“…The undisputed single edition bible of the US Fleet since [the Guide] was acquired by the publishing arm of the United States Naval Institute several decades ago. Retaining noted naval authority, author, and historian Norman Polmar as editor proved to be a wise choice, for Polmar infuses each edition with much of his vast background on all things US Navy….A first-rate reference guide compiled by a first-rate author.”
— Sea Classics
"Norman Polmar, with this work and his many earlier books—he has 50 to his credit—and other writings, is the most mature and significant of naval affairs thinkers as the West has seen in recent decades. He is clearly the strong successor to Capt. John Moore, RN, the legendary British naval intelligence officer and submariner who gave Jane’s Fighting Ships its great authority during the Cold War years. And he is a worthy successor, too, to Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan and Theodore Roosevelt, who could see what the US needed to do to command the seas, and had the persuasion to see it implemented. This great book is a bargain; it is a potion to clear the head the morning after the drunken run–ashore the US has enjoyed in the heady pay-days of the past couple of decades.”
—Defense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis and D&F’s Strategic Policy
Now available this fully updated, 19th edition of The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet meets the high expectations and exacting standards of those who rely on this volume to stay informed and to make related policy, force level, technological and weapons decisions related to the U.S. Navy.
Packed with comprehensive information, up-to-date photographs, line drawings, and useful appendixes, this timely volume describes the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard during a period of intensive transformation while engaged in combat operations.
In describing the Navy’s “ships and aircraft,” extensive coverage is given to the new littoral combat ships (LCS), joint high-speed vessels (JHSV), Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, and other new ships as well as developments in shipboard ballistic missile defense. At the same time, the convoluted path in surface combatant construction is “deciphered,” while the belated decision to cancel the Marine expeditionary fighting vehicle (EFV) is explained. Also addressed in detail is the new F-35 series Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and other aviation programs. Similarly addressed are Navy personnel, Marine Corps issues, Coast Guard forces, marine mammals, unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles, and other aspects of U.S. naval forces.
Continuing the longstanding tradition as the most complete resource of its kind, this updated 19th edition meets the high expectations and exacting standards of those who rely on this volume to stay informed in the field.
Norman Polmar is an internationally known analyst, consultant, and award-winning author specializing in the naval, aviation, and intelligence areas. He has participated in or directed major studies in these areas for the U.S. Department of Defense and Navy, and served as a consultant to U.S. and foreign commercial firms and government agencies. He has been an advisor or consultant on naval issues to three U.S. Secretaries of the Navy and two Chiefs of Naval Operations, as well as to three U.S. Senators and a Speaker of the House of Representatives. He has 50 published books to his credit, including eight previous editions of Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet and four editions of Guide to the Soviet Navy. Mr. Polmar is a columnist for Proceedings and Naval History magazines. He is a resident of Alexandria, VA.
~ Praise for Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet ~
"It is a remarkable achievement for any book that is not the scripture of a major religion to reach its nineteenth edition. Come to think of it, our naval services are a kind of religion, and Norman Polmar, if not its apostle, is one of its major prophets….[The book] is an essential resource for anyone who needs to analyze, procure, plan for, organize, train, equip or understand America’s bewildering variety of naval platforms, programs and systems…. Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet is a dependable reference providing balanced and objective assessments that speak truth to power.”
— DefenseMediaNetwork.com
“In its nineteenth edition, this classic just gets better and better…If you really need, or are simply interested in, a very thorough update on the current state of the ships, boats and aircraft—and their weaponry—of the U.S. fleet, this is where to get it….There is no better source of this vital information.”
— AUSMarine
“No one can doubt that this book is the best and most complete overview of the most powerful navy in the world, conceived for specialists and for decision-makers, but available also for the general public.”
— JP4 MENSILE DI AERONAUTICA (and PANORMA DIFESA) – published out of Firenze, Italy
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