U.S. Navy - Pacific Fleet - Ships by Class

Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Surface Ships by Class

USS ARDENT

Ardent: fervent, passionate or intensely devoted

The name Ardent has a rich history in the US Navy with the current USS Ardent being the third ship bearing that name.

USS Avenger

Avenger: inflicts punishment or penalty for wrongs committed

The name Avenger has a rich history in the US Navy with the current USS Avenger being the third ship bearing that name.

USS CHAMPION

Champion: Second to none

The USS Champion lives up to her name as she fulfils her duty to keep the sea lanes free by locating and detonating underwater mines.

USS CHIEF

Chief: visible leader who sets the tone

Named to honor the service and tradition of the Chief Petty Officer's of the United States Navy.

USS Defender

Defender: keep safe from danger, attack, or harm

She is the first ship in the history of the U.S. Navy to carry the namesake.

USS DEVASTATOR

Devastator: one who destroys or lays waste

This is the second ship in the U.S. Navy to bear the name.

USS DEXTROUS

Dextrous: skillful or expert

She is the 13th Avenger class Mine Countermeasures Ship and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name.

USS GLADIATOR (MCM 11)

Gladiator: one who engages in any kind of spirited contest

Named for the ancient gladiators in Rome who fought with great skill and competed using various weapons of war.

USS Patriot

Patriot: Named for the patriots of the United Stated of America

It was and is one of finest names an American citizen can be called and reflects the patriotism that formed and has maintained the great country the USS patriot serves.

USS Pioneer

Pioneer: Spirit that helped build the United States of America

A U.S. Navy warship built to keep America’s enduring objective of uninterrupted access to the world’s strategic waterways.

USS SCOUT

Scout: A person or vessel that probes, explores or can “scout out” dangers and opportunities

The USS Scout (MCM 8) exemplifies the noble qualities of a vessel and crew that can scout ahead, identify and remove dangers from the sea lanes and provide a forward presence for the U.S. Navy.

USS Sentry

Sentry: Named in honor of the sailor who stands the watch

Standing the watch is a longstanding tradition of the Navy and the USS Sentry is standing the watch for the U.S.A.

USS WARRIOR

Warrior: brave or experienced soldiers or fighters

The USS Warrior defends the sea lanes and is ready to fight to keep the U.S. and our allies free. MCM 10 is proud to be the first U.S. Navy ship to bear that name.

Mine Countermeasure Ships - MCMs are fiberglass sheathed, wooden hull ships that find, classify, and destroy mines in vital waterways.

MCMs

PCU Coronado

Named after the city of Coronado, California

The Coronado (LCS 4) is the second Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to feature an innovative, proven trimaran hull.

PCU Milwaukee (LCS 5)

Named for the city of Milwaukee, WI

She will be the fifth ship to be named for the city of Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin.

USS Fort Worth

Named for Fort Worth, Texas

She is the first naval warship to be named Fort Worth.

USS Freedom

The name FREEDOM honors and acknowledges the enduring foundation of our nation

She is the third vessel of the United States Navy to be so named for the concept of freedom.

USS Independence

Named for the self-governing spirit of our nation

This is the seventh U.S. Navy ship to be named Independence.

Littoral Combat Ships - LCSs are fast, agile, networked surface combatants designed to operate in the near-shore environment, while capable of open-ocean operations.

LCSs

USS Crommelin

Named for three Crommelin brothers

The three brothers were Naval Academy graduates and gained fame in World War II, attaining outstanding combat records and multiple decorations.

USS Ford

Named for Gunners Mate Second Class Ford

As a result of his fearless devotion to duty, he saved the lives of two of his shipmates. In recognition of his bravery, the US NAVY posthumously awarded GMG2 Ford the Navy Cross.

