United States Navy

====Cold War and 1990s====
{{See also|1989 United States Navy order of battle}}
[[File:USS George Washington (SSBN-598).jpg|thumb|{{USS|George Washington|SSBN-598|6}}, a ballistic missile submarine]]

The potential for armed conflict with the [[Soviet Union]] during the [[Cold War]] pushed the U.S. Navy to continue its technological advancement by developing new weapons systems, ships, and aircraft. U.S. naval strategy changed to that of forward deployment in support of U.S. allies with an emphasis on carrier battle groups.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/h/history-of-the-us-navy/transoceanic-period.html |title=The Navy: The Transoceanic Period, 1945–1992 |last=Palmer |first=Michael A. |publisher=U.S. Navy |website=[[Naval History & Heritage Command]] |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630002739/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/h/history-of-the-us-navy/transoceanic-period.html |archive-date=30 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The navy was a major participant in the [[Vietnam War]], blockaded Cuba during the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], and, through the use of [[ballistic missile submarines]], became an important aspect of the United States' [[Mutual assured destruction|nuclear strategic deterrence]] policy. The U.S. Navy conducted various combat operations in the Persian Gulf against Iran in 1987 and 1988, most notably [[Operation Praying Mantis]]. The Navy was extensively involved in [[Operation Urgent Fury]], [[Operation Desert Shield (Gulf War)|Operation Desert Shield]], [[Operation Desert Storm]], [[Operation Deliberate Force]], [[Operation Allied Force]], [[Operation Desert Fox]] and [[Operation Southern Watch]].

The U.S. Navy has also been involved in search and rescue/search and salvage operations, sometimes in conjunction with vessels of other countries as well as with U.S. Coast Guard ships. Two examples are the [[1966 Palomares B-52 crash]] incident and the subsequent search for missing hydrogen bombs, and Task Force 71 of the Seventh Fleet's operation in search for [[Korean Air Lines Flight 007]], shot down by the Soviets on 1 September 1983.