Carriers

The US Navy has opted for “Alternative 3,” which involves dismantling and disposing of USS Enterprise (CVN-65) using commercial industry expertise

The US Navy has made a significant decision regarding the former USS Enterprise (CVN-65): the service has opted for “Alternative 3,” which involves dismantling and disposing of the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier using commercial industry expertise, Alert 5 first noted.

This process will take place at one of three potential locations: Newport News, Virginia; Brownsville, Texas; or Mobile, Alabama.

According to the US Navy website carrierdisposaleis.com, on Sep. 5, 2023, the US Department of the Navy (Navy) released its Record of Decision to select and implement the Preferred Alternative (Commercial Dismantlement) from the Final Associated Naval Reactor Plants Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement EIS/OEIS. Under this alternative, the Navy will contract with commercial industry to dismantle ex-Enterprise, including its defueled reactor plants, and dispose of low-level radiological waste and other hazardous waste at authorized commercial or Department of Energy (DOE) waste disposal facilities. This decision will allow the Navy to reduce the Navy inactive ship inventory, eliminate costs associated with maintaining the ship in a safe stowage condition, and dispose of legacy radiological and hazardous wastes in an environmentally responsible manner, while meeting the operational needs of the Navy.

The Navy selected Alternative 3 (Commercial Dismantlement) [click here to read the US Navy record of decision featuring Alternative 1, Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 options] because this alternative safely disposes of the ex-Enterprise, including its hazardous materials, in approximately five years as compared to 15 years or more for other analyzed alternatives. Additionally, this alternative will have the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, will not require in-water construction work to expand the capacity of the Port of Benton barge slip in Washington state, and will be executed at approximately half the cost to the taxpayer as compared with other alternatives. Finally, this alternative supports the Navy mission by allowing the Navy to focus limited public shipyard resources on priority fleet maintenance. This alternative will not result in any decrease in workforce at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF).

The Navy made this decision after assessment of potential human, natural, and cultural environmental impacts while considering strategic and operational needs, and review of comments from government officials and agencies, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and the public on the proposal and environmental analysis. The Navy does not anticipate significant environmental impacts from the selected alternative with the implementation of protective standard operating procedures, best management practices, and mitigation measures, as described in the Final EIS/OEIS and Record of Decision.

Commissioned at Newport News, Virginia, on Nov. 25, 1961, USS Enterprise was the world’s first nuclear aircraft carrier. Ordered to assist the Project Mercury Program in February 1962, she tracked and measured the flight of the first American orbital spaceflight, Friendship 7. During the Cuban Missile Crisis that October, Enterprise participated in the blockade of Cuba.

Along with USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25) and USS Long Beach (CGN-9), she was part of the nuclear-task force, Operation Sea Orbit, from May to October 1964, circumnavigating the globe without refueling. Following this cruise, Enterprise was redesginated CVAN-65 and was deployed in November 1965 for service in the Vietnam War, becoming the first nuclear-powered ship to engage in combat by utilizing her aircraft against the Viet Cong.

On Jan. 14, 1969, an accident involving an F-4 Phantom II on her flight deck resulted on 27 Sailors killed and 314 injured. After repairs, Enterprise continued to serve off Vietnam until 1973 and assisted in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon, in April 1975.
She was redesignated back to CVN-65 the following year.

Deployed mainly in the Pacific and Indian oceans during the late 1970s and early 1980s, she entered the Mediterranean in April 1986 to assist in Operation El Dorado Canyon, the bombing of Libya. Two years later, she was assigned to Operation Earnest Will, escorting merchant Kuwaiti tankers in the Persian Gulf.

Following a lenghty overhaul, Enterprise returned to sea duty in September 1994 and enforced no-fly zones in Operation Joint Endeavor off Bosnia and Operation Southern Watch over Iraq. In 1998, she successfully attacked Iraqi targets in Operation Desert Fox.

To assist in the war against terrorism, she participated, beginning in 2001, in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and underwent further refurbishments and deployments until deactived in 2012. Enterprise was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on Feb. 3, 2017.

Photo by U.S. Navy

‘I thought the jet was going to explode when it crashed back onto the deck, the blast killing us or sending us flying over the edge of the deck,’ Robbie Emberson, former Yellow Shirt aboard USS Ronald Reagan

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is the ninth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and is named in honor of the 40th president of the US.

