The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a line of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the US Navy, and are the largest capital ships in the world. These ships are numbered with consecutive hull numbers starting with CVN 68. The letters "CVN" denote the type of ship: CV is the hull classification symbol for Aircraft Carriers, and N to indicate nuclear-powered propulsion. The number after the "CVN" means that this is the 68th "CV", or aircraft carrier.
Nimitz (CVN-68), the lead ship of the class, was commissioned in 1975. As of 2006, George H. W. Bush (CVN-77), the tenth and last of the class, was built by Northrop Grumman Newport News and will enter service in 2008. Bush will be the first transition ship to the Ford class, the first ship of which is to start construction in 2007 and will incorporate new technologies including a new multi-function radar system, volume search radar and open architecture information network, and a significantly reduced crew requirement. To lower costs some new technologies were incorporated into Ronald Reagan, though not nearly as many as will be involved with Bush.
Because of construction differences between the first three ships (Nimitz, Eisenhower and Vinson) and the latter seven (from Theodore Roosevelt on), the latter ships are sometimes called Theodore Roosevelt-class aircraft carriers, though the U.S. Navy considers them to all be in one class.[citation needed] As the older ships come in for Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH), they are upgraded to the standards of the latest ships.
By tonnage, Nimitz class are the largest class of carriers built so far, holding the world record for displacement of any naval war vessel. When Bush is completed, the ten ships of the class will total just under a million tons combined displacement. Although the Nimitz class ships are the heaviest ships in the US fleet they are not the longest ships in the fleet, as that attribute belongs to the carrier Enterprise.
Nimitz was the first to undergo her initial refueling during a 33-month RCOH at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, in 1998. Dwight D. Eisenhower was next, completing RCOH in 2005. Carl Vinson began RCOH in late 2005. USS Abraham Lincoln entered dry dock at PSNS on September 8, 2006, leaving ahead of schedule on December 18.
General characteristics
Builder : Newport News Shipbuilding Company, Newport News, Virginia
Power Plant : Two A4W reactors, four shafts
Length : 333 m (1092 ft) overall
Flight Deck Width : 76.8 - 78.4 m (252 - 257 ft 5in)
Beam : 41 m (134 ft)
Displacement : 98,235 - 104,112 tons full load
Speed : 30+ knots (56+ km/h)
Aircraft : 85 (current wings are closer to 64, including 48 tactical and 16support aircraft) Intended to operate aircraft currently including the F/A-18 Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, E-2 Hawkeye, C-2 Greyhound, SH/HH-60 Seahawk, and S-3 Viking for many missions including self defense, land attack and maritime strike.
Cost : about US$4.5 billion each
Average Annual
Nimitz (CVN-68), the lead ship of the class, was commissioned in 1975. As of 2006, George H. W. Bush (CVN-77), the tenth and last of the class, was built by Northrop Grumman Newport News and will enter service in 2008. Bush will be the first transition ship to the Ford class, the first ship of which is to start construction in 2007 and will incorporate new technologies including a new multi-function radar system, volume search radar and open architecture information network, and a significantly reduced crew requirement. To lower costs some new technologies were incorporated into Ronald Reagan, though not nearly as many as will be involved with Bush.
Because of construction differences between the first three ships (Nimitz, Eisenhower and Vinson) and the latter seven (from Theodore Roosevelt on), the latter ships are sometimes called Theodore Roosevelt-class aircraft carriers, though the U.S. Navy considers them to all be in one class.[citation needed] As the older ships come in for Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH), they are upgraded to the standards of the latest ships.
By tonnage, Nimitz class are the largest class of carriers built so far, holding the world record for displacement of any naval war vessel. When Bush is completed, the ten ships of the class will total just under a million tons combined displacement. Although the Nimitz class ships are the heaviest ships in the US fleet they are not the longest ships in the fleet, as that attribute belongs to the carrier Enterprise.
Nimitz was the first to undergo her initial refueling during a 33-month RCOH at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, in 1998. Dwight D. Eisenhower was next, completing RCOH in 2005. Carl Vinson began RCOH in late 2005. USS Abraham Lincoln entered dry dock at PSNS on September 8, 2006, leaving ahead of schedule on December 18.
General characteristics
Builder : Newport News Shipbuilding Company, Newport News, Virginia
Power Plant : Two A4W reactors, four shafts
Length : 333 m (1092 ft) overall
Flight Deck Width : 76.8 - 78.4 m (252 - 257 ft 5in)
Beam : 41 m (134 ft)
Displacement : 98,235 - 104,112 tons full load
Speed : 30+ knots (56+ km/h)
Aircraft : 85 (current wings are closer to 64, including 48 tactical and 16support aircraft) Intended to operate aircraft currently including the F/A-18 Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, E-2 Hawkeye, C-2 Greyhound, SH/HH-60 Seahawk, and S-3 Viking for many missions including self defense, land attack and maritime strike.
Cost : about US$4.5 billion each
Average Annual
Operating Cost : US$160 million
Service Life : 50+ years
Crew : Ship's Company : 3,200 — Air Wing: 2,480
Armament:
NATO Sea Sparrow launchers: three or four (depending on modification)
20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts: Three on Nimitz and Eisenhower and four on Vinson and later ships of the class, except Roosevelt and Washington which have three. (USS Ronald Reagan has none, initially outfitted with Rolling Airframe Missile system during construction)
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile: Two on Nimitz, Washington and Reagan, will be retrofitted to other ships as they return for RCOH.
Date Deployed: May 3, 1975 (Nimitz)
Service Life : 50+ years
Crew : Ship's Company : 3,200 — Air Wing: 2,480
Armament:
NATO Sea Sparrow launchers: three or four (depending on modification)
20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts: Three on Nimitz and Eisenhower and four on Vinson and later ships of the class, except Roosevelt and Washington which have three. (USS Ronald Reagan has none, initially outfitted with Rolling Airframe Missile system during construction)
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile: Two on Nimitz, Washington and Reagan, will be retrofitted to other ships as they return for RCOH.
Date Deployed: May 3, 1975 (Nimitz)
Class overview Builders:
Newport News Shipbuilding
Operators : United States Navy
Preceded by : Kitty Hawk-class
Followed by : Gerald R. Ford-class
Commissioned : May 3, 1975
Ships in class : 10
Ships active : USS NimitzUSS Dwight D. EisenhowerUSS Carl VinsonUSS Theodore RooseveltUSS Abraham LincolnUSS George WashingtonUSS John C. StennisUSS Harry S. TrumanUSS Ronald Reagan
Ships fitting out : USS George H. W. Bush
General Characteristics:
Displacement : 102,000 tons
Length : 332.9 m
Beam : 40.8 m
Draught : 11.9 m
Propulsionand power : Nuclear propulsion260,000 shp
Speed : 30+ knots
Complement : 3,200 ships company2,500 air wing
Armament : 16-24 surface-to-air missiles4 close-in weapons systems
Aircraft carried : Up to 90
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