Navy Ships Trivia Quiz

Answer: Guided Missile Cruiser (Nuclear-powered)

The letters CGN stand for Cruiser, Guided missile, Nuclear. All these classes of ships have been decommissioned. Only nine were ever built, with three of them (USS Bainbridge, USS Long Beach and USS Truxtun) essentially unique vessels, each an entirely new class of ship. The rest belonged to the California class (2 ships) and Virginia class (4 ships).

Answer: Ammunition Ship

Ammunition Ships carry ammunition to all the ships in the fleet, capable of reloading the ships while underway. They also carry ammo from port to port.

Answer: Guided Missile Destroyer

The earlier DDG classes (Spruance, Kidd, Charles F. Adams and Farragut) went through a major redesign to produce the Arleigh Burke class DDG. It features an added Aegis weapon/radar system and VLS (Vertical Launch System). The USS Cole is an Arleigh Burke class DDG; they are fast and deadly.

Answer: Aircraft Carrier (Nuclear Powered)

This the heart of the modern US Navy! Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carriers are essentially self-contained cities at sea! Each of these ships is big enough to warrant its own post office.

Answer: Guided Missile Frigate

Although the FFG is commonly known as a "fast frigate" in the Navy vernacular, only the "FF" is actually designated "fast frigate". Back a few years there were several classes of FF (basically lacking the guided missile component), but to my knowledge, all the FF's have been decommissioned.

(Editor's Note: This is true... the USS Truett, FF-1095, was the last Fast Frigate to be decommissioned. She was stricken from the registry on 30 July 1994.)

Answer: Oiler

Much like how the AE only carries ammunition, the AO only carries fuel: for ships, planes or aircraft. Incidentally, the "A" in these designators refers to the word "Auxiliary" to denote the support nature of the vessels.

Answer: Hull number for administrative purposes

It is commonly believed that the number indicates the sequence in which the ships are commissioned. It may work out like that most of the time, but it isn't actually true. For example, USS Thomas Gates (CG-51) was commissioned on 22 AUG 1987... more than a year AFTER the USS Bunker Hill (CG-52)! The number after the ship type designator is simply an administrative method for tracking and recording anything having to do with the ship.

The numbers are selected and determined when the ship is ordered, long before the keel is even laid.

Answer: BB

BB stands for "Battleship". One of the most famous ships in the Navy, the USS Missouri, or "Mighty Mo", was where the Japanese surrendered in WWII. It is now in Pearl Harbor as a museum.

Answer: DDG

The Cole (DDG-67) is a Guided Missle Destroyer of the Arleigh Burke class. It is now back afloat defending our county, after sustaining severe damage in a terrorist attack. A DD is an older form of destroyer, lacking the guided missile capability of a DDG.

Answer: CVN (Nuclear Aircraft Carrier)

Named for Admiral Chester Nimitz, this was one of the first of the so-called "Super Carriers". I hoped you enjoyed the quiz.