Sixth Fleet (other)
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The Sixth Fleet is a
numbered fleet The structure of the United States Navy consists of four main bodies: the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, the operating forces (described below), and the Shore Establishment. Office of the Chief of ...
of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
operating as part of
United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa The United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), is the United States Navy component command of the United States European Command and United States Africa Command. Prior to 2020, NAVEUR-NAVAF was previously referred to as United S ...
. The Sixth Fleet is headquartered at
Naval Support Activity Naples Naval Support Activity Naples (NSA Naples) is a United States Navy military complex, located adjacent to Naples International Airport in Capodichino, Naples, Italy. The Activity is under Italian military control and can be managed anytime by Ita ...
, Italy. The officially stated mission of the Sixth Fleet in 2011 is that it "conducts the full range of Maritime Operations and Theater Security Cooperation missions, in concert with coalition, joint, interagency, and other parties, in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa." The current commander of the Sixth Fleet is Vice Admiral
Jeffrey T. Anderson Jeffrey Thomas Anderson (born ) is a United States Navy vice admiral who serves as the commander of the United States Sixth Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO. He previously served as the director of operations of United States In ...
. The Sixth Fleet was established in February 1950 by redesignation of the former Sixth Task Fleet, which in turn was the 1948 redesignation of U S Naval Forces, Mediterranean. Since that time, it has been continually engaged in world affairs around the Mediterranean, and, on occasion, further afield. It was involved in numerous NATO maritime exercises, the U.S. Lebanese intervention of 1958, confrontation with the Soviets during the
Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...
(also known as the October War) of 1973, clearance of the Suez Canal after 1973, several confrontations with Libya during the 1980s (including
Operation El Dorado Canyon The United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps carried out air strikes, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, against Libya on 15 April 1986 in retaliation for the West Berlin discotheque bombing ten days earlier, which U.S. President Ron ...
), and maintenance of task forces in the
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
during the
wars in former Yugoslavia The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFR Yugo ...
in the 1990s. Most recently it launched airstrikes on Libya again during the
Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. All figures are from the United Nations Demographic Yearbooks ...
of 2011.


