How Carrier Battle Groups Work

The U.S. Navy forms carrier battle groups on an as-needed basis and assigns ships to the group based on the mission. Therefore, no two carrier battle groups are the same. However, a typical carrier battle group consists of the following ships:

• The aircraft carrier itself

  Photo courtesy Department of Defense - Defense Visual Information Center Aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk launching a radar-guided, air-to-air missile during a live-fire exercise

• Two guided-missile cruisers
  These are offensive ships loaded with cruise missiles to strike land targets

  Photo courtesy Department of Defense - Defense Visual Information Center Guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy

• Two destroyers
  Destroyers traditionally are defensive ships. They can defend against attacks by submarines and aircraft (Nav Facts: Destroyers/a> provides a very nice description of the evolution of destroyers). Destroyers now also come equipped with the ability to launch cruise missiles.

  Photo courtesy Department of Defense - Defense Visual Information Center Guided-missile destroyer USS Winton S. Churchill launching a Tomahawk Missile during Operation Iraqi Freedom

• One frigate
  The frigate is used for anti-submarine defense.

  Photo courtesy Department of Defense - Defense Visual Information Center Guided-missile frigate USS Talbot launching a target drone during a training exercise off the coast of Chile

  Photo courtesy Department of Defense - Defense Visual Information Center Guided-missile frigate USS Kauffman in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, during Operation Enduring Freedom

  Photo courtesy Department of Defense - Defense Visual Information Center Guided-missile frigate USS Klakring on its way to the Pacific Phase of Exercise Unitas 43-02 (click here for information about Exercise Unitas)

• Two submarines
  The submarines are defensive ships that can attack enemy ships and submarines.

  Photo courtesy Department of Defense - Defense Visual Information Center Nuclear-powered submarine USS Hartford

• A supply ship
  The supply ship carries fuel, food and ammunition for the group.

There may be other ships that travel with the group. For example, there may be troop ships, amphibious ships for the marines, cargo ships carrying tanks and other equipment, mine sweepers, etc. It all depends on the mission.

Photo courtesy Department of Defense - Defense Visual Information Center Aerial view of guided-missile destroyer USS MacDonough and nuclear-powered submarine USS Scamp traveling through the Panama Canal during a training exercise