These Groundbreaking US Navy Vessels Are Changing Maritime Strategy

24/7 Wall St. Insights

The newest ships and submarines entering the U.S. Navy include Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, Virginia-class nuclear submarines, and Ford-class aircraft carriers (among others).
Because the U.S. is such a large naval power, innovating and developing groundbreaking ships is a must to remain competitive and strategic.
Constructing new naval vessels takes years, so some of these ships have been in development for longer than you can imagine!
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When it comes to social, political, and even economic progress, adaptability is important. Without adaptation, growth cannot occur. This is why the U.S. Navy places such a heavy importance on developing novel, advanced, and technologically sound maritime vessels: to adapt to changing military needs. Recently, the Navy has been growing its long-range capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. This includes deploying ships like aircraft carriers or guided missile destroyers that support aircraft equipped with advanced long-range air-to-air missiles like the AIM-174B. Through this deployment, the United States hopes to balance the power differential between itself and China, another global power. (Here are the biggest American aircraft carriers in service, ranked.)

Building new naval vessels is certainly not an easy process. In fact, construction times for upcoming ships and submarines can take years upon years, subject to designing and building and trials before it will ever be deployed for naval use. This is to ensure that the vessels work how they should and can adequately contribute to maritime power. Given that the United States has the third largest navy in the world, having enough ships – and ships that establish maritime dominance – is crucial. (Check out the 20 strongest navies on Earth, compared.)

Among the newest vessels to enter the U.S. Navy are the Ford-class of aircraft carriers. These giants are known as the next generation “supercarrier.” 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.

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.

Take a look at the U.S. Navy vessels of the future that could change maritime strategy and power:

Why We’re Covering This

The U.S. Navy is constantly changing to keep up with military and maritime needs. Ships and submarines currently in the U.S. Navy fleet are significantly technologically advanced from those of the past. Understanding what ship classes the Navy is prioritizing in the future provides a better idea of how naval power may be used, or what the Navy seems to think is necessary in the face of possible global conflicts.