History

The United States has maintained a naval presence in the Mediterranean since the early 19th century, when U.S. Naval forces first engaged the
Barbary pirates The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...
to prevent them from interfering with commercial shipping. The earliest unit was the Mediterranean Squadron. On 1 February 1946, U.S. Naval Forces, Northwest African Waters ( NavNAW), was redesignated U.S. Naval Forces, Mediterranean. The force was responsible to
U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean The United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), is the United States Navy component command of the United States European Command and United States Africa Command. Prior to 2020, NAVEUR-NAVAF was previously referred to as United S ...
in London, and had as its flagship a destroyer tender, anchored at Naples, Italy. In 1946,
President Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th Vice president of the United States, vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Frank ...
dispatched the battleship to the Eastern Mediterranean, ostensibly to return the body of
Münir Ertegün Munir Ertegun ( Turkish spelling: Münir Ertegün; 1883 – 11 November 1944) was a Turkish legal counsel in international law to the "Sublime Porte" (imperial government) of the late Ottoman Empire and a diplomat of the Republic of Turkey dur ...
, former Turkish Ambassador to Washington, back to Istanbul. However, perhaps a much stronger motive was to demonstrate U.S. power in view of Soviet threats to Turkey and Iran. The cruiser relieved the tender as
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
and began operating with the fleet. In June 1946 , flying the flag of Vice Admiral Bernhard Bieri, Commander, Naval Forces Mediterranean, was despatched to
Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
. On 5 September 1946, , flying the flag of Rear Admiral John H. Cassady, Commander Carrier Division 1, and accompanied by , , and , visited
Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...
, the port of Athens. , escorted by USS ''Fargo'' and , visited Greece in December 1946. The title of Naval Forces Mediterranean was changed to Commander Sixth Task Fleet and then, in 1950, Commander, Sixth Fleet. Sixth Fleet's NATO guise was the principal player in
Exercise Longstep Exercise Longstep was a ten-day NATO naval exercise held in the Mediterranean Sea during November 1952 under the overall command of Admiral Robert B. Carney, USN, the Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCAFSOUTH). This exercise i ...
during November 1952. In 1957, a naval exercise,
Operation Deep Water Operation Deep Water was a 1957 NATO naval exercise held in the Mediterranean Sea that simulated protecting the Dardanelles from a Soviet invasion. By controlling this bottleneck in a war situation, the Soviet Black Sea Fleet would be prevented f ...
, took place within the
Allied Forces Southern Europe The Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples) is a NATO military command based in Lago Patria, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy. It was activated on 15 March 2004, after effectively redesigning its predecessor command, Allied Forces Southe ...
area of responsibility Area of responsibility (AOR) is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and c ...
. It was conducted by
Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...
(STRIKFORSOUTH), commanded by
Vice Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
Charles R. Brown USN, who also commanded the Sixth Fleet. STRIKEFORSOUTH was effectively the NATO designation for the U.S. Sixth Fleet, though additional NATO headquarters personnel would eventually be assigned, while maintaining American control over its nuclear weapons on board U.S. aircraft carriers as mandated by the
Atomic Energy Act of 1946 The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (McMahon Act) determined how the United States would control and manage the nuclear technology it had jointly developed with its World War II allies, the United Kingdom and Canada. Most significantly, the Act ru ...
. Sixth Fleet supported American land forces during
Operation Blue Bat The 1958 Lebanon crisis was a political crisis in Lebanon caused by political and religious tensions in the country that included an American military intervention, which lasted for around three months until President Camille Chamoun, who had req ...
in Lebanon in 1958. On 20 January 1967, following France's withdrawal from the
NATO Military Command Structure The structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is complex and multi-faceted. The decision-making body is the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and the member state representatives also sit on the Defence Planning Committee (NATO), Defe ...
, and the removal of NATO troops from France, Sixth Fleet Headquarters was moved from
Villefranche-sur-Mer Villefranche-sur-Mer (, ; ; ) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera and is located southwest of the Principality of Monaco, which is just west of the French-Italian ...
, France to Gaeta, Italy. During the Cold War, the Sixth Fleet had several confrontations with the
Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...
's 5th Operational Squadron, notably during the 1973
Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...
. During the Yom Kippur War
Elmo Zumwalt Elmo Russell "Bud" Zumwalt Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000) was a United States Navy officer and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an Admiral (United States), admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Opera ...
describes part of the Sixth Fleet buildup as follows:
On 25 October JCS directed TG 20.1, and escorts, to ome under the command of€¦ ComSixthFleet as TG 60.3 and proceed to join TG 60 south of Crete. Additionally, and escorts (TG 60.2) and TF61/62 he amphibious task forceswere directed to join TG 60.1 south of Crete. …TG 100.1 (Baltic destroyers) were ordered to proceed to the Mediterranean and chop to ComSixthFleet…
5 April 1974, the United States and Egypt agreed that the United States would provide extensive assistance to clear the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
of mines, unexploded ordnance, and sunken ships. These operations took the form of Nimbus Star (mine and ordnance clearance), Nimbus Moon (land and sub-surface naval ordnance clearance), and Nimrod Spar, in which a private salvage contractor would clear the canal of the ten sunken ships under the supervision of the Sixth Fleet's Task Force 65. Captain J. Huntly Boyd, the Navy's Supervisor of Salvage, was sent to the Canal Zone as Commander, Salvage Task Group (CTG 65.7). He supervised the actual salvage clearing operation which was carried out by the Murphy Pacific Marine Salvage Company of New York. A total of ten ships blocked the canal; 200 civilian specialists worked from May to December 1974 to complete the operation. The canal reopened on 5 June 1975, with the Sixth Fleet flagship ''Little Rock'' in attendance. On the afternoon of 8 June 1967, while in international waters off the northern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, technical research ship USS ''Liberty'' was attacked and damaged by the Israel Defense Forces; 34 American sailors were killed and 174 wounded by the Israeli attack. Though ''Liberty'' was severely damaged, with a 39-by-24-foot (11.9 m × 7.3 m) hole amidships and a twisted keel, her crew kept her afloat, and she was able to leave the area under her own power. After the attack, she was escorted to Valletta, Malta, by units of the Sixth Fleet and was given temporary repairs. After the repairs were completed, ''Liberty'' returned to the United States on 27 July 1967. She was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 June 1968. She was laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet of Norfolk until December 1970, when she was transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal. In 1973, she was sold for scrapping to the Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland. In 1999, changes to CINCUSNAVEUR's area of responsibility were announced, after amendments to the Unified Command Plan. The United States Atlantic Command areas that had included the waters off Europe and the west coast of Africa were to be transferred to European Command. U.S. European Command already had responsibility for all U.S. land and air military planning in Europe and most of Africa. The change gave EUCOM, and NAVEUR, the responsibility for maritime planning in the same general area of operations. The changes were made effective on October 1, 2000. The Atlantic Command areas that presently include the waters off Europe and the west coast of Africa were also transferred to European Command. This change also extended Sixth Fleet's responsibilities to the mid-Atlantic. The Sixth Fleet provided military, logistical and humanitarian assistance to support NATO operations in
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
from the beginning of
Operation Allied Force The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
. It also participated in
Operation Shining Hope Joint Task Force (JTF) Shining Hope was the United States contribution to Operation Allied Harbor in 1999. The mission of JTF Shining Hope was to conduct foreign humanitarian assistance operations in support of US government agencies and non-gover ...
and
Operation Joint Guardian Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
. In March 2011, it was involved in operations in Libya pursuant to
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 Resolution 1973 was adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 17 March 2011 in response to the First Libyan Civil War. The resolution formed the legal basis for military intervention in the Libyan Civil War, demanding "an immediate ce ...
.


