It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement , at 4. With , personnel on active duty and , in the Ready Reserve , the U. Navy is the third largest of the United States military service branches in terms of personnel.
It has deployable combat vessels and about 4, operational aircraft as of July 18, Navy is one of six armed forces of the United States and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy , which was established during the American Revolutionary War and was effectively disbanded as a separate entity shortly thereafter.
After suffering significant loss of goods and personnel at the hands of the Barbary pirates from Algiers , the United States Congress passed the Naval Act of for the construction of six heavy frigates , the first ships of the Navy. The modern United States Navy maintains a sizable global presence, deploying in strength in such areas as the Western Pacific , the Mediterranean , and the Indian Ocean.
It is a blue-water navy with the ability to project force onto the littoral regions of the world, engage in forward deployments during peacetime and rapidly respond to regional crises, making it a frequent actor in American foreign and military policy.
The Department of the Navy is headed by the civilian secretary of the Navy. The Department of the Navy is itself a military department of the Department of Defense, which is headed by the secretary of defense. To recruit, train, equip, and organize to deliver combat ready Naval forces to win conflicts and wars while maintaining security and deterrence through sustained forward presence.
