Nimitz-class aircraft carrier

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)
Class overview
Name	Nimitz class aircraft carrier
Builders	Newport News Shipbuilding Company
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	list error: <br /> list (help) Error: {{sclass}} invalid format code: 6. Should be 0–5, or blank (help) and USS Enterprise
Succeeded by	Error: {{sclass}} invalid format code: 6. Should be 0–5, or blank (help)
In commission	May 3, 1975
Planned	10
Completed	10
Active	list error: <br /> list (help) USS Nimitz USS Dwight D. Eisenhower USS Carl Vinson USS Theodore Roosevelt USS Abraham Lincoln USS George Washington USS John C. Stennis USS Harry S. Truman USS Ronald Reagan USS George H. W. Bush
General characteristics
Type	Aircraft carrier
Displacement	Template:Nimitz class aircraft carrier displacement
Length	Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m) Waterline: 1,040 feet (317.0 m)
Beam	Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m) Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m)
Draft	Maximum navigational: 37 feet (11.3 m) Limit: 41 feet (12.5 m)
Propulsion	2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors (HEU 93.5%)[1][2] 4 × steam turbines 4 × shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed	30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)[4]
Range	Unlimited distance; 20–25 years
Complement	Ship's company: 3,532 Air wing: 2,480
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radar AN/SPN-41 landing aid radars 4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 4 × Mk 95 radars
Electronic warfare & decoys	AN/SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite SLQ-25A Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures
Armament	16–24 × Sea Sparrow or NATO Sea Sparrow missiles 3 or 4 × Phalanx CIWSs or RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles
Armor	63.5 mm (2.50 in) kevlar over vital spaces[5]
Aircraft carried	85-90 fixed wing and helicopters[3][4]

The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. With an overall length of 1,092 ft (333 m) and displacements of over 100,000 long tons, they are the largest capital ships in the world. 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 bhp (190 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 fleet aircraft carriers and are numbered with consecutive hull numbers starting with CVN-68.^{[Note 1]}

All ten carriers were constructed by Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Virginia. Nimitz, the lead ship of the class, was commissioned on May 3, 1975 and George H. W. Bush, the tenth and last of the class, was commissioned on January 10, 2009. Since the 1970s, Nimitz-class carriers have participated in many conflicts and operations across the world, including Operation Eagle Claw in Iran, the Gulf War, and more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The angled flight deck of a Nimitz class carrier uses 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. The air wings' strike fighters are primarily F/A-18F Super Hornets and F/A-18C Hornets, after the retirement of the F-14 Tomcat. In addition to their aircraft, the vessels carry short-range defensive weaponry, used for anti-aircraft warfare and missile defense.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers were ordered to supplement the aircraft carriers of the Kitty Hawk class and Enterprise class, in order to maintain the size and ability of the US Navy after previous carriers were decommissioned.^[6] The ships were designed to be improvements on previous US aircraft carriers, in particular the Enterprise and Forrestal-class supercarriers, by using a more modern design, although the arrangement of the ships, in particular that of their flight decks is relatively similar to that of the Kitty Hawk class.^[7] Among other design improvements, the two reactors on Nimitz class carriers take up less space than those on Enterprise, which uses eight, meaning there is more interior space. This, along with a more generally improved design, means that Nimitz-class carriers can carry 90 percent more aviation fuel and 50 percent more ordnance when compared to the Forrestal class. The US Navy has also stated that the carriers could withstand three times the damage sustained by the Essex class inflicted by Japanese air attacks during World War 2.^[4] The hangars on the ships are divided into three fire bays by thick steel doors that are designed to restrict the spread of fire. This addition has been present on US aircraft carriers since World War 2, after the fires caused by Kamikaze attacks.^[8][9][10]