As the US’ only forward deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan is the cornerstone of Carrier Strike Group 5. Together with Carrier Air Wing 5, the ship-air wing team forms one the most lethal fighting forces in the world.

Modern US Navy aircraft carrier air operations include the operation of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft on and around an aircraft carrier for performance of combat or noncombat missions.

On an aircraft carrier flight deck, specialised crew are employed for the different roles utilised in managing air operations. The different flight deck crews wear colored jerseys to visually distinguish their functions:

• Yellow: Aircraft handling officer
• Green: Catapult and arresting gear crew
• Red: Ordnance handler
• Purple: Aviation fuel handler
• Blue: Trainee plane handler
• Brown: Air wing plane captain
• White: Quality Assurance

‘The flight deck is an exciting place to work,’ says Robbie Emberson, former Flight Deck Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) (ABH) aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) on Quora. ‘During flight ops turning propellers can cut you thinner than sliced bread, jet intakes and exhaust can burn you crispier than well-done steak, or one wrong step can send you plunging 134ft down into the frigid water below. But none of these things happened to me.

‘The flight deck is separated into three work centers for V-1 (flight deck ABHs), FLY 1 is responsible for the bow, FLY 2 is responsible for the middle, and FLY 3 is responsible for the fantail.

‘This is a basic sketch of how the FLY’s are separated but there are a number of exceptions. For example, a FLY 3 yellow shirt will stand up in FLY 1 during recovery to “catch” birds when they land. Meaning, he will signal to the pilot to let off the brakes after the wires stop the plane’s forward momentum, when the wire has separated from his aircraft, to raise his tail hook, and direct him out of the landing area.’

Emberson continues:

‘One of the scariest things that happened to me on an aircraft carrier was when I was a U.I. [Under Instruction] yellow shirt in FLY 3. During recovery, FLY 3 sees little action because no aircraft can be sent back there while birds are landing, so most FLY 3 yellow shirts go down in the fly hole and listen to the flight deck radio, have a snack or whatever, and wait. Tonight, however, a friend and I were standing by the arresting gear shooting the s**t enjoying the night.

‘As we were standing there, an F-18 is coming in to land. What seemed like 10 feet away from the wires the aircraft’s nose rapidly swings up. The bird had been waved off; something had fouled the landing area and the green light signaling a clear landing area had turned red.

‘This is approximately where we were standing and the bird was probably that close to landing when it had been waved off.

‘The aircraft was nearly perpendicular to the flight deck trying to climb back into the night sky but, unbeknownst to the pilot, the tail hook had caught a wire and he was attached to the deck.

‘So, here we are. My buddy and I standing there in FLY 3 by the arresting gear, an F-18 on full power, roaring, trying to gain altitude, streams of fire coming out of the exhaust, and the thick cables of the arresting gear not letting go, pulling the jet back towards the deck. We did what anyone would do, we ran.

‘I thought the jet was going to explode when it crashed back onto the deck, the blast killing us or sending us flying over the edge of the deck. But, it didn’t. The jet did smash back on the deck causing damage to the aircraft and a lot of sparks, but no fire started. The pilot was bloodied up when he eventually got out of the plane but he walked away. Flight ops continued after a FOD walk-down.’

Emberson concludes:

‘I thought I was going to be caught in the middle of a flight deck fire that night. It was pretty scary.’

Photo by US Navy

If the Navy chooses to accept it, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) could get its big screen debut in Tom Cruise’s next “Mission Impossible” movie

Top Gun: Maverick producer and star Tom Cruise, writer and producer Christopher McQuarrie, and editor Eddie Hamilton, along with Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham departed the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) after completing a visit, on Mar. 3, 2023.

The team led a Top Gun: Maverick viewing in the ship’s hangar bay and took time to visit with Sailors aboard the ship during their visit. The ship and its crew have been deployed since departing Naval Station Norfolk on Aug. 10, 2022.

Last week, entertainment trade publication Variety quoted the head of the Apulia Film Commission Antonio Parente that Cruise was aboard the carrier filming scenes for “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part Two.”

