Fleet formed a large part of the Allied forces at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944, which is often said to have been the largest naval battle in history. After the end of the war, the 7th Fleet relocated to Japan.
The fleet also participated in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and afterwards conducted operations near North Vietnam. Following this, its next major combat action was in the Persian Gulf War, wherein it was placed under the command of NAVCENT (Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command). After the war ended, it was returned to the Pacific Fleet.
Following the end of the Cold War, the two major military scenarios in which the 7th Fleet would be used would be in case of conflict in Korea or a conflict between The People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Taiwan Straits.
[edit] Operations
Of the 50–60 ships typically assigned to Seventh Fleet, 18 operate from U.S. facilities in Japan and Guam. These forward-deployed units represent the heart of Seventh Fleet. The 18 permanently forward-deployed ships of the US 7th Fleet are the centerpieces of American forward presence in Asia. They are 17 steaming days closer to locations in Asia than their counterparts based in the continental United States. It would take three to five times the number of rotationally-based ships in the United States to equal the same presence and crisis response capability as these 18 forward deployed ships. On any given day, about 50 percent of Seventh Fleet forces are deployed at sea throughout the area of responsibility. The Seventh Fleet Command Ship is the USS Blue Ridge, forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. In 2004, Blue Ridge entered dry dock and command responsibility was transferred temporarily to USS Coronado (AGF-11). Blue Ridge returned to duty 27 September 2004.
[edit] Fleet Organization
For operational and administrative purposes the United States Seventh Fleet, as with other numbered fleets, is organized into several specialized task forces.
- Task Force 70 — TF 70 the Battle Force of 7th Fleet and is actually made up of two distinct components: Surface Combatant Force 7th Fleet, composed of cruisers and destroyers, and Carrier Strike Force 7th Fleet, made up of at least one aircraft carrier and its embarked air wing. The Battle Force is currently centered around the carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5).
- Task Force 71 — TF 71 includes all Naval Special Warfare (NSW) units and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units (EODMU) assigned to 7th Fleet. It is based in Guam.
- Task Force 72 — TF 72 is the Patrol-Reconnaissance Force of the Seventh Fleet. It is mainly composed of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft and maritime airborne surveillance platforms such as P-3 Orion and EP-3 reconnaissance planes operating on land bases.
- Task Force 73 — 7th Fleet's Logistics Force composed of supply ships and other fleet support vessels.
- Task Force 74 — Fleet Submarine Force responsible for planning and coordinating submarine operations within 7th Fleet's area of operations.
- Task Force 75 — Designation of the Surface Combatant Force assigned to Seventh Fleet responsible for the cruisers and destroyers that are not assigned as escorts to aircraft carriers.
- Task Force 76 — Amphibious Assault task force mainly responsible for supporting Marine landing operations. It is composed of units capable of delivering ship-to-shore assault troops, such as Tarawa-class and Wasp-class amphibious assault ships, and landing craft.
- Task Force 77 — 7th Fleet Mine Warfare Force composed of mine countermeasure, mine hunter, and mine control ships as well as mine countermeasure helicopters (MH-53). This task force is only activated during specific combat operations and is filled by the Commander of Mine Warfare Command.
- Task Force 79 — The Marine expeditionary unit or Landing Force assigned to the fleet, consisting of at least a reinforced Marine battalion and its equipment. This unit is separate from the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) normally embarked in USS ESSEX Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG). Marine units serving in 7th Fleet are normally drawn from III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) based in Okinawa, Japan.
