U.S. Media Article: Where Are the 11 Active Aircraft Carriers in the U.S.? (Part 1)

Reference News Network, April 10 report The U.S. magazine "National Interest" published an article on April 1 titled "Where Are America's Aircraft Carriers Now?" by Peter Suciu. The full text is excerpted as follows:

The U.S. Navy has the largest fleet of nuclear-powered supercarriers in the world, with 11 aircraft carriers currently in service. However, the actual status of the 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and 1 Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier is not as straightforward as their "availability" might suggest. The U.S. Navy rarely deploys more than five to six carriers at the same time.

Here is the current status of each U.S. Navy aircraft carrier:

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Current status: Underway, heading to Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia

The USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is the oldest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in active service in the U.S. Navy, having been commissioned on May 3, 1975. It has departed from its long-time home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington State and is en route to Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. This is planned to be its final voyage before decommissioning.

This respected carrier is currently sailing along the Pacific coastline. Due to its size, it cannot transit the Panama Canal, so the Nimitz will have to circumnavigate South America to reach the East Coast. This lengthy journey allows for multiple stops along the way. It recently docked in Panama and is also scheduled to participate in the "Southern Seas 2026" exercise in South American waters.

The U.S. Navy recently announced that the decommissioning of the Nimitz will be delayed until 2027 to allow time for the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) to be commissioned, keeping the number of carriers at 11.

However, once the Nimitz arrives at its destination, it is unlikely to leave port again. It will remain there on standby until its decommissioning next year. After it is officially decommissioned and removed from the Navy's vessel roster, it will undergo a lengthy dismantling and recycling process. This also marks the end of the mission for the lead ship of the U.S. Navy's Nimitz-class carriers.

The USS Nimitz is named after the famous U.S. Navy leader, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, with its keel laid on June 22, 1968. When it was commissioned on May 3, 1975, it was the largest warship in the world and has served in the U.S. Navy for over 50 years.

As a floating airbase, the Nimitz typically carries about 60 aircraft, including various fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, and can carry up to 90 aircraft of various types when fully loaded. Currently, the aircraft on board include F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F/A-18 Hornets, E-2 Hawkeyes, EA-6B Prowlers, and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters. The carrier also previously deployed S-3B Vikings before they were gradually phased out and replaced by F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)

Current status: In port (Portsmouth, Virginia), undergoing scheduled maintenance

This second oldest Nimitz-class carrier was commissioned on October 18, 1977, and is currently undergoing incremental availability maintenance in Virginia as planned. According to reports from U.S. military news websites last month, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is working hard on maintenance.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) is the second oldest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in active service in the world. Like the Nimitz, its time in service is also limited, with plans for decommissioning around 2029, awaiting the commissioning of the new Gerald R. Ford-class carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-80) to replace it. Due to delays in the Ford-class program, its decommissioning date has now been pushed back from the originally planned 2028.

The carrier is named after the 34th President of the United States and Army five-star General Dwight D. Eisenhower, with construction approved by the U.S. Congress in 1970 and commissioned seven years later.

Throughout its long service career, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has been deployed in a series of combat operations. Its first deployment was during the ill-fated Operation Eagle Claw during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980. A decade later, during the Gulf War, the carrier had its most famous deployment. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower made history as the second nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carries Carrier Air Wing Three. Its air wing consists of about 90 aircraft, including Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2 Hawkeyes, C-2 Greyhounds, and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters. (To be continued...) (Translated by Tu Qi)