navy library

 

Navies around the world engage in surface and sub-surface military operations at sea. Learn how aircraft carriers, carrier battle groups and next generation destroyers work.

Featured Article:  How Carrier Battle Groups Work

How does one of the most valuable pieces of military equipment travel around the world? When they move, an entire fleet of protective air and water craft moves with them. Learn all about carrier battle groups. See more »

How Aircraft Carriers Work

How Aircraft Carriers Work

The crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln returned home this week, after a wearying 10 months at sea. Take a tour of the U.S. military's most monumental machines, from flight deck to hangar bay to engine room.

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How Carrier Battle Groups Work

How Carrier Battle Groups Work

How does one of the most valuable pieces of military equipment travel around the world? When they move, an entire fleet of protective air and water craft moves with them. Learn all about carrier battle groups.

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How Nuclear Submarines Work

How Nuclear Submarines Work

Fanciful ideas of underwater submersibles fascinated engineers centuries before the nuclear submarine ever took shape. How did the nuclear submarine evolve? And what, exactly, makes it nuclear?

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How Photonics Masts Will Work

How Photonics Masts Will Work

The U.S. Navy's new subs will use photonics masts instead of periscopes. Learn how these imaging devices will work.

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How the FSF-1 Sea Fighter Works

How the FSF-1 Sea Fighter Works

Nations are facing a more guerilla-style warfare – even at sea, and the equipment must evolve to meet new demands. Enter the Sea Fighter. Learn about this experimental, high-speed, "invisible" ship.

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How the Zumwalt Class Destroyer Works

How the Zumwalt Class Destroyer Works

The Zumwalt is the military's class of next-generation destroyers. Find out how the Zumwalt class destroyer works and learn about Zumwalt technology.

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Battle Cruiser

Battle Cruiser, a large, fast, heavily armed warship. The battle cruisers of World War I and World War II were the size of battleships and had the heavy guns of battleships, but were lightly armored, giving them the speed of cruisers.

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Battleship

Battleship, a large, heavily gunned warship, protected by armor plate. For more than 50 years these vessels were the capital (major) ships of the world's navies, and a nation's naval strength was measured by the number of its battleships.

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Destroyer

Destroyer, a highly maneuverable warship of small to medium size. The destroyer is designed to attack enemy vessels, especially submarines, and to protect other types of ships from air, surface, and submarine attacks.

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Frigate (vessel)

Frigate, a naval vessel designed to defend aircraft carriers and merchant ships against submarines.

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Galleon

Galleon, a large sailing ship of the 16th to 18th century, designed to be a warship.

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Galley

Galley, a narrow, single- or half-decked ship propelled by oars and sails. Most galleys had only one sail and depended chiefly on the rowers for motion.

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Gunboat

Gunboat, a small, lightly armed warship. Gunboats patrol rivers, harbors, and coastlines, where larger vessels cannot maneuver.

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Patrol Boat

Patrol Boat, or Patrol Craft, a small, high-speed naval vessel used for antisubmarine warfare, coastal patrol, harbor defense, and river warfare.

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Piracy

Piracy, in international law, robbery on the high seas. Piracy is a crime against all nations.

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Submarine

Submarine, a vessel designed to operate below the surface of the water. Submarines were of major importance in both World Wars and today rank with aircraft carriers as the most important ships in the world's navies.

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Tugboat

Tugboat, or Tug, a boat with a powerful engine used to tow or push ships and barges.

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