The first ships were designed around the time of the Vietnam war, and certain aspects of the design were influenced by operations there. To a certain extent, the carrier operations in Vietnam demonstrated the need for increased capabilities of aircraft carriers, over their survivability, as they were used to send sorties into the war, and were therefore less subject to attack. As a result of this experience, Nimitz carriers were designed with larger stores of aviation fuel and larger magazines in relation to previous carriers, although this was partly as a result of increased space available due to the arrangement of the ships' propulsion systems.^[11] A major purpose of the ships was initially to support the US military during the cold war, and they were designed with capabilities for that role, including using nuclear power instead of oil, for greater endurance when deployed in blue-water, and the ability to make adjustments to the carriers' weapons systems on the basis of new intelligence and technological developments.^[12] They were initially categorized only as attack carriers, but ships have been constructed with anti-submarine capabilities since Carl Vinson.^[13][14] As a result, the ships and their aircraft are now able to participate in a wide range of operations, which can include sea and air blockades, mine laying, and missile strikes on land, air and sea.^[15] In total, the cost of construction for each ship was around $4.5 billion.^{[Note 2][6][7]}

All ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers were constructed between 1968 and 2006 at Newport News Shipbuilding Company, in Newport News, Virginia, in the largest dry dock in the western hemisphere, dry dock 12, now 662 metres (2,172 ft) in length after a recent expansion. Since Roosevelt, the carriers have been manufactured in modular construction (George H.W Bush was constructed from 161 'super-lift' modules). This means that whole sections can be welded together with plumbing and electrical equipment already fitted, improving efficiency. This method was originally developed by Ingalls Shipbuilding and increases the rate of work because much of the fitting out does not have to be carried out within the confines of the already finished hull. Using gantry cranes, which can lift 900 tonnes (2,000,000 lb), the modules can then be lifted into the dry dock and welded. In the case of the bow section, these can weigh over 700 tonnes (1,500,000 lb).^{[9][10][16][17][18][19]}

The Nimitz class carriers have an overall length of 1,092 ft (333 m) and a full-load displacement of about 100,000–104,000 long tons (102,000–106,000 metric tons).^[20] They have a beam at the waterline of 135 ft (41 m) and the maximum width of their flight decks is 251 ft 10 in to 257 ft 3 in (77.76 m to 78.41 m) (depending on the variant). The ships' companies can number up to 3,200, not including an air wing of 2,480.^[21] Due to a design flaw, ships of this class have inherent lists to starboard when under combat loads that exceed the capability of their list control systems. The problem appears to be especially prevalent on some of the more modern vessels, due to their design differences. This problem has been previously rectified by using damage control voids for ballast, but a solution using solid ballast which does not affect the ship's survivability has been proposed.^[20][22]

All ships of the class are powered by two A4W nuclear reactors, kept in separate compartments. They power four propeller shafts, and can produce a maximum speed of over 30 knots (56 km/h) and maximum power of 260,000 bhp (190 MW).^[4] The reactors produce heat through nuclear fission which heats water. This is then passed through four turbines (manufactured by General Electric) which are shared by the two reactors. The turbines in turn power the four bronze propellers, each with a diameter of 7.6 meters (25 ft) and a weight of 30 metric tons (66,000 lb). Behind these are the two rudders, which are 8.9 meters (29 ft) high and 6.7 meters (22 ft) long.^[23] The Nimitz-class ships also have bulbous bows in order to improve fuel efficiency and speed by reducing hydrodynamic drag.^[17] As a result of the use of nuclear power, the ships are capable of operating continuously for over 20 years without refueling, and are predicted to have a service life of over 50 years.^[17]

In addition to the aircraft carried onboard, the ships carry defensive equipment for direct use against missiles and hostile aircraft. These consist of either three or four NATO RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile launchers, designed for defense against aircraft and anti-ship missiles as well as either three or four 20 mm Phalanx CIWS missile defense cannons. Ronald Reagan has none of these, having been built with the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile system, two of which have also been installed on Nimitz and George Washington. These will be installed on the other ships as they return for Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH).^[4][22]