If the Navy chooses to accept it, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) could get its big screen debut in Tom Cruise’s next “Mission Impossible” movie.

“We are proud that [the] Apulia [region] has been chosen as the operational base for this rather complex shoot,” Parente told the paper.

According to USNI News, it is unclear what brings Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt to an aircraft carrier in the film, which is expected to be the last in the “Mission Impossible” series. In the most recent Mission Impossible film, Cruise’s Hunt stopped an organization of rogue spies and ex-government agents from harming a major water supply.

“Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning” is being split into two parts with the first going to theaters in July. The trailer for the action film shows scenes of Cruise in Italy, including Venice, which may be connected to George H.W. Bush’s appearance in the second film. It is unclear if “Mission Impossible” will call the aircraft by a different name or have it in a different location in the film.

McQuarrie announced Waddingham was joining the cast via an Instagram post from the carrier that featured her on the flight deck of Bush wearing a Carrier Strike Group 10 ball cap.

It’s unclear the time between the two films as Cruise’s hair in Navy-released photos from his time aboard the aircraft carrier is longer than in the trailer for the first Dead Reckoning film.

Throughout its deployment, the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG) has worked alongside NATO allies and partners to increase interchangeability and increased capacity for the Alliance.

“I know our Sailors will never forget that night in the hangar bay, and I am equally as certain that neither will Mr. Cruise,” said Rear Adm. Dennis Velez, commander, CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG, in a US Navy news release. “The Sailors of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group represent what is best about America. Their commitment and courage is on display every day, and I know Tom and his entire team left with a fuller appreciation of the capabilities and power of U.S. Navy’s carrier strike groups — and the dedication and grit of our Sailors that make it all possible.”

Velez was not the only leader aboard the ship who recognized the impact the visit had on everyone aboard.

“While Top Gun will always be an American and Navy classic, Tom, Chris, Eddie, and their team outdid themselves with Top Gun: Maverick!” said Capt. Dave Pollard, the aircraft carrier’s commanding officer, himself a Top Gun graduate and instructor. “Every minute they spent with the crew of our mighty warship paid dividends toward our crew’s morale from the top-down. It buoys my spirits to know that the leading entertainers and filmmakers of our day not only conceptually know what we do, but they can relate to what our nation’s warriors do on a daily basis through their personal experiences aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77).”

Paramount Pictures’ Top Gun: Maverick earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound at the 95th Oscars on Mar. 12 (The motion picture won the Best Sound Oscar).

“This is my first deployment, and it’s difficult sometimes to be gone from home and family for such long time,” said Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class Olivia Morton, the ship’s Blue Jacket of the Year who was promoted meritoriously during the visit. “Spending time with my friends at the hangar bay event and getting a photo with all of the guests – especially Tom Cruise – was the highlight of a memorable deployment.”

George H.W. Bush is the flagship of CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG. CSG-10 is comprised of George H.W. Bush, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Information Warfare Commander, and USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

The ships of DESRON-26 within CSG-10 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119).

The squadrons of CVW-7 embarked aboard the George H.W. Bush are the “Sidewinders” of VFA-86, the “Jolly Rogers” of VFA-103, the “Knighthawks” of VFA-136, the “Pukin’ Dogs” of VFA-143, the “Bluetails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, the “Patriots” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, the “Nightdippers” of HSC-5, and the “Grandmasters” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

For over 80 years, US Naval Forces Europe – US Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the US European Command (USEUCOM) and US Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. US Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

The George H.W. Bush CSG is on a scheduled deployment in the NAVEUR area of operations as part of the US response to the Russo-Ukraine War, employed by US Sixth Fleet to defend US, allied, and partner interests.

Photo by U.S. Navy and Paramount Pictures

‘Memories: my “Best Perks” of being deployed on an Aircraft Carrier are made in retrospect, after the passage of several decades,’ Steve Solbakken, former US Navy sailor

Aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of America’s Naval forces – the most adaptable and survivable airfields in the world. On any given day, Sailors aboard an aircraft carrier and its air wing come to the fight trained and equipped across a full range of missions. They are ready to control the sea, conduct strikes, and maneuver across the electromagnetic spectrum and cyberspace. No other naval force fields a commensurate range and depth of combat capabilities.

But what are the best perks of being deployed on a US Navy aircraft carrier?