Structure

The fleet once had its headquarters in
Gaeta Gaeta (; ; Southern Latian dialect, Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a seaside resort in the province of Latina in Lazio, Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The city has played ...
, Italy, commanded by a
Vice Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
. However, beginning in 2004, the Sixth Fleet staff was combined with United States Naval Forces Europe staff, up to that time headquartered in London. Since then the staff has operated as a single entity with a four star admiral who serves as Commander, Naval Forces Europe and Commander, Naval Forces Africa. This admiral has a three star Deputy Commander who also carries the title Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. The staff as a whole is known as Commander, Naval Forces Europe-Africa/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet or CNE-CNA/C6F and works from its facilities at
Naval Support Activity Naples Naval Support Activity Naples (NSA Naples) is a United States Navy military complex, located adjacent to Naples International Airport in Capodichino, Naples, Italy. The Activity is under Italian military control and can be managed anytime by Ita ...
at the
Capodichino San Pietro a Patierno is a suburb of Naples, the chief city in Campania, Italy. Geography It is one of the largest suburbs of Naples and is relatively lightly populated compared to surrounding areas, with around 20,000 residents. The district ...
site in
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
, Italy. is the Sixth Fleet
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
with its homeport Gaeta, Italy and operating in the Mediterranean. U.S. Naval forces entering the Mediterranean Sea have their operational control changed to being under Sixth Fleet. This change of command is always referred to as 'CHOPing,' an abbreviation for Change of Operational Control. Sixth Fleet has consisted of up to 40 ships, 175 aircraft and 21,000 people, such as in early 2003, when two carrier battle groups operated in the Mediterranean during
Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
. Since the submarine tender , based in
La Maddalena La Maddalena (Gallurese: ''Madalena'' or ''La Madalena'', ) is a town and ''comune'' located on the islands of the Maddalena archipelago in the province of Sassari, northern Sardinia, Italy. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most be ...
in Sardinia, changed homeports to
Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, Kitsap County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 43,505 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and an estimated 44,122 in 2021, making it the largest city ...
, the fleet has just one permanently assigned ship, ''Mount Whitney''. The fleet typically has a number of frigates and destroyers assigned, as well as those vessels transiting between the East Coast and the Suez. Since 2005, Sixth Fleet ships have increasingly been operating around Africa, particularly in the
Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea (French language, French: ''Golfe de Guinée''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Golfo de Guinea''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Golfo da Guiné'') is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez i ...
. The Sixth Fleet is operationally organized into
task force A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many ...
s. Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe included Task Force 502 (Carrier Forces, effectively Task Force 60), Task Force 503 (Amphibious Forces), Task Force 504 (Landing Forces), Task Force 505 (Logistics Forces), and Task Force 506 (Special Operations Forces).


Destroyer squadron 60

Destroyer Squadron 60 Destroyer Squadron 60 (stylized DESRON 60 and Destroyer Squadron SIX ZERO) is a destroyer squadron of the United States Navy. Destroyer Squadron 60 is one of three U.S. Navy destroyer squadrons permanently based outside the continental United Sta ...
(DESRON SIX ZERO) was established on 19 February 2003. It was homeported in
Gaeta Gaeta (; ; Southern Latian dialect, Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a seaside resort in the province of Latina in Lazio, Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The city has played ...
, Italy. The establishment of Destroyer Squadron Sixty provided CNE/COMSIXTHFLT with a permanently assigned destroyer squadron, increasing the Sixth Fleet's options when undertaking national and theater level tasking. From November 2007 to April 2008, COMDESRON 60 (Commander, Destroyer Squadron 60's commander) served as Commander
Africa Partnership Station Africa Partnership Station (or APS) is an international initiative developed by United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa, which works cooperatively with U.S. and international partners to improve maritime safety and security in Africa as part of U ...
with an international staff operating off West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. He also serves as Commander, Task Force 365, Task Force West and Central Africa.


