The US Navy: the world's most powerful fighting
force on the surface, beneath the surface, and in the skies above the sea.
The US Marines: tip of the spear of American military power.
How do the two services compare to each other though?
That’s what we’ll find out, in this episode of The Infographics Show- the US Navy vs the
US Marines.
The US Navy was officially established on October 13, 1775, when the Second Continental
Congress passed a resolution creating the Continental Navy.
Mostly a token force that met with little actual success during the American Revolutionary
War, the Continental Navy was disbanded shortly after the war with its last ship auctioned
off in 1785.
Almost ten years later, with threats to the new republic's merchant shipping from north
African Barbary pirates, first American president George Washington created the Naval Act of
1794 which created a permanent standing Navy.
Often forgotten by politicians, the navy would languish throughout the 1800s with outdated
and few ship designs, until the start of the 20th century, when by the end of WWI, the
US Navy had more sailors and an equal number of capital ships as the vaunted British Royal
Navy.
Earning stunning victory after victory during World War II in the Pacific against the powerful
Imperial Japanese Navy, the US Navy would go on to become the world's most powerful,
and important, naval force.
Although technically a detachment of the US Navy, the US Marines trace their founding
to a resolution passed by the Second Continental Congress on November 10, 1775, ordering Captain
Samuel Nicholas to raise two battalions of Marines capable of fighting both in ship-to-ship
battles and land actions.
Also disbanded after the Revolutionary War, a need for a shipborne fighting force arose
towards the end of the 18th century, as the fledgling US prepared for the Quasi-War with
France, waged exclusively on the high seas between 1798 and 1800.
The US Marines would come into their own during the War of 1812 against Britain, where during
the Battle of New Orleans, they were directly credited with holding General (and future
President) Andrew Jackson's center defensive line.
Leading US actions in the Pacific during World War II, American marines would conduct an
island-hopping campaign against entrenched Japanese forces, leading to the bloodiest
and most violent battles of the second World War.
So how do the two services compare?
For starters, the US Navy maintains an 8 week basic training course for new recruits, while
Marine basic training lasts for 13 weeks.
Navy basic training focuses on shipborne operations, with recruits undergoing classes in fire fighting,
ship-to-ship communication, and ship and aircraft identification.
Marine basic training, meanwhile, focuses on marksmanship, battlefield first aid, and
combat tactics.
This training focus directly reflects each service's mission statement, with the Navy's
mission being to maintain, train and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning
wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.
The Marines' mission, on the other hand, is to act as America's expeditionary force, forward
deployed to win battles on land, sea, and air.
In terms of size, the US Navy has nearly 326,000 active duty personnel with nearly 99,000 reservists.
They operate a total of 480 ships and 2,600 aircraft.
The Marines on the other hand are about half that size, with 182,000 active duty personnel
and 38,500 reservists.
Other than a few patrol craft, they operate none of their own ships and instead are attached
to US Navy vessels, but they do operate 1,300 aircraft.
Marine aviation is split up into helicopter and fixed-wing attack aircraft squadrons.
For helicopter-based close air support, forward air control, escort and reconnaissance, the
Marines are equipped with the AH-1W SuperCobra, AH-1Z Viper, and UH-1Y Venom light attack
helicopter.
The AV-8B Harrier II combat jet gives the Marines the flexibility to also provide close
air support, air interdiction, and surveillance operations; as a 'jump jet' design capable
of Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (or STOVL) operations from amphibious assault ships or
remote, rough airfields, the Harrier perfectly suits the Marine Corps’ expeditionary nature.
Beginning in 2016, the Marines began replacing their vaunted Harriers with a STOVL version
of the F-35 Lightning II.
To provide air superiority for their ground forces and to strike at surface targets, the
US Marines are equipped with the F/A-18 Hornet and now, the F-35B Lightning II.
In effect, the US Marines are a ground combat force with their own air force, more than
a match on their own for most other nation's militaries.
The US Navy has no attack helicopters, but does operate a large fleet of choppers for
search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare, anti-mine countermeasures, and transport.
To establish and maintain air superiority over a nation's coastal areas, and to defend
US forces at sea from enemy air attack, the Navy operates the F/A-18 and F/A-18E/F Super
Hornet.
As multi-mission platforms, the navy's Hornets and Superhornets can also be tasked with strike
missions against enemy land targets or ships.
While the navy is slowly phasing in the F-35C Lightning II, it does not plan to completely
eliminate its fleet of Super Hornets, and to date has a further 10 new Super Hornets
on order.
Tasked with ensuring free-trade for all nations across the world's oceans, the US Navy deploys
very frequently.
Sailors can be deployed between 6 and nine months at a time aboard a ship, and return
home for four to five months before deploying again.
As an expeditionary force, Marines have to be constantly ready to deploy to anywhere
the US needs manpower fast, and their deployments can range from 30 days up to no longer than
2 years, depending on the state of global affairs and the threat or prosecution of an
ongoing war.
The US Navy is the most powerful sea-based fighting force in history and ensures that
nations around the world have free access to the open sea.
American Marines have for over two centuries been the tip of American firepower, fighting
in every climate and settled continent in the world.
While their missions and equipment may differ, both services are indispensable arms of the
US military that work closely together to achieve victory.
So, would you ever consider joining the US Navy or Marines?
Let us know in the comments.
Also, be sure to watch our other video called What is a day in the life of a US Marine like?
Thanks for watching, and as always, don't forget to like, share and subscribe.
See you next time!