Naval Station Mayport
Encyclopedia
Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy
base in Jacksonville
, Florida
. It contains a military airfield (Admiral
David L. McDonald
Field) with one asphalt
paved runway
(5/23) measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. (2,439 x 61 m).
Since its commissioning in December 1942, NS Mayport has grown to become the third largest naval fleet concentration area in the United States. Mayport's operational composition is unique, with a busy harbor capable of accommodating 34 ships and an 8000 feet (2,438.4 m) runway capable of handling most any aircraft in the Department of Defense inventory.
Naval Station Mayport is also home to the Navy's United States 4th Fleet
, reactivated in 2008 after being deactivated in 1950.
The base has historically served as the homeport to certain conventionally-powered aircraft carrier
s of the Atlantic Fleet
, including the , , , , and most recently the . With the decommissioning of all conventionally-powered aircraft carriers by the Navy, no carriers are presently assigned to Mayport. However, both houses of Congress have passed legislation authorizing about US $75 million for dredging and upgrades at Mayport to accommodate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
On January 29, 2010 the Quadrennial Defense Review Report stated that a nuclear aircraft carrier would be homeported at NAS Mayport. The action will help protect the fleet against a potential terror attack, accident or natural disaster, because all east coast aircraft carriers are currently based at Naval Station Norfolk
, according to the report. West coast aircraft carriers are split between Naval Station San Diego
and Naval Base Kitsap
in Washington state. Robert Gates
, Secretary of Defense stated, "Having a single (nuclear carrier) homeport has not been considered acceptable on the west coast and should not be considered acceptable on the east coast." The decision was opposed by elected officials in Virginia, who would lose 3,500 sailors and their dependents, $425 million in revenue each year, and most importantly, 6,000 support jobs. The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce estimated the loss at 11,000 jobs and $650 million per year. Infrastructure changes and facility construction at Mayport are estimated to take five years and cost over half a billion dollars. The 2011 budget commits $590 million during the fiscal years from 2011–2019, so a carrier may not move to Mayport until 2019.
The Virginia congressional delegation has fought the loss of even one carrier's boost to their economy by citing other areas such as shipbuilding to spend the navy's tight budget.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
base in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It contains a military airfield (Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
David L. McDonald
David L. McDonald
David Lamar McDonald, USN, was an Admiral of the United States Navy, who served as the 17th Chief of Naval Operations , 1 August 1963 – 1 August 1967, during the Vietnam War era.-Military career:...
Field) with one asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
(5/23) measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. (2,439 x 61 m).
Since its commissioning in December 1942, NS Mayport has grown to become the third largest naval fleet concentration area in the United States. Mayport's operational composition is unique, with a busy harbor capable of accommodating 34 ships and an 8000 feet (2,438.4 m) runway capable of handling most any aircraft in the Department of Defense inventory.
Naval Station Mayport is also home to the Navy's United States 4th Fleet
United States 4th Fleet
The United States Fourth Fleet is a command of the United States Navy in the South Atlantic, operating as a component of the joint U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Fleet Forces Command. The Fourth Fleet is based at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida and is responsible for U.S...
, reactivated in 2008 after being deactivated in 1950.
The base has historically served as the homeport to certain conventionally-powered aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s of the Atlantic Fleet
United States Fleet Forces Command
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
, including the , , , , and most recently the . With the decommissioning of all conventionally-powered aircraft carriers by the Navy, no carriers are presently assigned to Mayport. However, both houses of Congress have passed legislation authorizing about US $75 million for dredging and upgrades at Mayport to accommodate a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
On January 29, 2010 the Quadrennial Defense Review Report stated that a nuclear aircraft carrier would be homeported at NAS Mayport. The action will help protect the fleet against a potential terror attack, accident or natural disaster, because all east coast aircraft carriers are currently based at Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
, according to the report. West coast aircraft carriers are split between Naval Station San Diego
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
and Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Base Kitsap is a U.S. Navy base located on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. It was created in 2004 by merging the former Naval Station Bremerton with Naval Submarine Base Bangor...
in Washington state. Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
, Secretary of Defense stated, "Having a single (nuclear carrier) homeport has not been considered acceptable on the west coast and should not be considered acceptable on the east coast." The decision was opposed by elected officials in Virginia, who would lose 3,500 sailors and their dependents, $425 million in revenue each year, and most importantly, 6,000 support jobs. The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce estimated the loss at 11,000 jobs and $650 million per year. Infrastructure changes and facility construction at Mayport are estimated to take five years and cost over half a billion dollars. The 2011 budget commits $590 million during the fiscal years from 2011–2019, so a carrier may not move to Mayport until 2019.
The Virginia congressional delegation has fought the loss of even one carrier's boost to their economy by citing other areas such as shipbuilding to spend the navy's tight budget.
Homeported ships
Frigates (11) |
Cruisers (4) Destroyers (4) |
Aircraft squadrons
Helicopter squadrons- HSM-40 "Airwolves"
- HSL-46 "Grandmasters"
- HSL-48 "Vipers"
- HSL-60 "Jaguars"