USS Gary

Named for Commander Donald Arthur Gary

Lt(JG) Gary distinguished himself as he helped hundreds of trapped men to escape from below decks, organized and led fire-fighting parties and directed the restoration of power in one boiler room. For his heroism on that occasion, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

USS Ingraham

Named in honor of Captain Duncan Ingraham

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Ingraham was appointed Midshipman in the United States Navy on 18 June 1812 at the age of 10.

USS McClusky

Named for Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, USN

As an aviation hero of World War II and Chief of Staff for Seventh Fleet operations during the Korean War, his diversified leadership and administrative skills afforded him, duties vital to the safekeeping of our nation.

USS Rentz

Named for Chaplain George Snavely Rentz

Chaplain Rentz, in the wreckage of the USS Houston, removed his jacket handed it to a seaman and said a quick prayer and swam away from the group. This selfless act of heroism resulted in him being the only Navy chaplain to be awarded the Navy Cross.

USS Reuben James

Named for Boatswain's Mate Rueben James

Wounded three times during his wartime service, Boatswain's Mate James was compelled to to retire in 1836 because of declining health and the loss of one leg. He died on December 3, 1838 at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Washington, DC.

USS Rodney M Davis

Named for Sergeant Rodney M. Davis

He saved his fellow Marines in a selfless act during battle and thus earned the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.

USS Thach

Named for Admiral John Smith Thach

Admiral Thach was Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe, from March 1965 until shortly before his retirement in May 1967.

USS VANDEGRIFT

Named for General Alexander Archer Vandegrift

General Alexander Archer Vandegrift, earned the Medal of Honor in World War II and served as the eighteenth Commandant of the Marine Corps, from January 1, 1944 to January 1, 1948.

Frigates - FFGs are tough warships providing short range anti-air and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

FFGs

PCU Zumwalt

Named in honor of Admiral Zumwalt

Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations.

USS BENFOLD (DDG 65)

Named in honor of Hospitalman 3rd class Edward Clyde Benfold

USS BENFOLD DDG65 is the 15th Arleigh Burke-class Guided Missile Destroyer in the United States Navy. She joined the Pacific Fleet on 30 March 1996 when she was commisioned for duty.

USS Chafee

Named after John Lester Hubbard Chafee

Though the current USS Chafee was named for John Lester Hubbard Chafee, the first USS Chafee (DE 230) was named after ENS Davis Elliott Chafee.

USS Chung-Hoon

Named in honor of Rear Admiral Gordor Pai'ea Chung-Hoon

Rear Admiral Chung-Hoon is a recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of USS Sigsbee (DD 502) from May 1944 to October 1945.

USS Curtis Wilbur

Named for Curtis D. Wilbur, former Secretary of the Navy

Curtis D. Wilbur held the highest judicial position in the California Court System and later served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, he achieved his widest renown as Secretary of the Navy in the Administration of Calvin Coolidge.

USS Decatur

Named for Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur is most noted for his heroism during the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.

USS Dewey

Named for Admiral George Dewey

He is the only officer of the US Navy ever to hold the rank of Admiral of the Navy.

USS Fitzgerald

Named for Lieutenant William Charles Fitzgerald

In honor of Lieutenant William C. Fitzgerald's loyal and selfless dedication to his people, he was posthumously awarded the U. S. Navy's highest decoration for valor The Navy Cross.

USS Gridley

Named for Captain Charles Vernon Gridley

Captain Gridley commanded, Olympia, Admiral Dewey's famous flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay, 1 May, 1898.

USS Halsey

Named in honor of Fleet Admiral William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr.

On December 11, 1945, he took the oath as Fleet Admiral becoming the fourth and last officer to hold the rank.

USS Higgins

Named for Colonel William R. Higgins, USMC

After being held captive by pro-Iranian terrorists in Lebanon, Col. Higgins was murdered. The exact date of death is uncertain; however, he was declared dead on Jul. 6, 1990. His remains were eventually recovered and interred at Quantico National Cemetery Dec. 30, 1991.