The other countermeasures the ships use are four Sippican SRBOC (super rapid bloom off-board chaff) six-barrelled mk36 decoy launchers, which deploy infrared flares and chaff to disrupt the sensors of incoming missiles; an SSTDS torpedo defence system, and an AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo countermeasures system. The carriers also use Raytheon AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare systems to detect and disrupt hostile radar signals in addition to the electronic warfare capabilities of some of the aircraft onboard.^[24]

Since Theodore Roosevelt, the carriers have been constructed with 63.5 mm (2.50 in) kevlar armor over vital spaces, and earlier ships have been retrofitted with it: Nimitz in 1983-4, Eisenhower from 1985-7 and Vinson in 1989.^[5][25]

The presence of nuclear weapons on board US aircraft carriers since the end of the cold war has neither been confirmed nor denied by the US government. As a result of this, as well as concerns over the safety of nuclear power, the presence of a US aircraft carrier in a foreign port has occasionally provoked protest, for example when Nimitz docked in Chennai in 2007, from citizens who are unhappy that a carrier they believe may be carrying nuclear warheads is close to their homes. At that time, Rear Admiral John Terence Blake stated that: “The US policy is that we do not routinely deploy nuclear weapons on board Nimitz.”^[26][27]

In order for a carrier to deploy, it must embark one of ten carrier air wings (CVW).^{[Note 3]} The maximum number of aircraft the carriers can accommodate is 85–90, but current numbers are around 64. Although the air wings are integrated with the operating of the carriers they are deployed to, they are nevertheless regarded as a separate entity. As well as the aircrew, the air wings are also made up of support personnel involved in roles including maintenance, aircraft and ordnance handling, and emergency procedures. Each person on the flight deck wears colored clothing to make their role easily identifiable. A typical air wing can include 12-14 F/A-18F Super Hornets as strike fighters; two squadrons of 10-12 F/A-18C Hornets, with one of these often provided by the U.S. Marine Corps (VMFA), also as strike fighters; 4-6 EA-6B Prowlers for electronic warfare; 4-6 E-2C Hawkeyes used for early warning; C-2 Greyhounds used for logistics and a Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron of 6-8 SH-60F & HH-60H Seahawks. Aircraft that have previously operated from Nimitz-class carriers include F-14 Tomcats, S-3 Vikings, A-7 Corsair II and A-6E Intruder aircraft.^[28][29]

The ships have four elevators to transfer aircraft between the hangars and the flight deck.^[3][8] They have a nine degree angled flight deck, which allows for aircraft to be launched and recovered simultaneously. Another important reason for the use of a nine degree angle specifically was to improve the air flow around the carrier, by reducing the angle slightly, relative to previous carriers.^[11] To launch fixed-wing aircraft, four steam catapults are used, and four arrestor wires are used for recovery. This CATOBAR arrangement allows for faster launching and recovery, and a much wider range of aircraft that can be used on board compared with aircraft carriers in service with other world navies, most of which use a simpler STOVL arrangement, without catapults or arrestor wires. The island on the flight deck is the location from which the ship's aircraft operations are controlled by the "Air boss", as well as being the position of the bridge.^[7] The hangars on the ships are located below the flight deck and are connected by four elevators. They are divided into three fire bays by thick steel doors that are designed to restrict the spread of fire. This addition has been present on US aircraft carriers since World War 2, after the fires caused by Japanese kamikaze attacks.^[8]

When an aircraft carrier deploys, it almost always takes a strike group, made up of several other warships and supply vessels which allow the deployment to be carried out. The armament of the Nimitz class is made up only of short range, defensive weapons, used as a last line of defense against enemy missiles and aircraft. The other vessels in the strike group not only provide additional capabilities, such as longer range Tomahawk missiles from a guided missile cruiser or the capabilities offered by a nuclear submarine, but also protect the carrier from attack. A typical strike group may include, in addition to an aircraft carrier: Surface combatants, including a guided missile cruiser and two guided missile destroyers (used primarily for anti-aircraft warfare); an attack submarine (for seeking out and destroying hostile surface ships and submarines); and a combined ammunition, oiler, and supply ship to provide logistical support.^[30]

