Aircraft Carriers - CVN |
| |
Description
Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America�s Naval forces. On any given day, aircraft carriers exercise the Navy core capabilities of power projection, forward presence, humanitarian assistance, deterrence, sea control and maritime security. |
| |
Features
The aircraft carrier continues to be the centerpiece of the forces necessary for forward presence. In times of crisis, the first question leaders ask in a crisis is: �Where are the carriers?� Often the presence of an aircraft carrier has deterred potential adversaries from striking against U.S. interests. Aircraft Carriers support and operate aircraft that engage in attacks on airborne, afloat and ashore targets that threaten free use of the sea; and engage in sustained power projection operations in support U.S. and coalition ground forces in Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The aircraft carrier and its strike group also engage in maritime security operations to interdict threats to merchant shipping and prevent the use of the seas as a highway for terrorist traffic. Aircraft also provide unique capabilities for disaster response and humanitarian assistance. The embarked carrier air wing provides helicopters for direct support and C4I assets to support them and ensure aid is routed quickly and safely. The 10 Nimitz class aircraft carriers are the largest warships in the world, each designed for an approximately 50 year service life with one mid-life refueling. USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), and USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) have all completed their Refueling Complex Overhauls (RCOH) at Newport News, Va., with USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) scheduled to return to the Fleet in 2013. The next generation of aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford class (CVN 78) was ordered in 2008 and is slated to be delivered in 2015 to replace USS Enterprise (CVN 65).
Gerald R. Ford class
The Gerald R. Ford class is the future aircraft carrier replacement class for USS Enterprise and CVN 68, or Nimitz class aircraft carriers. Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was ordered from Newport News Shipbuilding on Sept. 10, 2008, and is scheduled to be delivered in 2015. The Gerald R. Ford class will be the premier forward asset for crisis response and early decisive striking power in a major combat operation. Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers and carrier strike groups will provide the core capabilities of forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance. The class brings improved warfighting capability, quality of life improvements for our Sailors and reduced acquisition and life cycle costs.
Each ship in the new class will save $4 billion in total ownership costs during its 50-year service life, compared to the Nimitz-class. For comparison, the total ownership cost for a Nimitz-class ship is $39.2 billion in FY 12 constant year dollars, and the total ownership cost for CVN 78 is expected to be $35.6 billion. Half of the total ownership cost for an aircraft carrier is allocated to the direct and indirect costs of manpower for operations and maintenance of the ship. The CVN 78 is being designed to operate effectively with nearly 800 fewer crew members than a CVN 68-class ship. Improvements in the ship design will allow the embarked air wing to operate with 663 fewer personnel. Technologies and ship design initiatives that replace maintenance-intensive systems with low maintenance systems are expected to reduce watch standing and maintenance workload for the crew. Gerald R. Ford is the first aircraft carrier designed with all electric utilities, eliminating steam service lines from the ship, reducing maintenance requirements and improving corrosion control efforts. The new A1B reactor, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) and Dual Band Radar (DBR) all offer enhanced capability with reduced manning requirements. The Gerald R. Ford class is designed to maximize the striking power of the embarked carrier air wing. The ship�s systems and configuration are optimized to maximize the sortie generation rate (SGR) of attached strike aircraft, resulting in a 25 percent increase in SGR over the Nimitz class. The ship�s configuration and electrical generating plant are designed to accommodate any foreseeable requirements during its 50- year service life. The Gerald R. Ford class builds upon the Navy�s legacy of aircraft carrier innovation stretching back to the first aircraft carrier, USS Langley (CV 1) and continuing to the present day. The introduction of jet aircraft, angled decks and nuclear power were all innovations that kept the fleet relevant for Cold War needs. Gerald R. Ford continues the aircraft carrier history of innovation and adapatability that will enable her to serve our country for decades to come. |
| |
Point Of Contact
Naval Sea Systems Command
Office of Corporate Communications
Washington, D.C. 20376 |
| |
General Characteristics, Nimitz class
|
| Builder: Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va. |
| Date Deployed: May 3, 1975 (USS Nimitz). |
| Unit Cost: About $8.5 billion in constant year FY 12 dollars. |
| Propulsion: Two nuclear reactors, four shafts. |
| Length: 1,092 feet (332.8 meters). |
| Beam: 134 feet (40.8 meters); Flight Deck Width: 252 feet (76.8 meters). |
| Displacement: Approximately 97,000 tons (98,560 long tons) full load. |
| Speed: 30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour). |
| Crew: Ship's Company: 3,000-3,200, air wing: 1,500, other: 500. |
| Armament: Multiple NATO Sea Sparrow, Phalanx CIWS, and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) mounts. |
| Aircraft: Approximately 60+. |
| Ships: |
| USS Nimitz (CVN 68), Everett, WA |
| USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), Norfolk, VA |
| USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), San Diego, CA |
| USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Norfolk, VA |
| USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Norfolk, VA |
| USS George Washington (CVN 73), Yokosuka, Japan |
| USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Bremerton, WA |
| USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Norfolk, VA |
| USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), San Diego, CA |
| USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Norfolk, VA |
| |
General Characteristics, Enterprise class
|
| Builder: Huntington INgalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va. |
| Date Deployed: November 25, 1961 (USS Enterprise). |
| Propulsion: Eight nuclear reactors, four shafts. |
| Length: 1,101 feet 2 inches (335.64 meters). |
| Beam: 133 feet (39.9 meters); 252 feet (75.6 meters). |
| Displacement: 89,600 tons (91,040 long tons) full load. |
| Speed: 30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour). |
| Crew: Ship's Company: 3,350 - Air Wing 2,480. |
| Armament: Multiple NATO Sea Sparrow, Phalanx CIWS, and rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) mounts. |
| Aircraft: Approximately 60+. |
| Ships: |
| USS Enterprise (CVN 65), Norfolk, VA |
| |
General Characteristics, Gerald R. Ford class
|
| Builder: Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va. |
| Propulsion: Two nuclear reactors, four shafts. |
| Length: 1,092 feet |
| Beam: 134 feet, Flight Deck Width: 256 feet. |
| Displacement: approximately 100,000 long tons full load. |
| Speed: 30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour) |
| Crew: 4,539 (ship, air wing and staff). |
| Armament: Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, Rolling Airframe Missile, CIWS. |
| Aircraft: 75+. |
| Ships: |
| PCU Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) |
| PCU John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) |
| |
| Last Update: 23 October 2012 |
| |
Video: USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) underway in the Atlantic.
Printer Friendly View of Fact Sheet