USS Hopper (DDG 70)

Named for Rear Admiral "Amazing" Grace Hopper

Owing to the breadth of her accomplishments, as a pioneering computer scientist, and her naval rank, she is sometimes referred to as "Amazing Grace."

USS Howard

Named for Marine Corps First Sergeant Jimmie E. Howard

Staff Sergeant Howard and his platoon were operating as forward observers deep in enemy territory. Against overwhelming odds in the face of a determined and much larger force of Viet Cong, he and his men successfully defended their position.

USS John Paul Jones

Named in honor of Naval hero, John Paul Jones.

USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DDG 53) honors the Father of the American Navy.

USS John S McCain

Named for two McCain's - John Sidney, Sr., and John Sidney, Jr.

The men who serve in USS JOHN S. MCCAIN can be absolutely certain of one thing. The spirits of "Sidney" and "Jack" McCain will always sail with you — on the lonely watches in the night, and in the din of battle. If you listen, you may even hear them.

USS Kidd (DDG 100)

Named for Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd

On Dec. 7, 1941, he was killed in action on board USS Arizona during Japanese Navy’s attack on Pearl Harbor.

USS Lassen

Named for Clyde Everett Lassen

Lieutenant Lassen, earned the Medal of Honor for his courageous rescue of two downed aviators while commander of a search and rescue helicopter in Vietnam.

USS McCampbell

Named for Captain David S. McCampbell

United States Navy’s all-time leading ace with 34 aerial victories during WWII.

USS Michael Murphy

Named for LT Michael Murphy

Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) Lt. Michael P. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan June 28, 2005.

USS Milius

Named in honor of Navy pilot Captain Paul L. Milius

Captain Milius was declared Missing In Action (MIA). On April 26, 1978, his status was revised to Presumed Killed In Action (PKIA). He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

USS MOMSEN (DDG 92)

Named for Vice Admiral Charles B. Momsen

In 1929-32 he was actively engaged in the development of a submarine escape breathing apparatus that came to be known as the Momsen Lung.

USS Mustin (DDG 89)

Named to honor the Mustin family

The Mustin’s legacy to the Navy service lasted from 1896 until 1989; nearly one century of naval history.

USS O'Kane

Named after the late Admiral Richard O'Kane

He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his exemplary service as commander on the USS Tang on March 27, 1947. Rear Admiral O'Kane's other military decorations include the Navy Cross with two Gold Stars, the Legion of Merit with Combat "V", the Purple Heart and the Prisoner of War Medal.

USS Paul Hamilton

Named for Paul Hamilton 3rd Secretary of the Navy

Three Navy destroyers have been named USS Paul Hamilton in his honor.

USS Pinckney

Named for Navy Cook First Class William Pinckney

Navy Cook First Class William Pinckney received the Navy Cross for his courageous rescue of a fellow crewmember onboard the USS Enterprise (CV 6) during the Battle of Santa Cruz.

USS Preble

Named after Commodore Edward Preble

Edward Preble was born at Falmouth, Maine and began his career at the age of sixteen when he ran away to sea on a privateer.

USS Russell

Named for two men, John Henry Russell and John Henry Russell Jr.

She is the second ship of the USN to carry the name Russell and is named for Rear Admiral John Henry Russell and his son, Commandant of the Marine Corps John Henry Russell, Jr..

USS Sampson

Named to honor William Thomas Sampson

On the morning of 3 July 1898, the Spanish fleet came out of the harbor of Santiago, Cuba, and was completely destroyed in a running sea battle lasting five hours.

USS Shoup

Named for General David M. Shoup, USMC

General David Monroe Shoup served as the twenty-second Commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1, 1960 until his retirement from active service, December 31, 1963.

USS Spruance

Named after Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance

Admiral Spruance commanded American naval forces at the Battles of Midway and the Philippine Sea. He was later Ambassador to the Philippines.

USS Sterett

Named after Lieutenant Andrew Sterett

Andrew Sterett left the U.S. Navy with a rich tradition of determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. His bravery, gallantry and heroism live on in the ships that bear his name.

