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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AIRCRAFT CARRYING SHIPS
NIMITZ nuclear powered attack / multipurpose aircraft carriers (1975 - 1982)


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Nimitz 1980

Ships


No Name Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comm Fate
CVAN68, 6.1975- CVN68 Nimitz 594 Newport News SB 22.6.1968 13.5.1972 3.5.1975 in service (2020)
CVN69 Dwight D. Eisenhower 599 Newport News SB 15.8.1970 11.10.1975 18.10.1977 in service (2020)
CVN70 Carl Vinson 611 Newport News SB 11.10.1975 15.3.1980 13.3.1982 in service (2020)


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

72916

Displacement full, t

91487

Length, m

317.1 wl 331.7 oa

Breadth, m

40.8 wl 78.5 ext

Draught, m

11.2

No of shafts

4

Machinery

4 sets Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 2 Westinghouse A4W/A1G reactors

Power, h. p.

280000

Max speed, kts

31.5

Fuel, t

nuclear

Endurance, nm(kts)practically unlimited
Armour, mm

presumably belt summary: 135, flight deck: 45, hangar deck: 50, main deck: 56

Armament

CVAN68: 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (24 RIM-7), ~90 aircraft (F-4, F-8, F-14 fighters, A-4, A-6, A-7, AV-8 attackers, OV-10, RA-5, RF-4, RF-8 recon planes, S-2, S-3 ASW planes, EA-3, EA-6 ECM planes, E-1, E-2 EW planes, KA-3/EKA-3, KA-6 tankers, C-1, C-2 cargo planes, AH-1, CH-3, CH-46, CH-53, RH-53, SH-2, SH-3, UH-1, UH-2 helicopters)

CVN69: 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow Mk 25 SAM (24 RIM-7), ~90 aircraft (F-4, F-8, F-14 fighters, A-4, A-6, A-7, AV-8 attackers, OV-10, RA-5, RF-4, RF-8 recon planes, S-2, S-3 ASW planes, EA-3, EA-6 ECM planes, E-1, E-2 EW planes, KA-3/EKA-3, KA-6 tankers, C-1, C-2 cargo planes, AH-1, CH-3, CH-46, CH-53, RH-53, SH-2, SH-3, UH-1, UH-2 helicopters)

CVN70: 3 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (24 RIM-7), 4 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, 2 x 3 - 324 Mk 32 TT, ~90 aircraft (F-4, F-8, F-14 fighters, A-4, A-6, A-7, AV-8 attackers, OV-10, RF-4, RF-8 recon planes, S-2, S-3 ASW planes, EA-3, EA-6 ECM planes, E-2 EW planes, KA-3/EKA-3, KA-6 tankers, C-1, C-2 cargo planes, AH-1, CH-3, CH-46, CH-53, RH-53, SH-2, SH-3, UH-1, UH-2 helicopters)

Electronic equipment

CVN68, 69: LN-66, SPS-43A, SPS-48, SPS-10F, SPN-42A, SPN-43B, SPN-44A, 6x Mk 91 radars, SLQ-29 ECM suite, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, NTDS, ASCAC CCS

CVN70: LN-66, SPS-43A, SPS-48, SPS-10F, SPN-42A, SPN-43B, SPN-44A, 6x Mk 95, 4x Mk 90 radars, SLQ-29 ECM suite, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, NTDS, ASCAC CCS

