United States Navy

=== Weapons ===
{{Main|List of United States Navy weapons}}
[[File:US Navy 050112-N-5345W-074 Aviation Ordnancemen prepare to load 500-pound laser guided bombs (GBU-12) onto weapon pylons under an F-14B Tomcat.jpg|thumb|Aviation Ordnancemen loading [[GBU-12 Paveway II|GBU-12]] bombs in 2005]]

Current U.S. Navy shipboard weapons systems are almost entirely focused on missiles, both as a weapon and as a threat. In an offensive role, missiles are intended to strike targets at long distances with accuracy and precision. Because they are unmanned weapons, missiles allow for attacks on heavily defended targets without risk to human pilots. Land strikes are the domain of the BGM-109 Tomahawk, which was first deployed in the 1980s and is continually being updated to increase its capabilities. For anti-ship strikes, the navy's dedicated missile is the [[Harpoon Missile]]. To defend against enemy missile attack, the navy operates a number of systems that are all coordinated by the Aegis combat system. Medium-long range defense is provided by the Standard Missile 2, which has been deployed since the 1980s. The Standard missile doubles as the primary shipboard anti-aircraft weapon and is undergoing development for use in theater ballistic missile defense. Short range defense against missiles is provided by the [[Phalanx CIWS]] and the more recently developed [[ESSM|RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile]]. In addition to missiles, the navy employs [[Mark 46 torpedo|Mark 46]], [[Mark 48 torpedo|Mark 48]], and [[Mark 50 torpedo|Mark 50]] [[torpedo]]es and various types of naval mines.

Naval fixed-wing aircraft employ much of the same weapons as the [[United States Air Force]] for both air-to-air and air-to-surface combat. Air engagements are handled by the heat-seeking [[AIM-9 Sidewinder|Sidewinder]] and the radar guided [[AIM-120 AMRAAM|AMRAAM]] missiles along with the [[M61 Vulcan]] cannon for close range dogfighting. For surface strikes, navy aircraft use a combination of missiles, smart bombs, and dumb bombs. On the list of available missiles are the [[AGM-65 Maverick|Maverick]], [[AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER|SLAM-ER]] and [[AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon|JSOW]]. Smart bombs include the GPS-guided [[JDAM]] and the laser-guided [[Paveway]] series. Unguided munitions such as dumb bombs and [[cluster bomb]]s make up the rest of the weapons deployed by fixed-wing aircraft.

Rotary aircraft weapons are focused on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and light to medium surface engagements. To combat submarines, helicopters use Mark 46 and Mark 50 torpedoes. Against small watercraft, they use [[AGM-114 Hellfire|Hellfire]] and [[Penguin missile|Penguin]] air to surface missiles. Helicopters also employ various types of mounted anti-personnel machine guns, including the [[M60 machine gun|M60]], [[M240 machine gun|M240]], [[GAU-16]]/A, and [[Minigun|GAU-17/A]].

Nuclear weapons in the U.S. Navy arsenal are deployed through ballistic missile submarines and aircraft. The ''Ohio''-class submarine carries the latest iteration of the [[Trident missile]], a three-stage, [[submarine-launched ballistic missile]] (SLBM) with [[MIRV]] capability; the current Trident II (D5) version is expected to be in service past 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=2200&tid=1400&ct=2 |title=''Trident'' Fleet Ballistic Missile |website=U.S. Navy Fact File |access-date=8 April 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060405151239/https://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=2200&tid=1400&ct=2 |archive-date=5 April 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> The navy's other nuclear weapon is the air-deployed [[B61 nuclear bomb]]. The B61 is a thermonuclear device that can be dropped by strike aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet at high speed from a large range of altitudes. It can be released through free-fall or parachute and can be set to detonate in the air or on the ground.