A task force ( TF ) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy , the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many non-military organizations now create "task forces" or task groups for temporary activities that might have once been performed by ad hoc (designated purpose) committees . In non-military contexts, working groups are sometimes called task forces.
31-471: The concept of a naval task force is as old as navies, and prior to that time the assembly of ships for naval operations was referred to as fleets , divisions , or on the smaller scale, squadrons , and flotillas . Before World War II ships were collected into divisions derived from the Royal Navy 's "division" of the line of battle in which one squadron usually remained under the direct command of
62-623: A letter occasionally a number some of the task forces are listed below . Originally stationed at Malta took part in the Battle of Calabria in 1940 it transferred Trincomalee and was a component of the (fast force) of the Eastern Fleet during the Indian Ocean raid April to May 1942. Originally stationed at Malta , took part in the Battle of Calabria on 9 July 1940, took part in the Battle of Cape Spartivento , 27 November 1940,
93-820: A number of hunting task groups on 5 October 1939 as a prelude to Battle of the River Plate , 13 December 1939 based in Freetown it was then stationed at, Malta , took part in the Battle of the Tarigo Convoy , 16 April 1941, was involved in the First Battle of Sirte , 17 December 1941 then moved to Freetown in December 1941. Formed to deal with the Tirpitz Sortie against convoys PQ 12 and QP8, 6–13 March 1942. Formed 13 May 1945 and took part in
124-756: A single fleet, the term the fleet is often synonymous with the navy . Multinational fleets are not uncommon in naval history. For example, several nations made up the Holy League fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, and a Franco-Spanish fleet faced the British Royal Navy at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In modern times, NATO has formed standing combined fleets and operations from several national navies such as Operation Active Endeavour . Modern fleets combine surface warships , submarines , support ships, and ship-based aircraft to conduct naval operations at sea. Generally understood to be
155-405: A specific subject, which needs urgent addressing, resolutions or results. Subject-specific task forces are very common. NASA lessons contain information from different task forces. Naval fleet A fleet or naval fleet is a large formation of warships – the largest formation in any navy – controlled by one leader. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land. In
186-457: A subordinate admiral. Those squadrons, in turn, are often divided into divisions. In the Age of Sail , fleets were divided into van, center, and rear squadrons, named after each squadron's place in the line of battle . In more modern times, the squadrons are typically composed of homogeneous groups of the same class of warship , such as battleships or cruisers . Since many smaller navies contain
217-473: A task force set up to eliminate excessive government spending might consider a "best" solution to be one that saves the most money. Normally, the task force then presents its findings and proposed solutions to the institution that called for its formation; it is then up to the institution itself to actually act upon the task force's recommendations. In business, task forces are initiated similar to military situations to form an ad hoc group of persons that focus on
248-855: A two-digit number since March 1943, when Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet , Admiral Ernest J. King assigned odd fleets to those in the Pacific, and even fleets to those in the Atlantic. The Second Fleet was assigned the Atlantic Fleet, with the Fourth Fleet being assigned to the South Atlantic Force, the Eighth Fleet being assigned to Naval Forces, Northwest African waters, and the Twelfth Fleet assigned to
279-641: Is called a company team . A similar unit at the brigade level is called a brigade combat team (BCT), and there is also a similar Regimental combat team (RCT). In the British Army and the armies of other Commonwealth countries , such units are traditionally known as battlegroups . The 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) was a brigade -sized formation which commanded Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. More recently, Australian task forces have been designated to cover temporary support elements such
310-490: Is the U.S. Navy's Operational Test and Evaluation Force . The first digit of a task force designation is that of its parent fleet while the second is sequential. A task force may be made up of groups, each made up of units. Task groups within a force are numbered by an additional digit separated from the TF number by a decimal point. Task units within a group are indicated by an additional decimal. For example, "the third task unit of
341-532: The Admiral of the Fleet , one squadron was commanded by a Vice Admiral , and one by a Rear Admiral , each flying a different command flag , hence the terms flagship and flag officer . The names "Vice" (second) and "Rear" might have derived from sailing positions within the line at the moment of engagement . In the late 19th century ships were collected in numbered squadrons , which were assigned to named (such as
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#1732772469582372-472: The Asiatic Fleet ) and later numbered fleets . A task force can be assembled using ships from different divisions and squadrons, without requiring a formal and permanent fleet reorganization, and can be easily dissolved following completion of the operational task. The task force concept worked very well, and by the end of World War II about 100 task forces had been created in the U.S. Navy alone. In
403-813: The Higher School of Mechanics of the Navy detention center during the 1976–1983 military dictatorship. During the Falklands War in 1982 the Argentine Navy formed three smaller Grupos de Tareas (Task Groups) for pincer movements against the Royal Navy. In the U.S. Army , a task force is a battalion -sized (usually, although there are variations in size) ad hoc unit formed by attaching smaller elements of other units. A company -sized unit with an armored or mechanized infantry unit attached
434-606: The Marshall Islands . Task Force 11 was also the first designation given to the United States special operations forces composite grouping which has pursued terrorist high-value targets in Afghanistan and Iraq since October 2001. The grouping has been redesignated multiple times to avoid information leakages. Task Force 11 (seemingly in reference to 11 September ) was only the first title used. It also used
465-510: The Pacific theater . After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Destroyer Squadron 1 was attached to the task force, which was under the command of Vice Admiral Wilson Brown , made up of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) and the heavy cruisers USS Indianapolis (CA-35) , USS Chicago (CA-29) , and USS Portland (CA-33) . On 14 December 1941, after delays due to bad weather,
496-483: The United States Navy , task forces are generally temporary organizations composed of particular ships, aircraft, submarines, military land forces, or shore service units, assigned to fulfill certain missions. The emphasis is placed on the individual commander of the unit, and references to "Commander, Task Force" ("CTF") are common. In the U.S. Navy, task forces as part of numbered fleets have been assigned
527-717: The United States Seventh Fleet used TF 76 in World War II, and off Vietnam, and continued to use TF 70–79 numberings throughout the rest of the twentieth century, and up to 2012). See Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) for a description of the three standard combined arms task force organizations employed by the USMC. Earlier in the Second World War , the British Royal Navy had already devised its own system of Forces, they mainly assigned
558-465: The blue water , or oceanic, green water or littoral versus the brown water or coastal/riverine forces. The fleets of larger navies are usually divided into smaller numbered or named fleets based on geographic operating areas or administrative groupings of the same type of ships. Modern fleets are usually administrative units. Individual task forces are formed to conduct specific operations. In fictional literary works and/or media, most notably in
589-626: The Battle off Penang - the Battle of the Malacca Strait . During Operation Corporate of the Falklands War in 1982 Royal Navy forces assembled as Task Force 317 , often referred to in general use as "The Task Force", to achieve sea and air supremacy in the Falklands Total Exclusion Zone , before the amphibious forces arrived. The French Navy uses the name Task Force 473 to designate any power projection by
620-610: The Naval Forces, Europe. The United States Navy has used numbered task forces in the same way since 1945. The U.S. Department of Defense often forms a Joint Task Force if the force includes units from other services. Joint Task Force 1 was the atomic bomb test force during the post–World War II Operation Crossroads . In naval terms, the multinational ( Australia , United States , United Kingdom , Canada , and New Zealand ) Combined Communications Electronics Board mandates through Allied Communications Publication 113 (ACP 113)
651-609: The battalion-sized force which operated in Urozgan Province , Afghanistan from 2006 to 2013, and the Northern Territory Emergency Response Task Force . In government or business a task force is a temporary organization created to solve a particular problem. It is considered to be a more formal ad hoc committee . A taskforce , or more commonly, task force, is a special committee, usually of experts , formed expressly for
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#1732772469582682-403: The carrier and some destroyers . In September 1943, TF 11 was reorganized around the light aircraft carriers USS Princeton (CVL-23) and USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) under Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee and supported landings on Baker Island and Howland Island . In early 1944, its task groups TG 11.1 and 11.2, now consisting of escort carriers , supported operations in
713-482: The fifth task group of the second task force of the Sixth Fleet would be numbered 62.5.3." This system extends further to task elements, individual ships in a task group. This arrangement was typically abbreviated, so references like TF 11 are commonly seen. Task units are sometimes nicknamed "Taffy", as in "Taffy 3" of Task Force 77, formally Task Unit 77.4.3. There is no requirement for uniqueness over time (e.g.,
744-491: The modern sense, fleets are usually, but not necessarily, permanent formations and are generally assigned to a particular ocean or sea . Most fleets are named after that ocean or sea, but the convention in the United States Navy is to use numbers. A fleet is typically commanded by an admiral , who is often also a commander in chief . Still, many fleets have been or are commanded by vice admirals or rear admirals . Most fleets are divided into several squadrons , each under
775-505: The present system, which allocated numbers from 1 to 834. For example, the Royal Navy's Illustrious battle group in 2000 for Exercise Linked Seas, subsequently deployed to Operation Palliser , was Task Group 342.1. The French Navy is allocated the series TF 470–474, and Task Force 473 has been used recently for an Enduring Freedom task force deployment built around the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) . Task Force 142
806-436: The purpose of studying a particular problem. The task force usually performs some sort of an audit to assess the current situation, then draws up a list of all the current problems present and evaluates which ones merit fixing and which ones are actually fixable. The task force would then formulate a set of solutions to the problems and pick the "best" solution to each problem, as determined by some set of standards. For example,
837-421: The realm of science fiction , the term 'fleet' has also been used for a group of space-faring vessels used for interstellar travel. TF 11 Task Force 11 (TF 11 or alternately Commander Task Force 11, CTF 11) is a designation that has been used by the United States armed forces for two separate units. During World War II , Task Force 11 was a United States Navy aircraft carrier task force in
868-499: The sea. This Task Force can be composed of a carrier battle group articulated around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle , or it can be composed of an amphibious group articulated around a Mistral -class amphibious assault ship . In Argentina, Navy Task Units of Task Group ( Grupo de Tareas ) G.T.3.3 [ es ] were responsible for thousands of instances of forced disappearance , torture and illegal execution of Argentine civilians, many of whom were incarcerated in
899-504: The task force cleared Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , as a diversion for an expedition under Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher in the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) to relieve Wake Island . Originally formed around Lexington , TF 11 then was formed around her sister ship Saratoga until Saratoga was torpedoed and disabled by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-6 on 11 January 1942. It then
930-531: Was formed around Lexington again for the Battle of the Coral Sea in which Lexington was sunk in early May 1942, then again around Saratoga after her repairs were completed. TF 11 – as part of Task Force 61 along with Task Force 16 – was involved in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in late August 1942, but Saratoga was again crippled by a submarine , and the task force shrank to just
961-809: Was involved in the First Battle of Sirte , 17 December 1941 it then moved to Trincomalee in March 1942 was a component (slow force) of the Eastern Fleet during the Indian Ocean raid April to May 1942. Formed as part of a number of hunting task groups on 5 October 1939 as a prelude to Battle of the River Plate, 13 December 1939 and part of the South America Division after which it was stationed at, Gibraltar , took part in Operation Catapult , 3 July 1940, took part in Operation Rheinübung 19 May - 15 June 1941. Part of