Complement

5621



Air group


Year Fighters Attackers recon, EW, ECM ASW and auxiliary Helicopters
1975, Nimitz 24 F-14A 24 A-7E, 10 A-6E 4 EA-6B, 4 E-2C 10 S-3A, 4 KA-6D 6 SH-3H
1980, all 24 F-14A or F-4J 24 A-7E, 10 A-6E 3 RA-5C or 3 RF-8G, 4 EA-6B, 4 E-2B/C 10 S-3A, 4 KA-6D 8 SH-3A/D/G/H
1991, all 24 F-14A 24 F/A-18A or A-7E, 10 A-6E 4 EA-6B, 4 E-2C 10 S-3A, 4 KA-6D 6 SH-3G/H
2005, all 36 F/A-18C, 14 F-14 --- 4 EA-6B, 4 E-2C, 2 ES-3 8 S-3B, 2 C-2 6 SH-60
2010, all 55 F/A-18 --- 4 EA-6B, 4E-2C 2 C-2A 4 SH-60F, 2 HH-60H
2013, Nimitz (CVW-11) 20 F/A-18C, 12 F/A-18E, 12 F/A-18F --- 4 EA-6B, 4 E-2C 2 C-2A 6 MH-60S, 11 MH-60R
2016, Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVW-3) 12 F/A-18C, 24 F/A-18E, 12 F/A-18F --- 4 EA-18G, 4 E-2C 2 C-2A 6 MH-60S, 6 MH-60R
2016, Carl Vinson (CVW-2) 12 F/A-18C, 24 F/A-18E, 12 F/A-18F --- 4 EA-18G, 4 E-2C 2 C-2A 6 MH-60S, 6 MH-60R
2017, standard 14 F/A-18A/D, 30 F/A-18E/F --- 6 EA-18G, 6 E-2C/D 2 C-2A 10 MH-60R/S
2018, Nimitz (CVW-11) 12 F-35C Lightning II, 12 F/A-18C Hornet, 12 F/A-18E Super Hornet, 12 F/A-18F Super Hornet --- 6 EA-18G Growler, 6 E-2C Hawkeye 2 C-2A Greyhound 6 MH-60S Knighthawk, 6 MH-60R Seahawk
2018, Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVW-3) 36 F/A-18E Super Hornet, 12 F/A-18F Super Hornet --- 6 EA-18G Growler, 6 E-2C Hawkeye 2 C-2A Greyhound 6 MH-60S Knighthawk, 6 MH-60R Seahawk
2018, Carl Vinson (CVW-2) 12 F/A-18C Hornet, 24 F/A-18E Super Hornet, 12 F/A-18F Super Hornet --- 6 EA-18G Growler, 6 E-2C Hawkeye 2 C-2A Greyhound 6 MH-60S Knighthawk, 6 MH-60R Seahawk


Standard scale images


<i>Nimitz </i>1980
Nimitz 1980
<i>Nimitz </i>2000
Nimitz 2000
<i>Nimitz </i>2010
Nimitz 2010
<i>Carl Vinson </i>2010
Carl Vinson 2010


Graphics


<i>Nimitz </i>2008
Nimitz 2008
<i>Nimitz </i>1980
Nimitz 1980


Aircraft facilities

 (fd - 20,400 m², ha - 6,860 m² / 55,357 m³): Flight deck: 331.7 x 76.8m. Hangar: 208.5 x 32.9 x 8.07 m (accommodating up to 40% of aircraft group). There are 4 deck-edge elevators (47.6t, 21.4/25.9 x 15.9m). There are 4 C13-1 catapults. Aircraft fuel stowage: 10 220 000 l of JP-5 jet fuel. Aviation ordnance stowage is 2970t.

Project history

With these ships the US Navy returned to building nuclear carriers of Enterprise size. They incorporate a new two-reactor power plant, developed from a project for a single reactor destroyer/frigate plant, and so have even more internal space than the huge Enterprise, in addition they incorporate the more economical (in terms of space) torpedo protection system of the Kennedy. Their general arrangement and electronic suit also duplicate those of Kennedy, and they were armed with 3 Sea Sparrow launchers for self-defence.

The first three ships (CVN68-70) are a separate sub-class. They can be distinguished further by the presence of only a single bridle-catching boom in CVN69 and 70. Current carrier aircraft employ a catapult attachment built into their landing gear, and so do not use the wire bridles of the past.

The Navy claims that these ships can take three times the damage which Essex class carriers survived in 1944-45. They are described as carrying 90% more aviation fuel and 50% more aviation ordnance than a Forrestal. All were completed with ASCAC (ASW Classification and Analysis Center), permitting data to be shared between the carrier, ASW aircraft, and escorting ships.

Ship protection

Armour protection consists of 3 protected decks (flight, hangar and lower decks) and vertical armour (side armour and longitudinal bulkheads). Also there is a box-shaped protection of magazines and vital zones. Underwater protection includes 5 longitudinal bulkheads (4th bulkhead is 76mm-thick). Bottom is also protected.