While the designs of the final seven ships (from Theodore Roosevelt) are slightly different from those of the earlier ships, the US Navy nevertheless regards all vessels as a single class.^[31] As the older carriers come in for Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH), they are upgraded to the standards of the latest ships, as well as having their nuclear power plants refuelled.^[22][32] The ships were initially categorised only as attack carriers, but have been constructed with anti-submarine capabilities since Carl Vinson. These improvements include better radar capabilities, and facilities which enable the ships to operate aircraft in a more effective anti-submarine role, including the fitting of common undersea picture (CUP) technology which uses sonar to allow for better assessment of the threat from submarines.^[13] Theodore Roosevelt and those completed after her have slight structural differences from the earlier carriers, and improved protection for ordnance storage in her magazines. Other improvements to the ships since that time include upgraded topside ballistic protection, first implemented on George Washington, and the high-strength low-alloy steel (HSLA-100) used for constructing ships since John C. Stennis.^[7][33] More recently, older ships have had their flight decks refitted with a non-slip material fitted on new-build ships, to improve safety for both crew and aircraft.^[34][35]

The final ship George H.W. Bush was designed as a "transition ship" to the Nimitz class replacement, the Gerald R. Ford class. George H.W. Bush incorporates new technologies including improved propeller and bulbous bow designs, a reduced radar signature and electronic and environmental upgrades.^[36][37] As a result, the ship's cost was noticeably higher than that of the other Nimitz-class ships at US$6.2  billion.^[38] To lower costs, some new technologies and design features were also incorporated into the Ronald Reagan, the previous carrier, including a redesigned island.^[39]

The Nimitz-class carriers carry weapons and aircraft which allow the ships to be used for a wide spectrum of missions.^[24] Since Nimitz first deployed in 1976, ships of the class have been involved in many operations across the world. Nimitz and Dwight D. Eisenhower deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1979 to aid Operation Eagle Claw and many of the ships have since served missions there. In the early 1990s, Nimitz, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Carl Vinson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln participated in the Gulf War. All active ships were engaged to some degree in Operation Southern Watch throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and most have also participated in the more recent Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.^[24][40]

The United States Navy lists the following ships in the Nimitz class:^[31]

Ship	Hull Number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	RCOH	Homeport (2010)	References
Nimitz	CVN-68	June 22, 1968	May 13, 1972	May 3, 1975	1998–2001	Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California	[10][41]
Dwight D. Eisenhower	CVN-69	August 15, 1970	October 11, 1975	October 18, 1977	2001–2005	Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia	[10][42]
Carl Vinson	CVN-70	October 11, 1975	March 15, 1980	March 13, 1982	2005–2009	Naval Air Station North Island	[10][43]
Theodore Roosevelt	CVN-71	October 31, 1981	October 27, 1984	October 25, 1986	2009-	Naval Station Norfolk	[10][44]
Abraham Lincoln	CVN-72	November 3, 1984	February 13, 1988	November 11, 1989		Naval Station Everett, Everett, Washington	[10][45]
George Washington	CVN-73	August 25, 1986	July 21, 1990	July 4, 1992		Yokosuka Naval Base, Yokosuka, Japan	[10][44]
John C. Stennis	CVN-74	March 13, 1991	November 11, 1993	December 9, 1995		Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, Washington	[10][44]
Harry S. Truman	CVN-75	November 29, 1993	September 7, 1996	July 25, 1998		Naval Station Norfolk	[10][44]
Ronald Reagan	CVN-76	February 12, 1998	March 4, 2001	July 12, 2003		Naval Air Station North Island	[10][44]
George H.W. Bush	CVN-77	September 6, 2003	October 9, 2006	January 10, 2009		Naval Station Norfolk	[10][46]

