Carrier strike group

U.S. Navy ships assigned to the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group sail in formation in the Atlantic Ocean in November 2003.

A carrier strike group (CSG) is a type of carrier battle group of the United States Navy.[1] It is an operational formation composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, usually an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer squadron of at least two destroyers or frigates,[2] and a carrier air wing of 65 to 70 aircraft. A carrier strike group also, on occasion, includes submarines, attached logistics ships and a supply ship. The carrier strike group commander operationally reports to the commander of the numbered fleet, who is operationally responsible for the area of waters in which the carrier strike group is operating.

Strike groups comprise a principal element of U.S. power projection capability;[3][4] a single supercarrier holds enough firepower to rival the air forces of entire nations. Previously referred to as carrier battle groups (a term still used by other nations), they are often referred to by the carrier they are associated with (e.g., Enterprise Strike Group). As of March 2023 there are 11 carrier strike groups in the U.S. Navy.[5]

The carrier strike group is a flexible naval force that can operate in confined waters or in the open ocean, during day and night, in all weather conditions. The principal role of the carrier and its air wing within the carrier strike group is to provide the primary offensive firepower, while the other ships provide defense and support. These roles are not exclusive, however. Other ships in the strike group sometimes undertake offensive operations (launching cruise missiles, for instance) and the carrier's air wing contributes to the strike group's defense (through combat air patrols and airborne anti-submarine efforts). Thus, from a command and control perspective, carrier strike groups are combat organized by mission rather than by platform.

  1. ^ navy.mil web team. "U.S. Navy Style Guide - View List". Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  2. ^ "Official Carrier Strike Group Seven Website". United States Navy. Archived from the original on 9 February 2020.
  3. ^ "The Carrier Strike Group". Navy Data. U.S. Navy. 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  4. ^ Addison, Jr., Victor G. (July 2010). "The answer was the Carrier Strike Group ... Now What was the Question?". Naval Institute Proceedings. 136 (7): 47. ISSN 0041-798X. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Carrier Strike Group (COMCARSTRKGRU) 9". Navy Data. U.S. Navy. 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.