The U.S. Navy has always been an innovator. It pioneered the Global Positioning System, developed nuclear propulsion, and deployed the first operational laser weapon. The recently commissioned USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is brimming with bleeding-edge technology. Its stealth design, Integrated Power System, and long-range gun firing capabilities make it the most sophisticated ship in the world. Likewise, the lead ship in the new carrier class USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78) features many technological advances including an electromagnetic aircraft launch system. However, the Department of the Navy is not always in a rush to phase out and replace assets that continue to effectively perform their missions. The following is a list of some of the oldest Navy and Marine assets still in service.

Oldest Ship

Launched in 1797, the USS Constitution is not only the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy, it is the oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world. Used today primarily for ceremonial and educational purposes, only 10–15 percent of the frigate actually dates to the original construction due to centuries of repairs and restorations. The Constitution is also the only ship in the current U.S. fleet to have sunk an enemy vessel, having defeated and burnt HMS Java in 1813. All other American ships that scored victories at sea have since been decommissioned, the last being the USS Simpson (FFG-56), which sank the Iranian missile patrol boat Josnan during Operation Praying Mantis in 1988 and was decommissioned in 2015.

The second oldest ship is often overlooked. FS-344 was a 1945 Army Freight and Supply vessel used as a training ship and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. It was transferred to the Navy in 1966, converted into an intelligence gathering ship, and renamed the USS Pueblo (AGER-2). Two years later, the Pueblo and her crew were seized by North Korean forces who claimed the ship had entered its territorial waters, a claim vehemently denied by Navy officials. The Pueblo is currently on public display in Pyongyang as a trophy but is still an officially commissioned U.S. ship. She is one of the few ships the United States has lost since the end of WWII but there is still hope that is may be returned one day. There have been proposals to repatriate the ship including one that involved swapping her for a battle flag captured by U.S. Marines during the obscure Korean-American conflict in 1871. The U.S. government has remained steadfast in its position that the ship is illegally seized U.S. property and that there will be no negotiations that would lead to legitimizing North Korea’s actions.

Oldest Deployable Ship

The USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) was commissioned in 1970 and operates out of Yokosuka, Japan, as the command ship for the U.S. Seventh Fleet. As the oldest deployable U.S. ship she has the honor of flying the First Navy Jack depicting a snake with the motto “Don’t Tread on Me.” The jack had initially been resurrected in 1976 and flown by the fleet for one year to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial.

In 1980, Secretary of the Navy Edward Hidalgo decreed that the flag would be reserved for the longest serving active ship. (Another one of Hildago’s lasting Navy policies allows sailors to have beer if they are at sea for 45 continuous days.) In 2002, the Navy directed all ships to fly the First Navy Jack during the Global War on Terrorism. The Blue Ridge probably will retain the title of oldest active ship for a few more decades because budget concerns have forced the Navy to plan on stretching the use of her until 2039 and perhaps beyond.

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https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2022/august/old-still-going-strong