USS Stethem

Named for Steelworker 2nd Class Robert Stethem

Steelworker Second Class (SW2) Robert Stethem was the United States Navy Seabee diver murdered in Beirut during the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 in 1985.

USS Stockdale

Named in honor of VADM James B. Stockdale

With 26 personal combat decorations, he was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the Navy.

USS Wayne E. Meyer

named to honor Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer

Rear Admiral Meyer is regarded as the "Father of Aegis" for his 13 years of service as the Aegis Weapon System Manager and later as the founding project manager of the Aegis Shipbuilding Project Office.

USS William P Lawrence

Named for Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, U. S. Navy

He was shot down over North Vietnam in June 1967 and held as a Prisoner of War until March 1973. He was awarded a Silver Star for the mission in which he was shot down.

Destroyers - DDGs provide multi-mission defensive and offensive capabilities; many have Ballistic Missile Defense systems.

DDGs

USS Antietam

Named for the Battle Of Antietam

In naming this cruiser ANTIETAM, the U. S. Navy commemorates a site along Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, at which a major Civil War battle was fought. ANTIETAM is the third American warship named in remembrance of this battle.

USS Bunker Hill

Named for the Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought 17 June, 1775 on Bunker Hill and adjacent Breed's Hill in Charlestown, Mass.

USS Cape St George

Named for a battle fought in the South Pacific off the island of New Ireland

During this early morning action, five destroyers of DESRON 23, the Little Beavers, sank three of five Japanese destroyers involved in the engagement, and severely damaged a fourth, without damage to any of Burke's ships. It was the last engagement of surface ships in the Solomon Islands campaign.

USS Chancellorsville

Named for the Battle of Chancellorsville

The Civil War battle of Chancellorsville led directly to Gettysburg and the turning point of the War.

USS Chosin

Namesake is the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the winter of 1950

CG 65 is the first U.S. NAVY warship named in commemoration of the First Marine Division’s breakout from a Chinese Communist encirclement at the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War in the bitter winter of 1950.

USS Cowpens

Named after the Revolutionary War Battle fought at an area called Cowpens

The victory at Cowpens was a turning point in the re-conquest of South Carolina from the British and gave the American Army the courage to successfully pursue the British from South Carolina to Yorktown.

USS Lake Champlain

Named for the Battle of Lake Champlain

Battle of Lake Champlain, also known as the Battle of Plattsburgh, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812.

USS Lake Erie

Named for the Battle of Lake Erie

The battle was over in only 15 minutes, and the British struck their colors.

USS Mobile Bay

Name for the famous Civil War naval battle at Mobile Bay

As "Freedom's Flagship," Mobile Bay proudly carries on the tradition of patriotism and courage displayed by the ships and sailors in the historic battle.

USS Port Royal

Named to commemorate battles in the waters of Port Royal Sound

In both the American Revolution and the Civil War in the waters of Port Royal Sound and on the adjacent South Carolina islands were of great strategic value.

USS Princeton

Named for a borough in west central New Jersey

Significant because it’s the scene of a famous Revolutionary War battle when General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey.

USS Shiloh

Named after the Battle of Shiloh during the Civil War

The greatest battle ever fought on the American continent, up to that date.

Cruisers - CGs are large combat ships equipped with Tomahawk missiles; some also have Ballistic Missile Defense systems.

CGs

USS Comstock

Named after the Comstock Lode, an early American pioneer mining site near Virginia City, Nevada

She is the second ship to be named after the Comstock Lode, founded in 1859, and has become indelible in the history of our American West; it produced more than $500,000,000 in gold and silver.

USS Germantown (LSD 42)

Named for a town in Pennsylvania that was the scene of a battle during Revolutionary War

The honorable way the Continental Army performed at the Battle of Germantown helped gain French support for the final battle at Yorktown.

