The United States 7th Fleet is a naval military unit based in Yokosuka, Japan. It is administratively under CINCPACFLT, along with having units near South Korea and Japan.
The 7th Fleet participated in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, fighting in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. It proceeded to participate in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Afterwards, it conducted operations near North Vietnam, and participated in no major combat action until the Persian Gulf War, wherein it was placed under the command of NAVCENT (Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command). After the war ended, it was returned to the Pacific Fleet.
At present it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with 50-60 ships, 350 aircraft and 60,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The Seventh Fleet, with the support of its Task Force Commanders, performs three major assignments:
- Joint Task Force commander in the event of natural disaster or joint military operation
- Operational commander for all naval forces in the region
- Defense of the Korean peninsula.