Task Force 60

Task Force 60 was for many years the Sixth Fleet's Battle Force. When any
carrier strike group A carrier strike group (CSG) is a type of carrier battle group of the United States Navy. It is an operational formation composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, usually an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer Squadron (naval), squad ...
enters into the Mediterranean operating area it is usually designated TF 60 and the battle group commander, a one or two-star flag officer, assumes duties as Commander Task Force 60 (CTF 60) from COMDESRON 60. The Task Force is often composed of one or more
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
s, each with an accompanying complement of two to six cruisers and destroyers. On board the aircraft carrier is a
Carrier air wing A carrier air wing (abbreviated CVW) is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadron (aviation), squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing and rotorcraft, rotary-wing a ...
of 65–85 aircraft. This air wing is the primary striking arm of the Strike Group, and includes attack, fighter, anti-submarine, and reconnaissance aircraft. During the 1986 confrontation with
Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
, that led to
Operation El Dorado Canyon The United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps carried out air strikes, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, against Libya on 15 April 1986 in retaliation for the West Berlin discotheque bombing ten days earlier, which U.S. President Ron ...
, the Sixth Fleet's battle force was under the command of Rear Admiral David E. Jeremiah. Task Group 60.1 under Rear Admiral J.C. Breast was made up of the ''Coral Sea'' and her escorts, Task Group 60.2 under Jeremiah, ''Saratoga'' and her escorts, and Task Group 60.3 under Rear Admiral Henry H. Mauz, Jr., ''America'' and her escorts. Task Group 60.5, the Surface Action Group under Captain Robert L. Goodwin, was made up of a missile cruiser, missile destroyer, and another destroyer. In November 2007, Task Group 60.4 held the
Africa Partnership Station Africa Partnership Station (or APS) is an international initiative developed by United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa, which works cooperatively with U.S. and international partners to improve maritime safety and security in Africa as part of U ...
role, embarked aboard the amphibious ship . HSV ''Swift'' was scheduled to join ''Fort McHenry'' in Africa in November 2007. In 2012, Task Group 60.5 was permanently assigned as the Southeast Africa Task Group. The Group may be renamed the South and East Africa Task Group. It held the alternate designation of Task Force 363. Task Force 60 will normally be the commander of Naval Task Force Europe and Africa. Any naval unit within the USEUCOM or USAFRICOM AOR may be assigned to TF 60 as required upon signal from the Commander of the Sixth Fleet.


Task Force 61, amphibious assault force

Task Force 61 Task Force 61 (CTF-61) is a task force of the United States Navy that today denotes what used to be designated the Mediterranean Amphibious ready group (MARG) of the United States Sixth Fleet. It is composed of approximately three Amphibious ass ...
was the Mediterranean
Amphibious Ready Group An amphibious ready group (ARG) of the United States Navy consists of a naval element—a group of warships known as an Amphibious Task Force (ATF)—and a landing force (LF) of U.S. Marines (and occasionally U.S. Army soldiers), in total abo ...
. It is composed of approximately three amphibious ships and their embarked landing craft. From these ships, United States Marine amphibious forces can move ashore by sea and air in amphibious assault or emergency evacuation missions. Once ashore, the ships of Task Force 61 logistically support the ground forces, until the objective of the landing has been accomplished, and the Marine Forces return to the ships. , according to official NavEur/NavAf Public Affairs sources, Task Force 61 will normally be the commander of the deployed carrier strike group (CSG) and will exercise operational control of all units assigned to TF61 operating in the USEUCOM or USAFRICOM AOR.


Task Force 62, landing force (Marine expeditionary unit)

Task Force 62 is the combat-ready ground force composed of a
Marine expeditionary unit A Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU, pronounced as one syllable "" IPA: ) is the smallest Marine air-ground task force, air-ground task force (MAGTF) in the United States Fleet Marine Force.II MEF The II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force consisting of ground, air and logistics forces capable of projecting offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a ...
on the East Coast. , according to official Public Affairs sources, Task Force 62 will normally be the commander of the deployed Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and will exercise operational control of all units assigned to TF61 operating in the USEUCOM or USAFRICOM AOR.


Task Force 63 logistics force

Task Force 63 is the Logistics Force. Task Force 63 and
Military Sealift Command The Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all U ...
's Sealift Logistics Command (SEALOGEUR) are two separately named formations that actually operate as a unified one with one staff. Task Force 63 is headquartered at
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
, Italy. Composed of oilers, provision ships, and repair ships, its mission is the delivery of supplies at sea, and effecting repairs to other ships and equipment of the Fleet. Commander, Task Force 63 (CTF-63) is the operational commander of all the U.S. 6th Fleet air and sea logistics. While in theater, Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force and Special Mission ships report to CTF-63 along with cargo planes that support 6th Fleet and U.S. European Command logistics missions. CTF-63 is also responsible for ordering and tracking spare parts and supplies being delivered to ships in theater. CTF-63 is the immediate operational commander of
Maritime Prepositioning ship Strategic sealift ships are part of the United States Military Sealift Command's (MSC) prepositioning program. There are currently 17 ships in the program, strategically positioned around the world to support the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp ...
Squadron One (MPSRON ONE) based in the Mediterranean Sea. The ships of MPSRON One are deployed year-round. This pre-positions U.S. military cargo at sea. Should a military or humanitarian crisis arise in theater, the squadron can deliver its cargo ashore, enabling a faster U.S. response.