‘Like many first term enlistees in the early 70’s, I never considered there to be “perks” while doing my enlistment,’ Steve Solbakken, former US Navy sailor, says on Quora.

‘I did request carrier duty on my “Dream Sheet” and got it because I was just graduating from training for a critical rate that needed bodies all over the fleet. Once I joined the ship’s company, I was too busy adapting to the experience of being a sailor at sea to look for perks and then I was too preoccupied with making it to the end of my enlistment to look for special benefits. My “Best Perks” are made in retrospect, after the passage of several decades.

‘One benefit I did appreciate right away (and a big reason I requested carrier duty) was the day to day stability of an aircraft carrier when it’s underway. Smaller ships were regularly bobbing and bouncing about, even in calm seas. However, an aircraft carrier is quite large and needs to be more stable in order for jets to land. The ship’s pitch and roll movements are still there, but they’re more gradual and much less noticeable than what a destroyer or other smaller vessel experiences. I only recall becoming nauseous once in over 3 years – and we were on the edge of a hurricane and the seas were quite violent that day.

‘Another cool thing was getting to see, hear, feel and smell flight ops from Vulture’s Row. Not having to actually WORK on the flight deck, but to stand 4 levels above it and watch the dance below. The flight deck is full of men (just men back then, now men and women) in yellow, blue, purple, red, green and white jerseys, all moving as if finely tuned machine parts – each one with a specific function. All functions are necessary and constantly being done in an atmosphere filled with opportunities for disaster, yet being done incredibly well and safely, over and over, hundreds of times daily. The teamwork necessary for everything to work right is a wonderful sight to watch in action. The pure sensory overload is an amazing, almost indescribable experience. There aren’t many sounds like the roar of a fighter jet engine at full power. You feel it as much as you hear it. The heat off the black asphalt like flight deck surface in the summer sun can be intense. Throw in jet afterburners and you can almost feel your eyebrows singing – even though you’re a couple hundred feet back and 4 levels up in the observation area (Vulture’s Row). You never forget the smell of jet fuel and if you happen to get a whiff at an airport, your mind flashes back to watching launches and recoveries out in the bright sunlight. Unfortunately, when you live with it day in and day out, you tend to take it for granted and don’t take advantage as much as you could to savor the experience. You don’t miss it – until it’s a memory. But what a memory it is! You simply cannot get that experience serving on any other ship in the US Navy.’

He continues;

‘There’s a lot of jobs on the ship where you never get to get outside. My day to day tasks were below decks, working in rooms lit only by red lights, staring at a radar screen 12 hours a day. I could go days and not see the sun because you could literally make the journey from bow to stern entirely inside, below decks. At best you could walk through the hangar deck and look out the bay doors. But, where there’s a will, there’s a way. A carrier has steel wire nets in certain spots around the flight deck and catwalks for safety reasons. On my ship, there was one right up off the front edge of the flight deck at the bow. During times when we weren’t flying, you could crawl (sneak) out onto those nets and sit suspended 60 plus feet over the ocean and look straight down and watch the bow cut through the water. There was always a school of dolphins racing with us, jumping gracefully in and out of the water, matching our speed, never tiring and never stopping. Other times, you could go out on the catwalks or out to the fantail and watch the sun rise or set at sea – always a beautiful sight. I enjoyed those times because it reminded me of how insignificant we really are. I knew how far away the nearest land was and what would happen if I somehow ended up in the water. I learned a new level of respect and awe for nature that I look forward to experiencing even now. When we pulled into our anchorage in ports like Athens, Naples, Barcelona and other spots it was always just before dawn and we were out at our lookout posts. Mine was atop the island, so I could see for up to 15 miles on a clear day. We could see the lights of the cities from a good distance and watch them getting closer and closer, then the lights of dozens of fishing boats bobbing up and down, just a couple miles off shore. Then the fishing boat lights would fade out as they were overcome by the natural light of the rising sun, in all its glory and brilliance. I wish I’d savored those moments more.’

Solbakken concludes;

‘They told us that we would better appreciate our experiences when able to view them with the perspective you get with time and age. They were right. For me, those are memories that I now see as perks, but didn’t have the years or wisdom to appreciate 45 years ago.’

