Named for the fabled World War II Pacific Fleet commander, the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers have served as the backbone of U.S. naval power since their introduction in 1975. Once the largest warships ever built, they remain iconic of American military power. Along with the addition of Ford-class carriers into the fleet and an ongoing effort by the U.S. Navy to extend their service life, the Nimitz class is to remain a fixture for many decades more.
No war machine on the planet projects air power around the globe as does an aircraft carrier. These floating cities are technological monsters only buildable by the wealthiest of nations. Of the eleven countries operating aircraft carriers, only the United States and France- operate nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The U.S. leads the tally with 11, while several other countries operate one or two each.
First deployed in 1975, the Nimitz-class carriers were designed to improve those from the Kitty Hawk- and Enterprise classes. They were carrying two nuclear reactors, with far more aviation fuel and ordnance than the previous class. These carriers, designed with Cold War and Vietnam War needs in mind, can conduct very high sortie generation that was considered quite vital during operations in Vietnam.
The Nimitz-class specifications are imposing: 1,092 feet in length, a 252-foot beam, displacing up to 106,300 tons. They house 3,532 sailors and an air wing of 2,480, taking up to 5,200 personnel. The carriers can handle up to 130 F/A-18 Hornets or a mix of 85-90 aircraft, including Growlers, Hawkeyes, and Seahawks.
The Nimitz-class vessels are the second-largest aircraft carriers in the world, powered with two nuclear reactors giving them more than 30 knots. Their defense systems include Sea Sparrow missiles, Phalanx CIWS, and RAMs.
As much as the higher-electrical-capacity, advanced-technology carriers of the Gerald R Ford class are meant to replace the Nimitz class, the latter is still the obvious result of military ingenuity and an important factor in the force structure of the U.S. Navy.