Task Force 64 Integrated Air and Missile Defense Force

The first incarnation of Task Force 64 consisted of nuclear-powered submarines armed with long-range strategic missiles (
SSBN A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capabil ...
). Until the end of the 1970s these ships were homeported in
Naval Station Rota, Spain Naval Station Rota, also known as NAVSTA Rota (), is a Spanish naval base, that is jointly used by the Spanish Navy and the United States Navy. Located in Rota, Cádiz, Rota in the Province of Cádiz, NAVSTA Rota is the largest American military ...
. The mission was nuclear
deterrence Deterrence may refer to: * Deterrence theory, a theory of war, especially regarding nuclear weapons * Deterrence (penology), a theory of justice * Deterrence (psychology) Deterrence in relation to criminal offending is the idea or penology, t ...
. It is extremely unlikely that any SSBNs are actually still assigned or operate with CNE/C6F in the Mediterranean. Previously, CTF 64 was responsible for ballistic missile submarines assigned to the Sixth Fleet. CTF 64's administrative title, was Commander Submarine Group 8. ComSubGru 8's operational functions were accomplished through four Task Forces: CTF 64, CTF 69 (attack submarines), NATO's CTF 442, or deployed SSBNs and CTF 439, the operational title for Commander Submarines Allied Naval Forces South—the rear admiral's NATO hat. (globalsecurity.org) TF 64 then became a Special Operation force, previously headquartered by the now-disbanded Naval Special Warfare Unit 10 at
Rota, Spain The town of Rota is a Spanish municipality located in the Province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Its surface area is 84 km2 and is bordered by the towns of Chipiona, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. It is located near the city of ...
. NSWU 10 disbanded in 2005, and it is now unclear whether CTF 64 is operating currently. During the initial stages of
Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...
in Afghanistan, Task Force 64 became the administrative command structure created to interface with all non-UK/US special forces and smaller ground combat forces provided by various national governments and under American operational control. This may have been because NSWU 10 elements deployed to Afghanistan to form part of the HQ. On 24 March 2016 TF64 assumed control of 6th Fleet's missile defense mission.


Task Force 65

April 1967 saw the threat of civil war in Greece commencing with the military coup that ended parliamentary rule there. Although King
Constantine II of Greece Constantine II (, ; 2 June 1940 – 10 January 2023) was the last King of Greece, reigning from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973. Constantine was born in Athens as the only son of Crown Prince Paul and ...
held his throne, the possibility of violence in the streets of Athens loomed as a potential threat to the American citizens suddenly caught up in the turmoil. It seemed that evacuation by ship might be necessary and the Sixth Fleet commander ordered the formation of a special operations task force. Under the command of Rear Admiral Dick H. Guinn, Task Force 65, with ''America'' as
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
, sailed eastward to stand by for evacuation, should that step be necessary. Violence never materialized in Greece, and the task force was not called upon to act. On 29 April, Rear Admiral Lawrence R. Geis relieved Rear Admiral Guinn as Commander, Carrier Division 4, Commander, TF 60, Commander, TF 65, and Commander, TF 502 (NATO). With a new admiral on board, and the Greek political crisis behind her, ''America'' sailed into Taranto Harbor, Italy, on the first day of May for eight days of relaxation. During three days of general visiting in Taranto, ''America'' hosted 1,675 visitors who came aboard to tour the hangar and flight decks. ''America'' departed Taranto on 8 May for routine task group operations in the Ionian and
Tyrrhenian Sea The Tyrrhenian Sea (, ; or ) , , , , is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenians, Tyrrhenian people identified with the Etruscans of Italy. Geography The sea is bounded by the islands of C ...
s, she followed these with a port visit to Livorno. Rear Admiral Brian McCauley served as Commander Task Force 65 during the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
clearance operations, from April 1974 to June 1975. Task Force 65/
Destroyer Squadron 60 Destroyer Squadron 60 (stylized DESRON 60 and Destroyer Squadron SIX ZERO) is a destroyer squadron of the United States Navy. Destroyer Squadron 60 is one of three U.S. Navy destroyer squadrons permanently based outside the continental United Sta ...
located in Rota, Spain. Commander, Task Force 65/Commander Destroyer Squadron SIX ZERO exercises operational and tactical control of all forward deployed surface combatants operating in the USEUCOM and USAFRICOM AORs under the direction of Naval Forces Europe/Africa. TF 65 surface combatants execute myriad operations from as far north as the Norwegian Sea and south to the Cape of Good Hope including Ballistic Missile Defense, Sea Lines of Communication enforcement, Maritime Interdiction Operations, direct support to NATO combined and Joint operations and exercises, Counter-terrorism operations, Counter-piracy operations, Africa Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership operations, whole of government Africa Partnership Station deployments and Theater Security Cooperation activities both in port and underway. It can be seen from this 2011 official description that the CDS 60 task force designator has been switched from TF 60 to TF 65. In November 2007, the destroyer ''Forrest Sherman'' circumnavigated the
African continent Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
while performing theater security operations with local military forces as the flagship of Task Group 60.5, the U.S. Navy's Southeast Africa task force.


Task Force 66 innovation, development

During the 1980s, Task Force 66 was the fleet's Area Anti-Submarine Warfare Force. Re-established in 2024, Task Force 66 headquartered in Naples, Italy, leverages collaboration between the government, industry and academia. Its aim is to accelerate development and fielding of new systems on a large scale. * Uninhabited systems – integrate all-domain uncrewed systems (UxS) across the joint force, U.S. allies, and partner nations. * Maritime Domain Awareness – support multinational efforts to address transnational issues like illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUUx) activities. * All-Domain – drive operations to integrate capabilities across information, space, cyber, sea, air, and land domains enabled by UxS. The Task Force works closely with the Navy Disruptive Capabilities Office (DCO) on rapid experimentation and prototyping. It will also work with Naval Postgraduate School's Naval Innovation Center (NIC) established by SECNAV on ways to accelerate technology solutions and applications. To this end, Task Force 66 is responsible for the logistical lines of effort of 6th Fleet's autonomous unmanned systems throughout the AOR with joint force, Coalition, Allies, and partner nations in support of these activities.


Task Force 67 land-based maritime patrol aircraft

Task Force 67 Task Force 67 was created by William Halsey, Jr. during Guadalcanal Campaign of World War II and consisted of several destroyers and cruisers: * heavy cruiser * heavy cruiser ** ** * heavy cruiser * light cruiser ** ** ** ** * destroye ...
is composed of land-based maritime patrol aircraft. These aircraft operate over the waters of the Mediterranean in anti-submarine, reconnaissance, surveillance, and mining roles. In the past, Task Force 67's has been provided by Commander, Fleet Air Mediterranean (COMFLTAIRMED), but it is unclear whether FLTAIRMED still exists. The Task Force commander also previously held the role of
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
AFSOUTH's Commander, Maritime Air, Allied Naval Forces South with the NATO task force designator TF 431. Task Force organization 2022: CTF-67 commands all Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) in the European and African theaters. *TG-67.1
Naval Air Station Sigonella Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella is an Italian Air Force base ('), and a U.S. Navy installation at Italian Air Force Base Sigonella in Lentini, Sicily, Italy. The whole NAS is a tenant of the Italian Air Force, which has the military and the ...
, Sicily, VP-Patrol Squadron (P-8A) *TG-67.2 Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, Tactical Operation Center (TOC) **TU-67.2.1 Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, Mobile Tactical Operation Center (MTOC) **TU-67.2.2
Naval Air Station Keflavik Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF) was a United States Navy air station at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland, located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island. NASKEF was closed on 8 September 2006 and its faci ...
, Iceland, Mobile Tactical Operation Center (MTOC) *TG-67.3 Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, Triton UAV (MQ-4)(When Activated) *TG-67.4 Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece, VQ-Squadron (EP-3) *TG-67.5
Spangdahlem Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA: SPM, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the United States Air Force as a tenant constru ...
, Germany, VAQ-Squadron (EA-18G) *TG-67.6 Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, HSC-Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (MH-60S) *TG-67.7
Naval Station Rota Naval Station Rota, also known as NAVSTA Rota (), is a Spanish naval base, that is jointly used by the Spanish Navy and the United States Navy. Located in Rota in the Province of Cádiz, NAVSTA Rota is the largest American military community in ...
, Spain, HSM-Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (MH-60R) *TG-67.8 Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, VP-Patrol Squadron (P-8A) , officially Task Force 67's mission is to provide responsive, interoperable, and expeditionary combat ready maritime patrol aircraft and supporting forces to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe/Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Africa and Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (CNE-CNA-C6F), NATO and Unified Commanders to conduct effective Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), maintain
Maritime Domain Awareness Maritime domain awareness (MDA) is defined by the International Maritime Organization as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment. MDA is said to ...
(MDA), enhance regional stability, promote cooperative maritime safety and security, and be decisive while conducting overseas contingency operations. At some point between 1999 and 2012, probably after 11 September 2001, TG-67.6 was activated in
Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...
. This is within the
United States Africa Command The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for ...
(AFRICOM) area of operations; before the changeover of responsibility for the
Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...
from
United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilit ...
to AFRICOM, this task group was a component of the
United States Fifth Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. Its area of responsibility encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles, and includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. It shares a comma ...
's
Task Force 57 Task Force 57 (TF 57) is a US Navy task force. It was previously active during World War II. Task Force numbers were in constant use, and there were several incarnations of TF 57 during World War II. Land based bombers of the United States Air Fo ...
.


Task Force 68, maritime force protection force

Established 17 March 2005, CTF 68 is to command force protection forces such as construction battalions, mobile mine assembly units, and Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Teams (FAST) platoons which are part of Marine Corps Security Force Company Europe (MCSFCoEUR). Task Force 68 is the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force. Units typically assigned to TF 68 are Explosive Ordnance Disposal units, Naval Construction units and Marines which make up the Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Teams (FAST). A possibly more recent mission for CTF 68 is Commander, Task Force SIX EIGHT conducts Explosive Ordnance Disposal operations, Naval Construction, Expeditionary Security and Theater Security Cooperation in order to maintain strategic assess, develop interoperability with coalition, joint, inter-agency and other partners, and increase security and stability in Europe and Africa. On order, conduct Point and Area Defense to protect and defend critical infrastructure and High Value Assets against terrorist attack. Be prepared to conduct Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations.


Task Force 69 submarine warfare

Task Force 69 is responsible for planning and coordinating area submarine and anti-submarine warfare operations in the Mediterranean. Specifically,
Task Force 69 Task may refer to: * Task (computing), a unit of execution or homeworks * Task (language instruction) refers to a certain type of activity used in language instructional design * Task (project management), an activity that needs to be accomplish ...
is composed of
attack submarine An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants, and merchant vessels. In the Soviet Navy, Soviet and Russian Navy, Russian navies ...
s that provide capability to destroy enemy surface ships and submarines, as well as protect other Sixth Fleet ships from attack. , according to official U.S. Navy public affairs contributions to Wikipedia, Task Force 69 is the Submarine Force and exercises operational control of all Submarine assets in the USEUCOM or USAFRICOM AOR.


Past command ships

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * (Current)


