USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy Aircraft Carrier

The USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 is a United States Navy Nimitz class supercarrier named after Carl Vinson, a Congressman from Georgia. USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1982 and carries F/A-18 Hornets and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as well as surveillance and other aircraft. Carl Vinson can carry 85 planes and 5,500 personnel. Traditionally, few ships of the United States Navy were named after a person who was alive at the time of the christening, but recently the number has increased; the list includes Carl Vinson, Hyman G. Rickover, Arleigh Burke, John C. Stennis, Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan, Nitze, