Naval Station Newport, located in the towns of Newport and Middletown, is the only navy base in Rhode Island. It’s one of the navy’s oldest bases, and is home to the Naval War Challenge. Today, the base is used primarily to maintain inactive ships. It is also used as an operation center for the US Coast Guard.
Originally built in 1883, the base was once used as the home for Cruiser Destroyer Force Atlantic. Naval Station Newport is used today to maintain and clean inactive ships, and is commanded by Captain Michel Thomas Poirier. NS Newport is also a host for visiting fleets quite often, and keeps all their maintenance facilities ready and working so when fleets do visit, they’re ready to go. 2 large ships are currently stationed at Naval Station Newport. These ships are the USS Forrestal, and the Saratoga. It is already scheduled for the USS Forrestal to be sunk to create an artificial coral reef. The Saratoga’s fate is not yet decided, but there have been many rumors about it being turned into a museum.