The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) under the authority of the Secretary of Defense. Originally formed as United States Atlantic Fleet (USLANTFLT) in 1906, it has been an integral part of the defense of the United States of America since the early 20th century. In 2002, the Fleet comprised over 118,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel serving on 186 ships and in 1,300 aircraft, with an area of responsibility ranging over most of the Atlantic Ocean from the North Pole to the South Pole, the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Central and South America.
The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. Its area of responsibility encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles, and includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. It shares a commander and headquarters with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) in Bahrain. Fifth Fleet/NAVCENT is a component command of, and reports to, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The acronym CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet. This was replaced by COMINCH in December, 1941, under the Executive Order 8984, when it was redefined and given operational command over the Atlantic, Pacific, and Asiatic Fleets, as well as all naval coastal forces. The Executive Order 9096 authorized the offices of the CNO and COMINCH to be held by a single officer; Admiral Ernest J. King was first to do so, and in 1944 was promoted to the five-star rank of fleet admiral.
The United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), is the United States Navy component command of the United States European Command and United States Africa Command. Prior to 2020, NAVEUR-NAVAF was previously referred to as United States Naval Forces Europe – Naval Forces Africa and sometimes referred to as United States Naval Forces Europe – Africa.
The U.S. Fourth Fleet is a United States Navy numbered fleet. It is the Naval Component Command of U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). The Fourth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. It is responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans around Central and South America.
United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) is the United States Navy element of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM). Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. It consists of the United States Fifth Fleet and several other subordinate task forces, including Combined Task Force 150, Combined Task Force 158 and others.
The Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (COMUSFF/COMFLTFORCOM) is the title of the United States Navy officer who serves as the commanding officer of the United States Fleet Forces Command. The U.S. Fleet Forces Command was originally established in 1905 as the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and as a two-star rear admiral's billet; the position has been held by a four-star admiral since March 10, 1915. The 45th, and current, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command is Admiral Daryl L. Caudle.
The Commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic (COMNAVSURFLANT) is the Surface Force Type Commander (TYCOM) under the United States Fleet Forces Command. As Naval Surface Force Atlantic, it is a military formation, and the organization is often known as SURFLANT. Its headquarters are at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. The current commander is Rear Admiral Joseph F. Cahill III. COMNAVSURFLANT supervises all surface ships based on the Eastern United States and Gulf Coast of the United States, as well as ships forward deployed to Naval Station Rota, Spain.
The Commander, Naval Air Forces is the aviation Type Commander (TYCOM) for all United States Navy naval aviation units. Type Commanders are in Administrative Control (ADCON), and in some cases Operational Control (OPCON) of certain types of assets assigned to the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. AIRFOR is responsible for the materiel readiness, administration, training, and inspection of units/squadrons under their command, and for providing operationally ready air squadrons and aircraft carriers to the fleet.
The Commander, Naval Surface Force Pacific (COMNAVSURFPAC) is the type commander for the Surface Force under the United States Pacific Fleet. The COMNAVSURFPAC also leads the Naval Surface Force (COMNAVSURFOR) and the Surface Warfare Enterprise. The position is typically held by a Vice-Admiral. From 1978 onwards, the headquarters has been located at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Coronado, California.
Yvette Marie Davids is a United States Navy vice admiral. She was the first Hispanic American woman to command a navy ship, and began serving as the first female Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy on 11 January 2024.
Christopher Watson Grady is a United States Navy admiral who is currently serving as the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 20 December 2021.
Joint Force Command - Norfolk (JFC-NF) is a joint operational level command part of the NATO Military Command Structure under Allied Command Operations. Its headquarters is located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States.
Kenneth R. Blackmon is a reserve United States Navy officer who has been serving as Vice Commander, of United States Fleet Forces Command since October 1, 2023.
Samuel John Paparo Jr. is a United States Navy admiral who has served as the commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command since 3 May 2024. He most recently served as commander of the United States Pacific Fleet from 2021 to 2024.
Daryl Lane Caudle is a United States Navy admiral who is the 35th commander of United States Fleet Forces Command since 7 December 2021. He most recently served as commander of Naval Submarine Forces (COMSUBFOR), Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic (COMSUBLANT) and Commander, Allied Submarine Command (ASC). As COMSUBFOR, he was the undersea domain lead, and is responsible for the submarine force's strategic vision. As COMSUBLANT, he commanded all Atlantic-based U.S. submarines, their crews and supporting shore activities. These responsibilities also include duties as commander, Task Force (CTF) 114, CTF 88, and CTF 46. As commander, Allied Submarine Command, he was the principal undersea warfare advisor to all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) strategic commanders.
Blake Lamont Converse is a United States Navy vice admiral and submarine warfare officer serving as deputy commander of the United States Pacific Fleet since May 7, 2021. As deputy commander, he deputizes for the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet and handles the fleet's day-to-day administration from headquarters in Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam. He previously served as commander of submarine forces of the Pacific Fleet from 21 February 2019 to 29 April 2021.
Douglas Gordon Perry is a United States Navy vice admiral and submarine warfare officer who serves as the commander of the United States Second Fleet. He previously served as the director of the Undersea Warfare Division of the U.S. Navy from 16 July 2021 to 24 July 2023. He most recently served as the commander of Submarine Group 9 from January 25, 2019, to June 8, 2021. Prior to this, Perry served as director of joint and fleet operations of the United States Fleet Forces Command, with command tours as commodore of Submarine Development Squadron 5 from March 2014 to April 2016 and commanding officer of the USS Pasadena (SSN-752) from October 2006 to February 2009.
Timothy Jon Kott is a retired United States Navy rear admiral and surface warfare officer who last served as the commander of Navy Region Hawaii from June 18, 2021 to June 17, 2022. Kott was dual-hatted as Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific from June 18, 2021 to June 3, 2022. Before that, he most recently served as commander of Carrier Strike Group 1 from June 25, 2020 to May 28, 2021, and prior to that, as assistant chief of staff for operations of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, his first flag assignment. In earlier command tours, Kott commanded USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) from March 2013 to March 2015 and USS Hopper (DDG-70) from July 2008 to March 2010.
