The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy.
It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture,
Japan.
It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet.
At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with 60 to 70 ships, 300 aircraft
and 40,000 Navy, Marine Corps personnel, and Coast Guard support personnel.
Its principal responsibilities are to provide joint command in natural disaster or military
operations and operational command of all US naval forces in the region.
Following the end of the Cold War, the Seventh Fleet would most likely intervene in case
of conflict in Korea or conflict between China and Taiwan, especially in the Taiwan Strait.
Keeping in view the provocative action of China in the South China Sea and against Taiwan,
the 7th fleet assumes special significance.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes how powerful is the U.S Seventh Fleet which positioned
very close to China?
Let’s get into the details.
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The Seventh Fleet was formed on 15 March 1943 in Brisbane, Australia, during World War II,
under the command of Admiral Arthur S. "Chips” Carpender.
Of the 50–60 ships typically assigned to Seventh Fleet, 18 operate from U.S. facilities
in Japan and Guam.
These forward-deployed units represent the heart of the Seventh Fleet and the centerpieces
of American forward presence in Asia
Seventh Fleet is organized into specialized task forces.
Task Force 70 is the Battle Force of 7th Fleet and is made up of two distinct components:
Surface Combatant Force 7th Fleet, composed of cruisers and destroyers, and Carrier Strike
Force 7th Fleet, made up of at least one aircraft carrier and its embarked air wing.
The Battle Force is currently centered around Carrier Strike Group Five, the carrier USS
Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) responsible for unit-level training, integrated training, and material
readiness for the group's ships and aviation squadrons.
As the only continuously forward deployed carrier strike group, the CSG-5 staff does
not stand down when the strike group is in Yokosuka, but instead continues to maintain
command responsibilities over deploying Carrier Strike Groups and independently deployed cruisers,
destroyers, and frigates that operate in the Seventh Fleet operating area.
The commander and staff are also responsible for the higher level Task Force 70 duties
throughout the year in addition to the CSG-5 duties.
The composition of the strike group varies throughout the year.
The CSG 5 Commander also serves as Battle Force Seventh Fleet and Commander, Task Force
(CTF 70) for the 7th Fleet.
In these responsibilities, CSG 5 serves as the Commander of all surface forces (carrier
strike groups, independently deploying cruisers, destroyers and frigates) in the 7th Fleet
area of responsibility.
CTF 70 also serves as the Theater Surface Warfare Commander (TSUWC) and Theater Integrated
Air Missile Defense Commander (TIAMDC) for Seventh Fleet.
Task Force 71 includes all Naval Special Warfare (NSW) units and Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Mobile Units (EODMU) assigned to the 7th Fleet.
It is based in Guam.
Task Force 72 is the Patrol and Reconnaissance Force, Seventh Fleet.
It is located at Naval Air Facility Misawa (Misawa Air Base), Japan.
It is mainly composed of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft and maritime airborne surveillance
platforms such as P-3 Orion and Lockheed EP-3 reconnaissance planes operating on land bases.
Task Force 73 is the 7th Fleet's Logistics Force composed of supply ships and other fleet
support vessels.
Headquartered in Singapore.
Task Force 74 was the designation used for the Enterprise battle group in 1971.
Currently, it is the Fleet Submarine Force responsible for planning and coordinating
submarine operations within 7th Fleet's area of operations.
Task Force 75 Navy Expeditionary Forces Command Pacific is 7th Fleet's primary Expeditionary
task force.
Located in Camp Covington, Guam, CTF 75 is responsible for the planning and execution
of coastal riverine operations, explosive ordnance disposal, diving, engineering and
construction, and underwater construction throughout the 7th Fleet area of responsibility.
Task Force 76 is the Amphibious assault task force currently headquartered at U.S. Fleet
Activities Sasebo, mainly responsible for supporting Marine landing operations.
It is composed of units capable of delivering ship-to-shore assault troops, such as America-class
and Wasp-class amphibious assault ships, and landing craft.
Task Force 77 – 7th Fleet Mine Warfare Force composed of mine countermeasure, mine hunter,
and mine control ships as well as mine countermeasure helicopters (MH-53).
This task force is only activated during specific combat operations and was filled by the Commander
of Mine Warfare Command.
Mine Warfare Command has now been disestablished and replaced by Navy Mine and Antisubmarine
Warfare Command, Naval Base Point Loma, Calif.
Task Force 78 – In 1973, Task Force 78 served as the mine clearance force that cleared Haiphong
Harbour in Operation End Sweep.
Major elements of the U.S. Navy mine warfare force, including Mobile Mine Command (MOMCOM),
Mine Warfare Support Group (MWFSG), and HM-12 were airlifted by C-5A to NAS Cubi Point in
the Philippines.
These specialists formed the nucleus of Task Force 78.
Task Force 79 – The Marine expeditionary unit or Landing Force assigned to the fleet,
consisting of at least a reinforced Marine battalion and its equipment.
This unit is separate from the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) normally embarked in USS Bonhomme
Richard Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG).
Marine units serving in the 7th Fleet are normally drawn from III Marine Expeditionary
Force based in Okinawa, Japan.
USS Ronald Reagan Nimitz class supercarrier is the main asset of the 7th fleet.
It equipped with 16 to 24 RIM-7 Sea Sparrow for air defense and Close In Weapon System
(CIWS) duties are performed by Phalanx & RIM-116 Rolling Airframe missile.[add]
Its main offensive force consists of the F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18 Super Hornet.
USS Ronald Reagan can carry around 60 of these and will be the trump card when it comes to
enforcing air dominance.
Apart from these fighter jets, USS Ronald Reagan has EA-18G Growler for airborne electronic
attack & E-2C Hawkeye AWACS for airspace monitoring with command and control.
The surface force also consists of multiple Ticonderoga & Arleigh Burke warships.
Ticonderoga-class has 122 and Arleigh Burke-class has 92 MK 41 cells which can be armed with
different types of weapons that include Land Attack Cruise missile like Tomahawks, SM 6
for Ballistic Missile Defense as well as Anti Ship Warfare to name a few.
US Navy also deploys nuclear powered Los Angeles-class or Seawolf class or Virginia class submarines
as part of the strike group.
These have practically unlimited range and endurance and possess several different kinds
of weapons for land attack as well as anti-ship and anti-submarine role.
Several different kinds of supporting vessels like tankers are part of this fleet.
It is important to note that in Jan this year Taiwanese voters have re-elected incumbent
president Tsai Ing-Wen in a landslide election.
This is seen as a sharp rebuke to Beijing and its attempts to intimidate and lure Taiwan
into China’s fold.
Tsai won more than 8m votes, the most any presidential candidate has garnered since
Taiwan began holding direct elections for the position in 1996
She easily defeated her opponent Han Kuo-yu, whose Kuomintang party promotes closer ties
with China.
Since this, China has taken a very hostile stance and has been sending aircraft and ships
to intimidate Taiwan.
The Seventh Fleet is a potent force.
It is actually more powerful than the entire military machinery of many countries.
The important aspect is that as it is close to China, hence can be quickly deployed to
counter the Chinese force and is actually acting as a deterrence.