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Scott, MC3 Christopher Lindahl and Mass Communication Specialist 3rd class Mark Sashegyi / U.S. Navy

USS Abraham Lincoln crew quickly put out the fire, non-essential sailors did briefly evacuate. There were no injuries

According to the US Navy, an electrical fire broke out in the compartment of an emergency generator aboard aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) on Jun. 28, 2023 while the ship was pierside.

USNI News reported that while the crew quickly put out the fire, non-essential sailors did briefly evacuate. There were no injuries.

Cmdr. Zachary Harrell, the spokesperson for Commander, Naval Air Forces, said in a statement that “At approximately 2 pm PST on June 28, 2023, the in-port emergency team aboard aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) responded to an electrical fire in the forward emergency diesel generator compartment.”

Harrell pointed out that “The crew immediately secured power to the effected component and the fire was extinguished at approximately 2:10 pm.”

The Navy is currently assessing the extent of damage to the ship, he said. Foul play is not suspected.

According to USNI News Lincoln is currently at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, Calif., for a scheduled maintenance availability. The ship deployed last year to the Indo-Pacific and came home to San Diego in August.

As already reported, the crew of USS Abraham Lincoln already extinguished a fire that broke out on Nov. 29, 2022.

Also on that occasion the fire was quickly identified and extinguished through the crew’s fire-fighting efforts. Nine Sailors aboard suffered minor injuries and have been treated aboard the ship.

Abraham Lincoln was conducting routine operations approximately 30 miles off the coast of Southern California when the incident occurred.

USS Abraham Lincoln is America’s fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. The ship was named in honor of the nation’s 16th president and is the second ship in the US Navy to bear his name.

Abraham Lincoln is part of Carrier Strike Group Three (CSG-3) with Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) embarked, with Abraham Lincoln as the flagship of the strike group.

CVW-9 consists of eight squadrons and a fleet logistics support squadron:

• Strike Fighter Squadron 41 (VFA-41) “Black Aces” with Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets
• Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) “Tophatters” with F/A-18E Super Hornets
• Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) “Black Knights” with Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning IIs
• Strike Fighter Squadron 151 (VFA-151) “Vigilantes” with F/A-18E Super Hornets
• Electronic Attack Squadron 133 (VAQ-133) “Wizards” with Boeing EA-18G Growlers
• Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 117 (VAW-117) “Wallbangers” with Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeyes
• Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 14 (HSC-14) “Chargers” with Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawks
• Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71 (HSM-71) “Raptors” with MH-60R Seahawks
• Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 Detachment 2 (VRM-30) “Titans” with Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey

Photo by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Aleksandr Freutel

The different maintenance schedule, the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on HII’s workforce and delays in funding the mid-life maintenance period contributed to USS George Washington extended repair period

After almost six years at the shipyard undergoing a mid-life refueling and overhaul USS George Washington (CVN-73) has left HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding for sea trials, USNI News reports.

According to a US Navy official, the carrier departed the shipyard and sailed down the James River for the Atlantic Ocean on May 22, 2023. After the 2,117-day maintenance period that refueled the carrier’s two nuclear reactors, modernized systems and refurbished the ship’s interior, George Washington left for sea trials, expected to last several days. The US Navy typically plans for the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) to take four years.

George Washington was the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Japan from 2008 to 2015. The different maintenance schedule, the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on HII’s workforce and delays in funding the mid-life maintenance period contributed to the extended repair period.

According to a HII statement to USNI News “Factors that extended the RCOH included delays and changes in her RCOH planning and induction timeline due to FY15 budgetary decisions to inactivate (vice refuel) this ship; the arrival condition of the ship, which was more challenging than expected, planned or budgeted for, including growth work in significant areas of the RCOH; the requirement to remove critical parts from CVN-73 to support higher-priority, deploying aircraft carriers; and the impact of COVID-19 on the workforce and industrial base.”

USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) is the next carrier slated for its mid-life overhaul. It has been at Newport News shipbuilding since May 2021.

After its delivered back to the Navy, Washington will return to Japan and relieve carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), which will return to the US.

USS George Washington (CVN-73) is the sixth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and is named in honor of the first president of the US who believed heavily in the necessity of a strong navy. It’s actually the fourth ship to bear this name.

