Types of Navy Ships Explained (Carriers, Destroyers, Submarines & More)

Why the Ship Type Matters More Than You Think

A lot of people join the Navy with a job (rating) in mind but don't think hard enough about where they'll work that job. Two Sailors with the same rating — say, Information Systems Technician (IT) — can have completely different experiences depending on whether they're assigned to a carrier, a destroyer, or a submarine. The ship class affects your berthing, your workload, your port calls, and how long you're away from home.

Before you sit down with a Navy recruiter, it helps to understand what you're signing up for. This guide walks through every major ship type the U.S. Navy operates today — what each one does, what life aboard is like, and which ratings you'll typically find on each.

Aircraft Carriers

What They Do

Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of American naval power. They're essentially floating air bases — mobile platforms that project air power anywhere in the world within days. A carrier strike group typically includes the carrier itself, two guided missile cruisers or destroyers, attack submarines, and support ships. The whole group operates together as a unit.

The U.S. Navy operates 11 aircraft carriers — 10 Nimitz-class and 1 Gerald R. Ford-class (with more Ford-class ships in the pipeline). Nimitz-class carriers are about 1,092 feet long — roughly 24 stories tall from keel to mast — and carry 70 to 90 aircraft. They're nuclear-powered, which means they can operate for decades without refueling.

Life Aboard a Carrier

Carrier life is city life — except the city moves and you can't leave. A fully loaded carrier carries over 5,000 personnel: roughly 3,200 ship's company, 2,500 air wing, and additional staff. You share berthing with anywhere from 20 to 60+ other Sailors depending on your rank. Junior enlisted live in open-bay berthing with stacked racks three high, tiny lockers, and very little personal space.

Deployments are typically 6 to 9 months. Port calls — stops at foreign ports — happen throughout deployment and are often the highlight of a carrier deployment. Countries like Japan, Bahrain, Spain, and Greece are common stops. On a carrier, you'll have amenities smaller ships don't: multiple dining facilities, a gym, a library, a chapel, a barbershop, and even a small convenience store (the "ship's store").

The downside is noise, crowds, and being a small cog in a very large machine. If you want a quieter, more close-knit environment, a carrier is probably not your first choice.

Ratings Commonly Found on Carriers

• Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB): Handles flight deck operations — one of the most dangerous jobs in the military
• Aviation Machinist's Mate (AD): Maintains aircraft engines and components
• Information Systems Technician (IT): Manages the ship's communications and network systems
• Culinary Specialist (CS): Runs the ship's food service — with 5,000 people to feed, this is a massive operation
• Hospital Corpsman (HM): Medical support for the entire crew and air wing
• Gunner's Mate (GM), Fire Controlman (FC), Operations Specialist (OS): Weapons and combat systems roles

Destroyers (DDGs)

What They Do

The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer (DDG) is the workhorse of the surface Navy. The U.S. operates about 70 of them. Destroyers conduct anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and land attack missions. They escort carriers, conduct independent patrols, and perform humanitarian operations.

A destroyer is around 509 feet long and carries a crew of approximately 280 to 330 Sailors. Compared to a carrier, that's a tight-knit group. Everyone knows everyone — or at least knows their face.

Life Aboard a Destroyer

Destroyer life is closer quarters and more intense work than carrier duty. You're doing real operational missions more frequently, often independently. Deployments run 6 to 8 months under the Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP), though some have stretched to 9+ months in recent years.

Berthing is tighter than a carrier. Chow is one dining facility. There's a gym but it's small. Port calls happen, but the schedule is less predictable than on a carrier strike group. The close crew size creates stronger camaraderie — and also means drama spreads fast. There's less anonymity. Your division chief and department head know your name by week one.

For Sailors who want to be involved in actual ship operations and not feel like a small part of a giant machine, destroyers are often preferred.

Ratings Commonly Found on Destroyers

• Operations Specialist (OS): Tracks surface, air, and subsurface contacts in Combat Information Center
• Fire Controlman (FC): Operates and maintains weapons fire control systems
• Sonar Technician Surface (STG): Detects and tracks submarine contacts
• Boatswain's Mate (BM): Deck operations, seamanship, and small boat handling
• Damage Controlman (DC): Fire, flooding, and emergency response
• Machinist's Mate (MM) and Electrician's Mate (EM): Engineering plant operation and maintenance

Submarines

What They Do

The submarine force is a world of its own within the Navy. The U.S. operates three types of submarines: fast attack submarines (SSNs), ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), and guided missile submarines (SSGNs). Fast attacks hunt other submarines and surface ships, gather intelligence, and support special operations forces. Ballistic missile subs carry the nation's sea-based nuclear deterrent. Guided missile subs launch conventional cruise missiles in large numbers.

