Question for our Navy vets?

Question

EX Sailors:
How many and what types of ships make up a carrier battle group? I know theres roughly 5,000 sailors on a air craft carrier alone. Why do some ships cruise on their own, like the USS Cole?

Answer 1

A standard CVBG is defined as:

One CV/CVN
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/cvn-70_050315-n-3241h-001.jpg

One Carrier Air Wing
http://www.cpf.navy.mil/news_images/0512/051202d_hi.jpg

50 Strike/Fighter A/C (Peacetime Norm)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/fa-18e_040625-n-9769p-513.jpg

four E-2C AEW
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/e-2c_trap.jpg

four E-A6B SEAD/EW
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/ea-6b_1.jpg

eight S-3B
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/s-3b-hookdown.jpg

two Es-3A
http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/images/es3_1.jpg

six SH-60
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/SH-60F_ConnieDI2.jpg

Six Surface Combatants comprising at least:


three Aegis CG/DDG
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/cg-ddg.jpg

four VLS-Tomahawk ships
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/cg-56_mk-41_vls_030303-n-3235p-507.jpg

ten Lamps
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/sh-60b-monterey.jpg

Two SSN (1 VLS)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ssn-770-p01.jpg

One Multi-purpose AOE
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/aoe-7-rainier-2.jpg

As to Independent Steaming: Most Navy ships do not belong to a battlegroup. Also not every situation calls for a Carrier to be moved nearby. Moving a Carrier is sending an awfully huge message to whatever nation we are sending it to.

While I mention in my sources that I was a Carrier sailor, Most of my Navy Life was spent Aboard USS Halsey (CG-23)
http://www.navysite.de/cg/cg23_3.jpg

We never operated as part of a CVBG except one time we were temporarily attatched to the Eisenhauer Group in the Persian Gulf where we performed Plane Guard Duty for a few days.

Plane Guard: A ship stationed about 1 mile behind the carrier during landing operations in case a plane has to ditch in the water.

Here is a Pic I call Carrier Porn as it is garaunteed to give any flat-top sailor a hard on LOL:
http://www.grahamowen.com/images9/Fast%20Carrier.jpg

And some Plane Porn as well:
http://homepage.mac.com/lexl/iblog/C744401703/E1209349946/Media/01.FA-18.jpg
http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~tguo/Images/f18p2.jpg
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/fa-18f_050727-n-3488c-051.jpg

And some Ship Porn:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/systems/images/ciws_cv-67_060404-n-8485t-012.jpg
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/971021-N-4015M-003.JPG
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/960903-n-00000-001.jpg
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/9908tomahawk2.jpg
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/images/harpoon-DNSC8307006_JPG.jpg
http://www.naval.com/heavy-seas/3/burin.jpg
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/13427697-S.jpg
http://www.uss-corry-dd817.org/images/Refuleing%208.jpg
http://www.pacom.mil/imagery/archive/0202photos/020209missleex-h.jpg


oh and as a final ending. You mentioned USS Cole.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/cole-overhead.jpg
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddg-67_001018-n-7613b-007.jpg
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddg-67_001213-n-1012k-003.jpg
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddg-67_001213-n-6097c-004.jpg
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddg-67_001031-m-5978m-007.jpg

A Final note on Ship Ettiquette:
You said "the USS Cole"
It is just USS Cole

you do not say "The" in front of the Name. Cole is the ships name, not its title. Its like calling me "The Scott" or my friend "The Sam"
USS is United States Ship, and is like saying Mr or Mrs in front of the Name.

UPDATE: Brian L...
Thanks Guns... Nice to see someone who remembers the "Great White Ghost of the Arabian Coast" AKA USS LaSalle

Answer 2

A carrier battle group will depend on its area of operations, mission, and available ships for make up. semi-sop is carrier, 2 to 4 cruisers, 5 to 8 tin cans and or DEs. Plus 3 to 5 oilers and other replenishment ships. The oilers and replenishment ships rotate out as their cargo is consumed. A marine expeditionary force will be quite different in its makeup.

Answer 3

Carriers are high priority targets and require an escort or they would be vulnerable to submarines or cruise missile attacks. Other ships like cruisers and destroyers are designed to operate alone and are not high priority targets. As submarine crews like to call them torpedo catchers as they are to intercept the torpedo if necessary to save a carrier. We were a command ship in the gulf and we hardly ever got an escort. I guess we didn't rate. As to the size and composition of a modern task force the shipmate above is dead on.