The USS George Washington was first ordered by the US government back in the Cold War, although it would never see action in that era. The contract to build it was given to Newport News Shipbuilding of Norfolk, Virginia in 1982. The keel of the ship was laid in 1986, and in 1990 it took its first test runs. Finally, in 1992 it was ready to be formally commissioned.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeffrey Stewart / U.S. Navy

Even though the US Navy has not specified the exact operating areas of the Ford CSG during its current deployment, USS Gerald R. Ford will continue the carrier presence in the Mediterranean Sea, which the US began in December 2021 ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group left Naval Station Norfolk in the afternoon of Tuesday May 2, 2023 for its first global deployment, USNI News reports.

According to ship spotters, first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) sailed down the James River into the Atlantic around 3:30 p.m.

Commander Capt. Rick Burgess said that the deployment of the Ford CSG will operationalize a new series of technologies aboard the carrier.

“This ship and crew are actively reshaping the face of our Navy’s capabilities and strengthening the future of naval aviation,” he said.

Even though the US Navy has not specified the exact operating areas of the Ford CSG during its current deployment, defense officials have told USNI News that Ford will continue the carrier presence in the Mediterranean Sea, which the US began in December 2021 ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

“Our presence at sea throughout the deployment will provide reassurance to our allies and partners that sea lanes will remain open, and our joint operations will demonstrate our commitment to interoperability and maritime stability,” Rear Admiral Greg Huffman, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, said in a Navy news release.

The deployment of Ford, its escorts and the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 comes almost six years after the carrier’s commissioning.

Burgess highlighted the training in the lead-up to this deployment. Last month, the Ford CSG finished its composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), which prepared the carrier, its escorts, and air wing for the deployment.

The 1,106-foot carrier’s new electromagnetic-powered aircraft launch system (EMALS) and the advanced arresting gear are two of the much-touted technologies unique to Ford-class carriers. EMALS uses stored kinetic energy and solid-state electrical power conversion to propel an aircraft along a track and off the carrier, while the arresting gear is a turbo-electric system designed for more controlled deceleration of aircraft.

The technology, the Navy said, means the air-wing can get into the air — and return to the battle after rearming and refueling — faster than with the traditional steam-and-hydraulics systems that have been the mainstay for decades.

According to The Virginian-Pilot, in total, the strike group deployed with more than 6,000 sailors across all platforms.

The strike group includes Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 staff, Gerald R. Ford, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2 staff and units, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and an information warfare commander.

The ships of DESRON 2 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Ramage, USS McFaul and USS Thomas Hudner, which are scheduled to depart their homeports of Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Station Mayport, respectively, Tuesday.

The squadrons of CVW-8 embarked aboard Gerald R. Ford are the “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9, the “Bear Aces” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 124, the “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 located in Norfolk.

The “Ragin’ Bulls” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37, the “Blacklions” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213, the “Golden Warriors” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87, the “Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31, all of Virginia Beach, will deploy with the airwing, as well as the “Gray Wolves” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142 located in Whidbey Island, Wash., and the “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 located in Mayport, Florida.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Riley McDowell / U.S. Navy

‘As sturdy and reliable as they’ve been, by the time they’re put out to pasture, they’re pretty well used up,’ Andy Burns, Naval Flight Officer

American aircraft carriers at their peak are the queens of the high seas, outclassing even America’s nearest peer competitors. They’re the anchors of US seapower, and have a commensurate price tag, costing billions of dollars to build and thousands of sailors to man.

But even the proudest US Navy ships reach the end of their service life and must be decommissioned.

The question is: would it be possible to “mothball” aircraft carriers instead of scrapping them to allow the Navy to expand quickly if the US needs more flattops?

‘No, it wouldn’t,’ Andy Burns, former US Navy Surface Warfare & Naval Flight Officer, says on Quora.

‘For one thing, mothballing something the size of a carrier is really, really pricey. Ships can’t simply be “put on the shelf,” but have to be extensively corrosion-proofed, preserved, and maintained to prevent deterioration.

‘The bigger problem is that it’s cost prohibitive to mothball a nuclear plant. Defueling and preserving a plant is extremely expensive and time consuming, and bringing one back online is even more so. Carrier plants aren’t really designed to be refueled more than once in their fifty-year service life. It’s a very lengthy and invasive process, that involves cutting giant holes in several decks to get at the reactor. The mid-life refueling overhaul carriers get takes almost five years typically.’

