The 5th Fleet of the United States Navy is responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and coast off East Africa as far south as Kenya. It shares a commander and headquarters with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT). The commander of the 5th Fleet is currently (2007) Vice Admiral Kevin J. Cosgriff.[1] 5th Fleet/NAVCENT is a component command of, and reports to CENTCOM. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Raymond Spruance Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a US Navy admiral in World War II, victor of the Battle of Midway and commander in the capture of many islands of the Pacific Ocean, and later ambassador to the Philippines. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... USN redirects here. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... The Arabian Sea (Arabic: بحر العرب; transliterated: Bahr al-Arab) is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui, the north-east point of Somalia... U.S. Naval Forces Central Command is the naval element of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). ... Vice Admiral is a naval rank of three star level, equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. ... Emblem of the United States Central Command. ...

History

The 5th Fleet was initially established 26 April 1944 from Central Pacific Force, commanded by Admiral Raymond Spruance and disbanded after the war. The ships of the Fifth Fleet also formed the basis of the Third Fleet, which was the designation of the "Big Blue Fleet" when under the command of Admiral William Halsey. Spruance and Halsey would alternate command of the fleet for major operations, allowing the other admiral and his staff time to prepare for the subsequent one. A secondary benefit was confusing the Japanese into thinking that they were actually two separate fleets as the fleet designation flipped back and forth. is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Map of Pacific Theater Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command during World War II. It was one of four major commands during the Pacific War, and one of two United States commands in the Pacific theatre of operations. ... Raymond Spruance Raymond Ames Spruance (July 3, 1886 - December 13, 1969) was a US Navy admiral in World War II, victor of the Battle of Midway and commander in the capture of many islands of the Pacific Ocean, and later ambassador to the Philippines. ... The name Third Fleet can refer to: The United States 3rd Fleet The British Third Fleet, part of the British effort of the late Eighteenth Century to colonize Australia Category: ... William Bull Halsey William Frederick Bull Halsey, Jr. ...

During the first Gulf War, the region was patrolled by ships from the other numbered fleets, but no fleet existed with this defined area of responsibility. By July 1995, a new numbered fleet was deemed necessary. After a 48-year hiatus, the U.S. 5th Fleet was reactivated and it now cruises the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea. Its headquarters are at NSA Bahrain located in Manama, Bahrain. For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... The Arabian Sea (Arabic: بحر العرب; transliterated: Bahr al-Arab) is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui, the north-east point of Somalia... Bahrain from space, June 1996 Manama (Arabic: المنامة Al-Manāmah) is the capital city of Bahrain and is the countrys largest city with a population of approximately 155,000, roughly a quarter of countrys entire population. ...

For the early years of its existence, its forces normally consisted of an Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (CVBG), an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), surface combatants, submarines, maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and logistics ships. However, with the War on Terrorism, the naval strategy of the U.S. has changed. The regular deployments of the Cold War are now a thing of the past. Consequently, the policy of always maintaining a certain number of ships in various parts of the world is also over. However, its usual configuration now includes a Carrier Strike Group, Amphibious Ready Group or Expeditionary Strike Group, and other ships and aircraft with almost 15,000 people serving afloat and 1,000 support personnel ashore. [2] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An Amphibious Ready Group of the United States Navy consists of a Navy element — a group of ships known as an amphibious task force (ATF) — and a landing force (LF) of United States Marine Corps (and occasionally, United States Army troops), in total about 5000 people. ... Surface Combatant - a term referring to naval fighting ships, encompassing five major classes grouped by size and/or weapon systems and mission. ... USS Virginia, a Virginia-class nuclear attack (SSN) submarine Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ... This article is about U.S. actions, and those of other states, after September 11, 2001. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

The forces of the 5th Fleet peaked in early 2003, when five USN aircraft carriers, six USMC LHAs and LHDs, their escorting and supply vessels, and over 30 Royal Navy vessels were under its command. In the aftermath of the fall of Baghdad in April 2003, the very large force of ships was quickly drawn down. Until and unless further very serious tensions occur in the area, forces are likely to remain at a lower level than has been the case in recent years. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... LHA is the US Navy hull classification symbol for general purpose amphibious assault ships of the Tarawa class. ... LHD is the US Navy hull classification symbol for multipurpose amphibious assault ships of the Wasp class. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

Together with Naval Forces Central Command, Fifth Fleet oversees three naval surveillance task forces monitoring maritime activity: Combined Task Force 158 in the North Persian Gulf, Combined Task Force 150 around the Horn of Africa, and TF 152 possibly in the Gulf of Oman (GOO) and Arabian Sea. Combined Task Force 158 or CTF-158 is an international naval task group, set up as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom. ... Ships assigned to Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) assemble in a formation in the Gulf of Oman, May 06, 2004 Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is a multinational coalition naval task force with logistics facilities at Djibouti. ... The Horn of Africa. ...

Composition

Task Force 50, Battle Force (~1 x Forward Deployed Carrier Strike Group)

Task Force 51, Amphibious Force (~1 x Expeditionary Strike Group)

Task Force 53, Logistics Force

Task Force 54, (dual-hatted as Task Force 74) Submarine Force

Task Force 57, (dual-hatted as Task Force 72) Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (P-3 and EP-3 Martime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft)

Task Force 58, Maritime Surveillence Force (Northern Persian Gulf)

Task Force 59, Expeditionary Force/Contingency Force (when required, eg. July-August 2006 Lebanon evacuation operation)

External links

• Official U.S. Fifth Fleet Web site
• Global Security