Modernizations

12.1982, Carl Vinson: - LN-66, SPS-10F, SPS-43A, SPS-48 radars, SLQ-29 ECM suite; + 63mm Kevlar protection, SPS-73, SPS-49(v)1, SPS-48E, SPS-64(v)9, SPS-67(v)1, Mk 23 TAS radars, SLQ-29A(v)2 ECM suite, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, SLQ-25A torpedo decoy; displacement was 81600/93300-93900t

(6/1983-7/1984), Nimitz: - 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (Mk 25 launchers), LN-66, SPS-10F, SPS-43A, 6x Mk 91 radars; + 63mm Kevlar protection, 3 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (Mk 29 launchers) (24 RIM-7), 3 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, SPS-73, SPS-49(v)1, SPS-64(v)9, SPS-67(v)1, 6x Mk 95, 3x Mk 90, Mk 23 TAS radars, SLQ-25A torpedo decoy; displacement was 73831(light)/94217t

(10/1985-4/1987), Dwight D. Eisenhower: - 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (Mk 25 launchers), LN-66, SPS-10F, SPS-43A, 6x Mk 91 radars; + 63mm Kevlar protection, 3 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (Mk 29 launchers) (24 RIM-7), 3 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, SPS-73, SPS-49(v)1, SPS-64(v)9, SPS-67(v)1, 6x Mk 95, 3x Mk 90, Mk 23 TAS radars, SLQ-25A torpedo decoy, ACDS CCS; displacement was 81600/93300-93900t

2/1988, Nimitz: - SPS-48 radar; + SPS-48C radar, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RLs

3/1989, Dwight D. Eisenhower: + 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RLs

(9/1990-4/1993), Carl Vinson: - SPS-49(v)1 radar, SLQ-29A(v)2 ECM suite; + 10 x 1 - 12.7/90, SPS-49(v)5 radar, SLQ-32(v)4 ECM suite, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RLs

8/1994, Nimitz: - SPS-48C, SPS-49(v)1 radars, SLQ-29 ECM suite; + 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, SPS-48E, SPS-49A(v)1 radars, SLQ-32(v)4 ECM suite, JTIDS, JDISS CCS

1996, Carl Vinson: - SPN-42A radar; 2 x 3 - 324 TT; + SPN-44 radar, JSIPS-N CCS; displacement was 74042(light)/94982t

(10/1995-1/1997), Dwight D. Eisenhower: - SPS-48, SPN-42A radars, SLQ-29 ECM suite; + 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, SPS-48E, SPN-44 radars, SLQ-32(v)4 ECM suite, ACDS CCS; displacement was 74352(light)/95359t

(5/1998-3/2001), Nimitz: - 1 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM, 3 x 6 - 20/76, SPS-49(v)5, SPN-42A, 2x Mk 95, 3x Mk 90 radars, ACDS CCS; + 2 x 21 RAM SAM (42 RIM-116A), SPS-49A(v)1, SPN-44 radars, CEC USG-2, JSIPS-N, ICDS CCS; displacement was 78280(light)/101196t

12/2002, Nimitz: - Mk 23 TAS, SPS-64(v)9, SPN-43B radars; + SPQ-9B, SPS-73(v)12/17, SPN-43C, 2x SPN-46 radars, SLQ-20B ECM signal processor, SLX-1 torpedo-protection system

(5/2001-11/2004), Dwight D. Eisenhower: - 1 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM, 3 x 6 - 20/76, SPS-49(v)5, 2x Mk 95, 3x Mk 90, Mk 23 TAS, SPS-64(v)9, SPN-43B radars, ACDS CCS; + 2 x 21 RAM SAM (42 RIM-116A), SPS-49A(v)1, SPQ-9B, SPS-73(v)12/17, SPN-43C, 2x SPN-46 radars, SLQ-20B ECM signal processor, SLX-1 torpedo-protection system, CEC USG-2, ICDS, JSIPS-N CCS; displacement was 78793(light)/101713t

2008, Nimitz; 2009, Dwight D. Eisenhower: - 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM; + 2 x 8 ESSM SAM (16 RIM-162), SSDS Mk 2 Mod.1, ADMACS, DCGSN CCS

(11/2005-7/2009), Carl Vinson: - 3 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM, 2 x 6 - 20/76, SPS-49(v)5, 2x Mk 95, 2x Mk 90, Mk 23 TAS, SPS-64(v)9, SPN-43B radars, ACDS CCS; + 2 x 8 ESSM SAM (16 RIM-162), 2 x 21 RAM SAM (42 RIM-116A), SPS-49A(v)1, SPQ-9B, SPS-73(v)12/17, SPN-43C, 2x SPN-46 radars, SLQ-20B ECM signal processor, SLX-1 torpedo-protection system, CEC USG-2, ICDS, SSDS Mk 2 Mod.1 CCS; displacement was 78172(light)/101089t

Naval service

No significant events.