USS Harpers Ferry

Named for the historic town of Harpers Ferry, WV

USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) is the lead ship of her class of landing ship dock of the United States Navy.

USS Pearl Harbor

Named in remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was the famous surprise attack which caused the entrance of the United States into World War II.

USS Rushmore

Named after the Mount Rushmore National Monument

In the Black Hills of South Dakota, a giant sculpture in mountainside stone commemorates four former American presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

USS Tortuga

Named after a group of desert coral islets called the Dry Tortugas

The Tortugas are located 60 miles west of Key West, Fl. and were discovered in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon

Dock Landing Ships - LSDs transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel onto hostile shores.

LSDs

PCU SOMERSET

Named in honor of the courageous passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93

Their actions prevented terrorist hijackers from reaching their presumed destination of the White House only to have the hijacked jet crash near Shanksville in Somerset County, Pa., Sept. 11, 2001.

USS Anchorage

Named for the largest city in Alaska

The USS Anchorage is named for the largest city in Alaska, nicknamed “The City of Light and Flowers”, which has an important port and is the northernmost major city in the United States. Anchorage was founded in 1914 at the head of Cook Inlet.

USS Denver

Named for Denver, the capital city of Colorado

Often called the “Mile High City” because of the elevation, Denver is a major metropolitan center noted for its “wild west” history, artistic community and recreation opportunities.

USS Green Bay

Named for the city and bay of Green Bay, Wisconsin

Wisconsin has a long history of shipbuilding for the U.S. Navy. There is a close connection between the ship and the people of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

USS New Orleans

Named to honor the largest city of Louisiana

New Orleans was the scene of a key naval action in the Civil War, in which Admiral David Farragut opened the southern Mississippi to Union forces.

USS San Diego

Named for the City of San Diego

Then Secretary of the Navy Gordon England noted the longstanding relationship between the U.S. Navy and residents of San Diego.

Amphibious Transport Docks - LPDs are warships that embark, transport, and land up to 900 Marines, their equipment, and supplies by helicopter and landing craft.

LPDs

PCU AMERICA

Named for the country she was built to protect

From the American Revolution through the first Gulf War, three warships have sailed with the name America. USS America is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name of the country she was built to protect.

USS Bonhomme Richard

Named for a French translation of Benjamin Franklin's nom de plume, "Poor Richard"

When John Paul Jones received the ship “Duc de Duras” from the King of France, Louis XVI, he renamed the former French East Indiaman “Bonhomme Richard” to honor Franklin, the American Commissioner at Paris whose famous almanacs had been published in France under the title: Les Maximes du Bonhomme Richard.

USS BOXER

Named for the five previous US Navy ships bearing the name Boxer

The ship name Boxer has an extensive history in British sea faring lore with ten ships sharing the name. The US Navy started its own history of the ship name, Boxer, when His Majesty’s Brig Boxer, under the command of Captain Samuel Blyth, encountered and was captured by the U.S. Brig Enterprise, under the command of Lieutenant William Burrows, off the coast of Maine on 5 September 1813.

USS Essex

Named after a town and county in Massachusetts

The name is significant because of the tie in with the people of Essex county in 1798 and the building of the first USS Essex.

USS Makin Island

Named for the battle of Makin Island Raid

The Makin Island Raid was an attack by the United States Marine Corps on Japanese military forces on Makin Island in the Pacific Ocean.

USS Peleliu (LHA 5)

Bears the name of a volcanic, coral island honoring the brave men that fought and died there

Peleliu, like hundreds of other islands sprinkled throughout the Pacific, but in the Fall of 1944, 1,256 Marines gave their lives to wrestle Peleliu out of the hands of the Imperial Japanese Army.

Amphibious Assault Ships - LHDs/LHAs are the largest of all amphibious war ships, providing the Marine Corps with a means of ship-to-shore movement by helicopter, tilt rotor aircraft and landing craft.

LHDs

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