[edit] Forward-deployed 7th Fleet ships
[edit] U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan
- USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)
- USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19)
- USS Cowpens (CG 63)
- USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54)
- USS John S. McCain (DDG 56)
- USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62)
- USS Stethem (DDG 63)
- USS Lassen (DDG 82)
- USS Mustin (DDG-89)
- USS Shiloh (CG-67)
- USS Gary (FFG-51)
[edit] U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan
- USS Essex (LHD 2)
- USS Juneau (LPD 10)
- USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49)
- USS Tortuga (LSD 46)
- USS Guardian (MCM 5)
- USS Patriot (MCM 7)
- USS Safeguard (ARS 50)
[edit] Guam
- USS Frank Cable (AS 40)
- USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705)
- USS Houston (SSN 713)
[edit] Fleet Commanders
| • Vice Adm. Arthur S. Carpenter | (15 Mar. 1943 – 26 Nov. 1943) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Thomas C. Kinkaid | (26 Nov. 1943 – 20 Nov. 1945) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Daniel E. Barbey | (20 Nov. 1945 – 2 Oct. 1946) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Charles M. Cooke | (2 Oct. 1946 – 28 Feb. 1948) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Oscar. C. Badger | (28 Feb. 1948 – 28 Aug. 1949) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Russell S. Berkey | (28 Aug. 1949 – 5 April 1950) | ||
| • Rear Adm. Walter. F. Boone | (5 April 1950 – 20 May 1950) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Arthur D. Struble | (20 May 1950 – 28 Mar. 1951) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Harold. M. Martin | (28 Mar. 1951 – 3 Mar. 1952) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Robert. P. Briscoe | (3 Mar. 1952 – 20 May 1952) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Joseph. J. Clark | (20 May 1952 – 1 Dec. 1953) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Alfred M. Pride | (1 Dec. 1953 – 9 Dec. 1955) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Stuart H. Ingersoll | (19 Dec. 1955 – 28 Jan. 1957) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Wallace M. Beakley | (28 Jan. 1957 – 30 Sept. 1958) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Frederick N. Kivette | (30 Sept. 1958 – 7 Mar. 1960) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Charles D. Griffin | (7 Mar. 1960 – 28 Oct. 1961) | ||
| • Vice Adm. William A. Schoech | (28 Oct 1961 – 13 Oct. 1962) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Thomas H. Moorer | (13 Oct. 1962 – 15 June 1964) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Roy L. Johnson | (15 June 1964 – 1 Mar. 1965) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Paul P. Blackburn | (1 Mar. 1965 – 9 Oct. 1965) | ||
| • Rear Adm. Joseph W. Williams, Jr. | (9 Oct. 1965 – 13 Dec. 1965) | ||
| • Vice Adm. John J. Hyland | (13 Dec. 1965 – 6 Nov. 1967) | ||
| • Vice Adm. William F. Bringle | (6 Nov. 1967 – 10 Mar. 1970) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Maurice F. Weisner | (10 Mar. 1970 – 18 June 1971) | ||
| • Vice Adm. William P. Mack | (18 June 1971 – 23 May 1972) | ||
| • Vice Adm. James L. Holloway III | (23 May 1972 – 28 July 1973) | ||
| • Vice Adm. George P. Steele | (28 July 1973 – 14 June 1975) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Thomas B. Hayward | (14 June 1975 – 24 July 1976) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Robert B. Baldwin | (24 July 1976 – 31 May 1978) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Sylvester Robert Foley, Jr. | (31 May 1978 – 14 Feb. 1980) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Carlisle A.H. Trost | (14 Feb. 1980 – 15 Sept. 1981) | ||
| • Vice Adm. M. Staser Holcomb | (15 Sept. 1981 – 9 May 1983) | ||
| • Vice Adm. James R. Hogg | (9 May 1983 – 4 March 1985) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Paul F. McCarthy, Jr. | (4 March 1985 – 9 Dec. 1986) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Paul D. Miller | (9 Dec. 1986 – 21 Oct. 1988) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Henry H. Mauz, Jr. | (21 Oct. 1988 – 1 Dec. 1990) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Stanley R. Arthur | (1 Dec. 1990 – 3 July 1992) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Timothy W. Wright | (3 July 1992 – 28 July 1994) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Archie R. Clemins | (28 July 1994 – 13 Sept. 1996) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Robert J. Natter | (13 Sept. 1996 – 12 Aug. 1998) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Walter F. Doran | (12 Aug. 1998 – 12 July 2000) | ||
| • Vice Adm. James W. Metzger | (12 July 2000 – 18 July 2002) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Robert F. Willard | (18 July 2002 – 6 Aug. 2004) | ||
| • Vice Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert | (6 Aug. 2004 – 12 September 2006) | ||
| • Vice Adm. William Douglas Crowder | (12 Sep. 2006 – Present) |