One of the first major operations in which the ships were involved was Operation Eagle Claw launched by Nimitz in 1979 after she had deployed to the Indian Ocean in response to the taking of hostages in the US embassy in Tehran.^[15] Although initially part of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet,^[47] Dwight D. Eisenhower relieved Nimitz in Operation Eagle Claw, after her service in the Mediterranean Sea.^[48] Nimitz conducted a Freedom of Navigation exercise alongside the aircraft carrier Forrestal in August 1981 in the Gulf of Sidra, near Libya. During this exercise, the ship was involved in the shooting down of two Libyan aircraft by two US F-14 Tomcats in what became known as the Gulf of Sidra incident.^[49] In the 1980s, Nimitz, Eisenhower, Carl Vinson and Roosevelt were primarily assigned to the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf,^[50] although Carl Vinson participated in the first US carrier deployment in the Bering Sea (in 1987),^[51] and Nimitz provided security during the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.^[52]

The two most significant deployments the Nimitz class was involved in during the 1990s were the Gulf War and its aftermath, and Operation Southern Watch in southern Iraq. All active vessels were engaged in both of these to some extent, with Operation Southern Watch continuing until 2003.^[53] However, most carriers in operation in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm played supporting roles, with only Theodore Roosevelt playing an active part in combat operations. Throughout the 1990s and more recently, Nimitz-class carriers have been deployed as part of humanitarian missions. While deployed in the Gulf War, Abraham Lincoln was diverted to the Indian Ocean to participate alongside 22 other ships in Operation Fiery Vigil, evacuating civilians following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on Luzon Island in the Philippines. In October 1993, Abraham Lincoln deployed to Somalia to assist U.N. humanitarian operations, spending four weeks flying patrols over the area surrounding Mogadishu while supporting US troops during Operation Restore Hope. The same ship also participated in Operation Vigilant Sentinel in 1995.^[54] When Iraqi forces turned on the Kurds in 1991, Theodore Roosevelt was among the first coalition forces to engage in Operation Provide Comfort, flying patrols over northern Iraq. In 1996, George Washington played a peacekeeping role in Operation Decisive Endeavor in Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[55] In 1999, Roosevelt was called to the Ionian Sea to support Operation Allied Force alongside other NATO militaries.^[56]

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)'s maiden deployment was in November 2000. The carrier's air wing flew 869 combat sorties in support of Operation Southern Watch, including a strike on Iraqi integrated air defense sites on Feb. 16, 2001, in a sanctioned response to Iraqi surface-to-air missile fire against United Nations Security Council coalition forces.^[57]

After the September 11th attacks, Vinson and Roosevelt were among the first warships to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Vinson sailed towards the Persian Gulf intending to support Operation Southern Watch in July 2001. This changed abruptly in response to the attacks, and the ship changed course to travel towards the North Arabian Sea, where on 7 October 2001, she launched the first airstrikes in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.^[58] Following the attacks, in December, John C. Stennis participated in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan and later supported Operation Noble Eagle in homeland security operations off the U.S. West Coast.^[59] All active ships have been involved to some extent in Afghanistan and Iraq since that time. This included the invasion in 2003 and providing subsequent support for Operation Iraqi Freedom since then,^[54][60][61] including the deployment of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group in 2004, which involved her F/A-18 Hornets participating in Operation Vigilant Resolve.^[62][63]

The ships have also provided aid after natural disasters; Abraham Lincoln provided assistance in 2005 in Indonesia in Operation Unified Assistance after the December 2004 tsunami,^[54] and Harry S. Truman provided aid after Hurricane Katrina later that year.^[64] The Reagan Carrier Strike Group performed humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the Philippines in June 2008 after Typhoon Fengshen, which killed hundreds from the central island regions and the main island of Luzon.^[65] On 15 January 2010 Carl Vinson arrived off Haiti to provide aid and drinking water to earthquake survivors as part of the US led Operation Unified Response, alongside other major warships and hospital ship Comfort.^[66]