Sixth Fleet commanders

# 1945 â€“ July 1946 VADM
Jules James Jules James (February 14, 1885 – March 12, 1957), was a career U.S. Naval officer. During World War II he commanded U.S. Naval forces in Bermuda and then later oversaw the construction of a large number of U.S. Navy ships while commanding t ...
(then designated U S Naval Forces, Mediterranean) # June 1946 â€“ July 1948 VADM Bernhard H. Bieri (redesignated in 1948 U S Sixth Task Force) # July 1948 – November 1949 VADM
Forrest Sherman Forrest Percival Sherman (October 30, 1896 â€“ July 22, 1951) was an admiral in the United States Navy and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations until Admiral Elmo Zumwalt in 1970. The and the airfield at Naval Air Stat ...
# November 1949 – March 1951 VADM
John J. Ballentine John Jennings Ballentine (4 October 1896 – 21 May 1970) was an early United States Naval Aviator who commanded the escort carrier and the fleet carrier during World War II. After the war, he commanded the United States Sixth Fleet and Naval ...
(redesignated in 1950 U S Sixth Fleet) # March 1951 – May 1952 VADM Matthias B. Gardner # May 1952 – March 1954 VADM John H. Cassady # June 1954 – March 1955 VADM Thomas S. Combs # March 1955 – April 1956 VADM Ralph A. Ofstie # April 1956 – August 1956 VADM Harry D. Felt # August 1956 – September 1958 VADM Charles R. Brown # Sept 1958 – September 1959 VADM
Clarence Ekstrom Clarence Eugene Ekstrom (March 10, 1902 – January 11, 1986) was a naval aviator and vice admiral in the United States Navy, who served during World War II. Biography Ekstrom was born in Waupaca, Wisconsin, and graduated from the United Sta ...
# September 1959 – July 1961 VADM George Anderson # July 1961 – March 1963 VADM David L. McDonald # March 1963 – June 1964 VADM William Gentner # June 1964 – September 1966 VADM William E. Ellis # September 1966 – April 1967 VADM Frederick Ashworth # April 1967 – August 1968 VADM William Martin # August 1968 – August 1970 VADM David C. Richardson # August 1970 – October 1971 VADM
Isaac C. Kidd Jr. Isaac Campbell Kidd Jr. (August 14, 1919 – June 27, 1999) was an American admiral in the United States Navy who served as the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO's Atlantic Fleet, and also as commander in chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet from 1975 ...
# October 1971– June 1973 VADM
Gerald E. Miller Gerald Edward Miller (July 1, 1919 – November 6, 2014) was a Vice admiral (United States), vice admiral in the United States Navy. He was a commander of the United States Sixth Fleet (from October 1971 – June 1973). He graduated in 1942 from th ...
# June 1973 – September 1974 VADM Daniel J. Murphy # September 1974 – August 1976 VADM Frederick C. Turner # August 1976 – September 1978 VADM Harry D. Train II # September 1978 – July 1979 VADM
James D. Watkins James David Watkins (March 7, 1927 – July 26, 2012) was a United States Navy admiral and former Chief of Naval Operations who served as the United States Secretary of Energy during the George H. W. Bush administration, also chairing U.S. gover ...
# July 1979 – June 1981 VADM
William N. Small William Newell Small (February 22, 1927 – December 9, 2016) was a four star Admiral (United States), admiral in the United States Navy who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations and Commander in Chief, NATO Allied Forces Southern Europe and Uni ...
# June 1981 – July 1983 VADM
William H. Rowden William Henry Rowden (May 12, 1930 – October 15, 2022) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy. He was a former commander of the United States Sixth Fleet (from June 1981 – July 1983). He also served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations ( ...
# July 1983 – February 1985 VADM Edward H. Martin # February 1985 – June 1986 VADM
Frank Kelso Frank Benton Kelso II (July 11, 1933 – June 23, 2013) was an admiral of the United States Navy, who served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1990 to 1994. Early life Kelso was born in Fayetteville, Tennessee, on July 11, 1933. He attended public ...
II # June 1986 – August 1988 VADM Kendall Moranville # August 1988 – November 1990 VADM
J. D. Williams Darnell "J. D." Williams (born May 22, 1978) is an American actor known for his starring roles in the HBO television programs '' Oz'' as Kenny Wangler, ''The Wire'' as Bodie Broadus and '' Pootie Tang'' as Froggy, '' Surviving Family'' (2012) ...
# November 1990– July 1992 VADM William Owens # July 1992 – December 1993 VADM Thomas J. Lopez # December 1993 – April 1995 VADM Joseph Prueher # April 1995 – July 1996 VADM Donald L. Pilling # July 1996 – July 1998 VADM Charles S. Abbot # July 1998 – October 2000 VADM Daniel Murphy Jr # October 2000 – October 2001 VADM Gregory G. Johnson # October 2001 – November 2003 VADM Scott Fry # November 2003– May 2005 VADM H. G. Ulrich III # May 2005 – September 2007 VADM J. "Boomer" Stufflebeem # September 2007 – August 2008 VADM
James A. Winnefeld, Jr. James Alexander "Sandy" Winnefeld Jr. (born April 24, 1956) is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. While on active duty, Winnefeld served as the ninth vice chairman of the ...
# August 2008 – November 2009 VADM Bruce W. Clingan # November 2009 – October 2011 VADM Harry B. Harris Jr. # October 2011 – October 2013 VADM
Frank Craig Pandolfe Frank Craig Pandolfe (born 1958) is a retired Vice Admiral in the United States Navy, and last served as the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Before, he was the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, the Joint Staff. He ...
# October 2013 – December 2014 VADM Philip S. Davidson # December 2014 – October 2016 VADM James G. Foggo III # October 2016 – March 2018 VADM Christopher W. Grady # March 2018 – July 2020 VADM Lisa M. Franchetti # July 2020 – September 2022 VADM Eugene H. Black III # September 2022 – September 2024 VADM Thomas E. Ishee # September 2024 – present VADM
Jeffrey T. Anderson Jeffrey Thomas Anderson (born ) is a United States Navy vice admiral who serves as the commander of the United States Sixth Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO. He previously served as the director of operations of United States In ...


See also

*
Gilla Gerzon Gilla Gerzon (), known to many United States military personnel as the "mother of the 6th fleet,"Brill, Arthur P., Jr"Expeditionary USO,"''Sea Power'', Oct 1997, retrieved September 20, 2012 is an Israeli who served as director of the Haifa, Isr ...
– served as director of the
Haifa, Israel Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel. It is home to t ...
USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...


Footnotes


External links

* United States Navy
Official Commander of 6th Fleet Website
* United States Navy
Official Commander of 6th Fleet Twitter page
* United States Navy
Official Commander of 6th Fleet Facebook page

Black Sea Port Visits

Order establishing TF 68 as Maritime Force Protection Force


{{US Navy navbox 6 Military units and formations established in 1950 Military history of the Mediterranean