Burns concludes;

‘And then there’s the point that carriers are old by the time they’re finally decommed. Fifty+ years of salt-water sailing throwing planes off the roof and catching them is a hard life for a ship. Nimitz was commissioned during the Ford administration. Even the newest boat in the [Nimitz] class, GHW Bush, is already 14 years old. As sturdy and reliable as they’ve been, by the time they’re put out to pasture, they’re pretty well used up.’

Photo by YouTube via USNI News

USS Nimitz is the first active US Navy carrier in the Fleet to reach this milestone. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has the next highest total of arrested landings at 326,600

USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the oldest-serving US commissioned aircraft carrier in the world, successfully completed its 350,000th arrested aircraft landing while sailing in the South China Sea, a milestone nearly 48 years in the making.

According to a US Navy press release, Nimitz is the first active US Navy carrier in the Fleet to reach this milestone. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) has the next highest total of arrested landings at 326,600.

Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of Nimitz, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 piloted the landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-22 on the morning of Apr. 22, 2023.

“I am honored and humbled to land this historic milestone for our ship. I dedicate this landing to the countless naval aviators who have flown before me, and it is a privilege to further the proud tradition of service that this distinguished aircraft carrier embodies,” said Sicola. “To the shipyard maintenance teams who put in countless hours to prepare this warship for sea, to the thousands of dedicated Sailors on board who sacrifice for their country, and to the families back home who support us along the way – ‘teamwork is a tradition’ on Nimitz and we could not have accomplished this mission without the steadfast commitment to this historic ship.”

As first in its class, Nimitz is the namesake for all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the Fleet. Over the decades, tens of thousands of Sailors have embarked on Nimitz to fulfill missions around the globe. Since commissioning nearly 50 years ago, Nimitz has sailed 30 deployments and served in countless operations and missions.

Nimitz serves as the flagship of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG). The NIMCSG is currently on a regularly-scheduled deployment in the US 7th Fleet area of operations.

“As we sail through the South China Sea, we celebrate this once in a lifetime achievement, 350,000 arrested landings, over a hundred years of innovation in the U.S. Aircraft Carrier, and the determination, sacrifice and winning spirit of all past and present Naval Aviators and our Sailors” said Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, commander, Carrier Strike Group 11. “This landmark is a testament to the nation’s commitment to fly, sail and operate around the globe promoting peace and security just as “Old Salt – the NIMITZ” has done for the past 48 years.”

The 350,000th trap represents a significant moment in the history of the ship. Nimitz’s first arrested landing was conducted in 1975, the same year of the ship’s commissioning. Capt. Bryan Compton, Nimitz’s first commanding officer, made history by completing the first landing.

Although the ship has sailed in several oceans and has homeported in multiple locations, the constant throughout the decades has been the tenacity of the ship’s crew day in and day out – without which not a single landing could have been possible.

“Although aircraft are critical to our mission, the aviators and maintainers that fly and operate our aircraft are truly the reason for our success,” said Capt. Christopher Hurst, commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17. “This milestone showcases our Sailors’ precision and operational excellence to execute hundreds of thousands of landings on Nimitz.”

Nimitz’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment (ALRE) division is responsible for operating and maintaining the ship’s catapults and arresting gear.

“We have been looking forward to achieving this milestone for a long time,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Robert Reed, leading chief petty officer of ALRE division. “The Sailors made all of this possible by manning our equipment and ensuring the proper execution of our mission. Their dedication and determination is inspiring, and I am proud to be a part of team Nimitz. This landing could not have been done without their commitment to the ship.”

Before celebrating the historic 350,000th arrested landing aboard Nimitz, flight deck personnel quickly got back to work. Sailors reset the arresting cable, taxied aircraft out of the landing area, and reset the deck – there were still more aircraft to land. Mighty Nimitz had to get ready for trap number 350,001.

As already reported, the 48-year-old USS Nimitz will leave service in 2026, one year later than last year’s plan, the US Navy revealed in its latest long-range shipbuilding plan.