In order to bring the older ships up to the more modern standards of the newer ones, as well as to refuel their nuclear power plants, they undergo a Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) once in their service lives. This is the most substantial overhaul the ships undergo while in service. The ship is placed in dry dock and essential maintenance is carried out including painting of the hull below the waterline, and replacement of electrical and mechanical components such as valves. Due to the large time periods between the ships' constructions, the armament and designs of the newer ships are more modern than those of the older ships. In RCOH, the older ships are refitted to the standards of the newer ships, which can include major upgrades to the flight deck, aircraft catapults and combat systems as well as other upgrades such as improved radar systems, although precise details can vary significantly between the ships. The improvements normally take around four years to complete. The RCOH for Theodore Roosevelt, which began in 2009, will reportedly cost US$ 2.4 billion.^[67][68] Planned Incremental Availability is a similar procedure, although it is less substantial and does not involve refuelling of the nuclear power plants.^[69]

Due to their status as the largest warships in the US Navy, the deployment of a Nimitz-class carrier can fulfil a symbolic role, not just in terms of a deterrent to an enemy, but often as a diplomatic tool in terms of strengthening relations with allies and potential allies. The latter of these functions can take place either as a single visit to a country, in which senior naval officers are allowed to observe the operating of the carrier and to interact with its senior officers,^[70] or as part of an international task force. This can be in combat operations, such as those organised by NATO (Operation Allied Force in 1999 for example),^[71] or other deployments involving training, such as RIMPAC. As well as this, carriers have participated in international Maritime Security Operations, combating piracy in the Persian Gulf and off the coast of Somalia.^[72]

As on most aircraft carriers, there have been several incidents involving the death or injury of one or more crew members, most involving freak accidents or failures, such as incidents in which crew members have been washed overboard. In cases of ditched aircraft, pilots have been able to eject safely in several cases, although one of the most high-profile fatal aircraft incidents was in 1994, when Lt. Kara Hultgreen, the first female F-14 Tomcat pilot, was killed in a training accident while attempting to land on board Abraham Lincoln.^[73] On 26 May 1981, an EA-6B Prowler crashed on the flight deck of Nimitz, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others.^[15][74] After forensic testing of the flight crew, it was found that several of them had tested positive for marijuana. While this was not in itself found to have directly caused the crash, the findings of the investigation provoked the introduction of the mandatory drug testing of all service personnel.^[75][76] A different incident occurred during a deployment near Libya in August 1981, when Nimitz was involved in the shooting down of two Libyan aircraft by two US F-14 Tomcats in what became known as the Gulf of Sidra incident.^[49] Fires have also caused damage to the ships; in May 2008, while being transferred to her current homeport at Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan, George Washington suffered a serious fire which cost $70 million in repairs and injured 37 sailors. The fire was caused by unauthorised smoking in an area near improperly stored flammable refrigerant.^{[24][77][78][79]}

The ships were designed to have a fifty-year service life.^[80] They will continue operating at full capacity until that time when they will be decommissioned. This process will first take place on Nimitz and is estimated to cost from US$750 million to $900 million.^[81] To replace current aircraft carriers after their decommissioning, the US Navy is building a new class named the Gerald R. Ford class, the first of which is expected to enter service in 2015, replacing USS Enterprise. Additional carriers, mainly the ten expected Gerald R. Ford class will slowly replace the Nimitz class ships as they reach the end of their service life.^[82] The new carriers will have a similar design to George H.W. Bush (using an almost identical hull design), but will also have further technological and structural improvements.^[83]

Template:Wikipedia-Books

• List of aircraft carriers
• List of naval ship classes in service
• Supercarrier

• Nimitz Class project page on Naval-technology.com
• GlobalSecurity article on Nimitz Class carriers
• Naval Vessel Register page for USS Nimitz

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