U.S. Navy type commands perform vital administrative, personnel, and operational training functions for a "type" of weapon system (i.e., naval aviation, submarine warfare, surface warships) within a fleet organization.

Overview

Aircraft carriers, carrier airwings, aircraft squadrons, and naval air stations are under the administrative control (ADCON) of the appropriate Commander Naval Air Force. Ballistic missile submarines, attack submarines, and submarine tenders come under the administrative control of the appropriate Commander Submarine Force. All other surface warships (i.e., cruisers, destroyers, frigates, littoral combat ships, patrol vessels, mine warfare craft, and amphibious warfare vessels) fall under the administrative control of the appropriate Commander Naval Surface Force. This type command structure is mirrored in U.S. Fleet Forces Command (CFFC) and the U.S. Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT). Normally, the type command controls the ship during its primary and intermediate training cycles, and then the warship moves under the operational control (OPCON) of the respective fleet command once it is ready for deployment.

The two previous submarine type commands supervised Submarine Groups (SubGru(s)), Submarine Squadrons, and other units. The Commander of a Submarine Group is known, in official Navy communications, as COMSUBGRU (followed by a number), such as COMSUBGRU ONE.

U.S. Fleet Forces Command

• Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet
  Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet
  Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet is the aviation Type Commander for the United States Atlantic Fleet naval aviation units...
  
  
• Submarine Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet
  ComSubLant
  Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic is the type commander for U.S. submarines in the Atlantic Fleet. Established on 7 December 1941, Rear Admiral Richard S. Edwards was assigned as the first Force Commander. U.S. submarine operations in the Atlantic, however, go back to before the First World War...
  
  
• Naval Surface Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet
  Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic
  Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic is a post within the United States Fleet Forces Command. As Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic, it is a military formation, but the organization is often known as COMNAVSURFLANT. Its headquarters are at the Norfolk Naval Base, Norfolk, Virginia. The commander,...
  
  
• Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
  Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
  The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command serves as the single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the United States Navy's 40,000 expeditionary forces who are currently serving in every theater of operation. The NECC was...
  
  
• Navy Cyber Forces
  Navy Cyber Forces
  Navy Cyber Forces is the type commander for the U.S. Navy's global cyber workforce. The headquarters is located at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story...
  
  

U.S. Pacific Fleet

• Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet
  Commander, Naval Air Forces
  Commander, Naval Air Forces is the aviation Type Commander for all United States Navy naval aviation units...
  
  
• Submarine Force Pacific
  ComSubPac
  Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet is the principal advisor to the Commander, United States Pacific Fleet for submarine matters. The Pacific Submarine Force includes attack, ballistic missile and auxiliary submarines, submarine tenders, floating submarine docks, deep submergence...
  
  
• Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific

U.S. Atlantic Fleet

• Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet
• Destroyer Force Atlantic Fleet
• Minesweeping Force Atlantic Fleet
• Service Force Atlantic Fleet

U.S. Pacific Fleet

• Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet
  Pacific Fleet
  A number of countries currently have or previously had an Pacific Fleet in their navies.*United States Pacific Fleet*Pacific Fleet *Pacific Naval Force *British Pacific Fleet...
  
   - PhibPac was amalgamated into the new command Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific, probably in the mid 1970s.
• Destroyer Force Pacific Fleet (ComDesPac)
• Minesweeping Force Pacific Fleet (ComMinPac). The Commander, Minecraft, Pacific Fleet was responsible for all U.S. Navy minesweepers
  Minesweeper (ship)
  A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
  
   and other minecraft in the Pacific Fleet
  Pacific Fleet
  A number of countries currently have or previously had an Pacific Fleet in their navies.*United States Pacific Fleet*Pacific Fleet *Pacific Naval Force *British Pacific Fleet...
  
  . Minesweep forces under the command of ComMinPac were known as MinPac or MINPAC. It appears that ComMinPac was merged into Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific in the early 1970s.
• Service Force Pacific Fleet (ComServPac) - also merged into Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific in the 1970s.

Lead-Follow

Effective 1 October 2001, the U.S. Navy developed a "Lead-Follow" arrangement among its type commands wherein one type commander is designated the senior lead for the specific "type" of weapon system (i.e., naval aviation, submarine warfare, surface warships) throughout the entire operating U.S. Fleet as it peratins to modernization needs, training initiatives, and operational concept development. These fleet TYCOM commanders will provide guidance to their respective "type" forces via the existing lead-follow TYCOM arrangement.

Commander, Naval Air Forces

The Commander, U.S. Naval Air Forces, Pacific Fleet (COMNAVAIRPAC) is designated as the Commander, Naval Air Forces (COMNAVAIRFOR) for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, with the Commander, U.S. Naval Air Forces, Atlantic Fleet (COMNAVAIRLANT) as his deputy. COMNAVAIRFOR is responsible for modernization needs, training initiatives, and operational concept development for the naval aviation community throughout the U.S. Navy's operational fleet.

Commander, Naval Submarine Forces

Commander, Submarine Force, US Atlantic Fleet (COMSUBLANT) was designated as the Commander, Naval Submarine Forces (COMNAVSUBFOR) for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, with the Commander, U.S. Submarine Forces, Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) as his deputy. COMNAVSUBFOR is responsible for modernization needs, training initiatives, and operational concept development for submarine warfare community throughout the U.S. Navy's operational fleet.

Commander, Naval Surface Forces

The Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMNAVSURFPAC) was designated as the Commander, Naval Surface Forces (COMNAVSURFOR) for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, with the Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMNAVSURFLANT), serving as his deputy. COMNAVSURFOR is responsible for modernization needs, training initiatives, and operational concept development for the surface warfare community throughout the U.S. Navy's operational fleet.

External links

• The Type Commands - United States Navy official website
• Type Command - GlobalSecurity.org
  GlobalSecurity.org
  GlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...