4 Of The Smallest Ships In The US Navy

The U.S. Navy is known for large aircraft carriers and the many planes they can carry as well as huge submarines that lurk in the ocean depths, hunting prey like sharks. There's no question that these are the vessels that make a name for the Navy and strike fear into the hearts of America's adversaries. But it's not always size that matters. The Navy uses plenty of other ships that aren't on such a grand scale, but this doesn't make them any less impressive — or important.

Some ships are only used by small niche groups. Navy SEALs, for example, don't need a destroyer or frigate since most of their business doesn't require them to even be on the water for long. If they need a ship at all, SEAL teams have awesome vehicles including their own special operations boat. 

There are plenty of similarly designed watercraft, and more, in service, and it's time for the little guys to get the recognition they deserve. These are some of the smallest ships the U.S. Navy still deploys in some capacity.

When the 1980s rolled around, the Navy started searching for a new minesweeping vessel and landed on the Avenger-class of ships. By 1990, the Navy had 14 Avenger-class mine sweeper/hunter-killers. These ships play a vital role in keeping other Navy vessels safe from both moored and bottom mines. They use advanced mine-hunting and classification sonar from Raytheon and Thales Underwater Systems to detect the submerged threats.

These ships are only 224 feet long. For comparison, America's attack submarines are 350 to 450 feet long. Moreover, the Avengers only have a 1,312-ton displacement when fully loaded with crew and equipment. Then there's the matter of crew size — just 84 sailors. 

As of 2023, only eight of the 14 minesweepers are left in service. The Navy is currently expanding the capability of its Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships, working to turn these vessels into America's new primary countermeasure for maritime mines. If all goes according to plan, the Avengers will be gradually decommissioned.

The mine-hunting vessels' hulls are primarily built of wood and fiberglass. They have four diesel engines that produce 600 horsepower each, powering two controllable pitch propellors. They can only travel 14 knots (16.1 mph) max, but when you're hunting for hidden explosives in the water that can detonate on contact, speed isn't a priority. The crew uses the SLQ-48 remotely operated mine disposal system with its cable cutters and charges to dispose of mines.

Within America's special forces there's a special boat crew that gets to drive the Navy's Combatant Craft Assault boat, one of the fastest Navy ships. It's a 41-foot boat designed with low-observable composite material designed to thwart detection, plus twin high-performance engines that can get it to exceed 40 knots (46 mph). There aren't too many public details about it, but it's small enough to fit inside the cargo hold of the Air Force's MC-130 or C-17 airplanes or carried by a MH-47 Chinook helicopter so it can be air-dropped close to enemy territory, much like rigid-hull inflatable boats.

This is the smallest of the boats the Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen operate. (There's also a mid-sized Combatant Craft Medium and a larger one called the Combatant Craft Heavy. Each of the small, stealthy craft has a radar mast with a closed-circuit forward-looking infrared turret that transmits what it sees to one of many displays, letting the crew see targets any time of day. This is necessary for both infiltrating and exfiltrating enemy territory, or for coastal surveillance.

It's believed that on top of the individual weapons the crew and special operators carry, there are mounting accommodations for M2 .50-caliber machine guns, M240 7.62 mm machine guns, and MK19 40 mm grenade launchers. You know, in case things get hairy out there.

The Navy is commonly in need of small, quick boats capable of shallow coastal combat and patrols, the kind of stuff expeditionary forces would execute. For missions like that, sailors used the Mark VI patrol boat, but due to its steep maintenance price tag, the Navy may have decommissioned some of them and sent them to Ukraine for use in its war against Russia. 

America isn't without a small patrol boat, however, as the country awarded a seven-year contract to Louisiana-based Metal Shark to build a new one. The Navy had more than 20 Defiant-class patrol boats serving around the world as of 2022. These boats are 40 feet long and have an 11-foot beam. 

Small, yes, but mighty, as well. Powered by twin Cummins QSB 6.7 diesel inboard engines — one of the things you might not have known Cummins makes for the military – these patrol boats are armed with both the M240B and M2 machine guns and can get up to 40-knot speeds. While that's slower than the Mk VI's 45-knot maximum, Jamie Kohler of Naval Sea Systems Command hinted to Naval News that it's capable of more than the public knows, saying, "The Navy does not comment on specific speeds of our platforms."

The Navy's smallest boat is a tugboat nicknamed "Boomin' Beaver." It can only hold a crew of five at the most, but unlike the massive warships featured in Hollywood blockbusters, it's not designed for combat. This 19-foot tugboat — 10 feet wide — is responsible for deploying, moving, and managing protective barriers on the water around Navy bases. It might seem like a benign job, but it keeps the larger warships, such as submarines, from incurring unwanted damage. 

There are 10 Boomin' Beavers in service for the U.S. Navy working out of the Charlestown Navy Yard in Massachusetts, Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state, Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, Naval Base Point Loma in California, and the U.S. Naval base in Sasebo, Japan. They're powered by a Cummins 6BTA5.9 diesel engine with ZF marine transmission that produces 260 horsepower. 

The Boomin' Beaver was originally built to tug around floating logs by Chuck's Boat and Drive in Longview, Washington. When the Navy needed something small enough to move around harbor security booms, the Boomin' Beaver fit the bill. A boat like this goes to show that it's not just giant warships with all the glory that perform the important jobs.