According to the plan Nimitz will remove a year-long buffer between Nimitz and the decommissioning of carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

USS Nimitz was ordered in 1967 as a development of the ten-year-old USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Although dimensionally smaller than the Enterprise, the Nimitz Class use fewer but more powerful nuclear reactors, have a higher displacement, and operate roughly the same number of aircraft. Like the Enterprise, the use of nuclear reactors allowed the carriers’ superstructure to be much smaller, with no need for large funnels, allowing greater space on the flight deck. USS Nimitz was launched in May 1972 and, after extensive trials, commissioned in May 1975. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) both followed within five years. As told by RAF Museum, originally, they were classified as attack carriers, but with the commission of the Carl Vinson this changed to a combined attack and anti-submarine role.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Hannah Kantner, Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Calabrese / US Navy

K-314 Captain Vladimir Evseenko did not agree since the incident had caused no loss of life or the submarine itself. “We even managed to kick out the ‘enemy’ for a long time,” he pointed out

On Mar. 21, 1984, while US Navy Battle Group Bravo sailed southerly courses toward the Tsushima Strait into the Yellow Sea during Exercise Team Spirit 84-1, Soviet submarine K-314, a Victor I-class attack boat, collided with USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) aircraft carrier while surfacing.

According to Naval History and Heritage Command, the collision occurred at 2207, about 150 miles east of Pohang, South Korea, in the Sea of Japan, near 37º3’N, 131º54’E. Captain David N. Rogers, on the bridge, felt a “noticeable shudder, a fairly violent shudder,” and he and the starboard lookout saw the outline of the sub’s sail moving away from Kitty Hawk, the sub failing to display navigation lights.

RADM Richard M. Dunleavy, Director, Carrier (CV) and Air Stations Program, later noted that during the previous three days, the sub was detected by helos launched from Battle Group Bravo “and killed more than 15 times,” the Victor I initially being sighted on the surface 50 nautical miles ahead of the carrier’s intended course before submerging, on Mar. 19.

Then on Mar. 21, K-314 rose to a depth of just 10 meters after having lost track of USS Kitty Hawk due to bad weather.

Through the periscope, Captain Vladimir Evseenko discovered that the entire USS Kitty Hawk CSG was only 4 to 5 kilometers away. More alarmingly still, the Americans and K-314 were heading towards each other at full throttle.

Evseenko gave an immediate order to submerge, but it was too late. K-314 and USS Kitty Hawk collided.

“The first thought was that the conning tower had been destroyed and the submarine’s body was cut to pieces,” Evseenko recalled. “We checked the periscope and antennas – they were in order. No leaks were reported, and the mechanisms were ok. Then suddenly another strike! In the starboard side! We checked again – everything was in order…. We were trying to figure out what happened. It became clear that an aircraft carrier had rammed us. The second strike hit the propeller. The first one, most likely, bent the stabilator…”

The only option for K-314 was to surface and showing themselves to the Americans. As its sailors were waiting for emergency tow ships, the Soviet submarine immediately received visit from several U.S. Navy aircraft which inspected K-314 from above.

“We immediately launched two helicopters to see if we could render any assistance to them but the Soviet sub appeared to have suffered no extensive damage,” said Kitty Hawk’s commander, Captain David N. Rogers.

K-314’s propeller was heavily damaged as a result of the collision. Kitty Hawk instead had a huge hole in its bow, causing several thousand tons of jet fuel to leak into the sea; by sheer miracle, it did not explode.

Luckily, nor did the nuclear weapons on board the Soviet and American vessels detonate.

Close escorted by a US Navy frigate for part of the route, the Soviet Submarine was towed to the nearest Soviet naval base.

For USS Kitty Hawk, exercise Team Spirit was over: the aircraft carrier in fact made its way to the port of Subic Bay for repair.

According to Russia Beyond, the Americans blamed the Soviet submarine captain for the incident, and the Soviet Naval command concurred. Vladimir Evseenko was suspended from the post of captain and continued his service on land.

Evseenko could not agree with such verdict, since the incident had caused no loss of life or the submarine itself: “Everybody was lucky. We didn’t sink, no one got burned.”

“We even managed to kick out the ‘enemy’ for a long time,” he pointed out.

Photo by U.S. Navy