Nimitz-class Aircraft Carrier
The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. The lead ship of the class is named for World War II Pacific fleet commander Chester W. Nimitz, who was the Navy's last fleet admiral. With an overall length of 1,092 ft (332.84 metrs) and full-load displacements of over 100,000 long tons, they are the largest warships ever built. Instead of the gas turbines or diesel-electric systems used for propulsion on many modern warships, the carriers use two A4W pressurized water reactors which drive four propeller shafts and can produce a maximum speed of over 30 knots (56 km/h) and maximum power of around 260,000 shp (194 MW). As a result of the use of nuclear power, the ships are capable of operating for over 20 years without refueling and are predicted to have a service life of over 50 years. They are categorized as nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and are numbered with consecutive hull numbers between CVN-68 and CVN-77.
The angled flight decks of the carriers use a CATOBAR arrangement to operate aircraft, with steam catapults and arrestor wires for launch and recovery. As well as speeding up flight deck operations, this allows for a much wider variety of aircraft than with the STOVL arrangement used on smaller carriers. An embarked carrier air wing consisting of up to around 90 aircraft is normally deployed on board. In addition to their aircraft, the vessels carry short-range defensive weaponry for anti-aircraft warfare and missile defense.
Specifications[edit | edit source]
- Type: Nuclear powered aircraft carrier (Hull designation symbol CVN)
- Service Period: 1975-
- Characteristics
- Length (Overall): 1092 feet (332.84 meters)
- Length (Waterline): 1,040 feet (316.99 meters)
- Beam (Overall): 252 feet (76.81 meters)
- Beam (Waterline:): 134 feet (40.84 meters)
- Draft (Maximum Navigational): 37 feet (11.28 meters)
- Draft (Limit): 41 feet (12.5 meters)
- Displacement: 100,000 to 104,600 long tons (100,000–106,300 t)
- Crew: 5,680
- Power: 260,000 shp (194 MW)
- Propulsion: 2 x Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 x steam turbines, 4 x shafts
- Range: Unlimited
- Speed: 36.5 knots (67.6 km/hr)
- Sensor Suite:
- AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar
- AN/SPS-49A(V)1 2-D air search radar
- AN/SPQ-9B fire control radar
- AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars x 2
- AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radar
- AN/SPN-41 instrument landing system radar
- Mk.91 NSSM guidance systems x 3
- Mk.95 radars x 3
- EW and Countermeasures
- AN/SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite
- AN/SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures
- Armament
- 2 x Mk.29 ESSM Launchers
- 2 x Mk.49 Rolling Airframe Missile Launchers
- 4 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
- Aircraft Carried: 80-100 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters
- Aircraft Supported: A-6F Strike Intruder, F-14 Tomcat/Supercat, F-16CA Sea Viper, F/A-18C/D Hornet, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C Lightning II, E-2 Hawkeye, S-3 Viking, C-2 Greyhound, CMV-22B Osprey, MQ-25 Stingray, RAQ-47 Pegasus, MH-60R Seahawk, MH-60S Knighthawk, SH-92 Cyclone
Unit Run[edit | edit source]
Nimitz-subclass[edit | edit source]
Theodore Roosevelt-subclass[edit | edit source]
- USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
- USS George Washington (CVN-73)
- USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
- USS United States (CVN-75)