The Navy operates around 50 fast attack submarines and 14 ballistic missile submarines. Submarine crews are small — an SSN carries about 130 Sailors, an SSBN around 155 (with two alternating crews, Blue and Gold).

Life Aboard a Submarine

Submarine life is unlike anything else in the military. You're underwater — sometimes for months — with no natural light, no fresh air, and no ability to go outside. Communication with home is limited to short, infrequent emails called "family grams." You will not be reachable by phone for the duration of a patrol.

SSN deployments run 6 to 7 months. SSBN patrols run about 77 days at a stretch, but the two-crew system means you're home for 77 days, then out again. Berthing is extremely cramped — "hot racking" (sharing a bunk with someone on the opposite watch) used to be common and still happens on older boats.

The upside: submarine pay includes extra pay called submarine pay (or hazardous duty pay), re-enlistment bonuses are some of the highest in the Navy, and the work is technically complex and intellectually demanding. Submarine culture also tends to be highly meritocratic — you qualify or you don't, and qualification earns real respect.

Not everyone can handle the psychological demands of submarine service. If you're claustrophobic or need frequent social variety, this is not your assignment. If you thrive in focused, high-skill environments and don't need sunlight to stay sane, it can be one of the most rewarding paths in the Navy.

Cruisers (CGs)

What They Do

Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers (CGs) are larger than destroyers and carry the powerful Aegis Combat System. They serve as the air defense coordinator for carrier strike groups — managing the entire group's air picture and controlling which ship fires at what threat. The Navy has been decommissioning cruisers without direct replacements, so the cruiser fleet is shrinking. This is worth knowing if you have your eye on a CG billet — availability is limited.

Cruiser crew size is around 350 to 400 Sailors. Life aboard is similar to a destroyer but with more emphasis on command and control functions. The Aegis system makes cruisers particularly valuable in integrated air and missile defense.

Amphibious Ships

What They Do

Amphibious ships — including the big-deck amphibious assault ships (LHAs and LHDs) and amphibious transport docks (LPDs) — are how the Marine Corps gets to the fight. They carry Marines, their vehicles, helicopters, and in some cases Harrier jets or F-35Bs. The Navy Sailors aboard operate the ship; the Marines are passengers headed to a beach somewhere.

LHA/LHD ships look like small aircraft carriers from the outside. They carry around 1,200 Navy crew and up to 1,800 Marines. Life aboard is a mix of carrier culture and the unique dynamic of having a large marine contingent aboard — which changes the feel of the ship significantly.

Deployments follow similar patterns to carrier deployments: 6 to 9 months, with port calls, as part of an Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG).

Littoral Combat Ships (LCS)

What They Do

The Littoral Combat Ship is the newest and most controversial ship class in the surface Navy. Designed to operate in shallow coastal waters, LCS ships are fast and modular — they can swap out mission packages for mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, or surface warfare depending on the assignment. Two variants exist: the Freedom-class (monohull) and the Independence-class (trimaran).

LCS ships are small — around 378 to 420 feet long — with a core crew of only 40 to 50 Sailors, supplemented by mission module detachments. That small crew size means everyone carries a larger workload and cross-trains more aggressively than on larger ships. You'll know your shipmates extremely well.

The LCS program has had significant acquisition and reliability issues, and the Navy has accelerated the retirement of early LCS hulls. If you're assigned to an LCS, be prepared for a ship that's still working out operational kinks and has a harder-than-average operational tempo.

Support and Logistics Ships

The Navy also operates a range of support vessels through the Military Sealift Command (MSC), including combat stores ships, ammunition ships, and hospital ships (USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort). MSC ships are crewed primarily by civilian mariners, not active duty Sailors — but active duty Sailors serve in military departments aboard these ships in some cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The type of ship you serve on is one of the biggest variables in what your Navy career actually looks and feels like. A carrier gives you a city experience with resources but less individual significance. A destroyer puts you in the middle of real missions with a crew that knows your name. A submarine is mentally and physically demanding in ways most people can't fully imagine until they're in it.

When you talk to a Navy recruiter, ask directly which platforms your target rating typically serves on — and whether you can request a specific ship type. You won't always get what you ask for, but it's worth asking. The more informed you are going into that conversation, the better your outcome.

Check out our military jobs breakdown to see which Navy ratings are in demand, and use our branch comparison tool to make sure the Navy is the right fit before you commit.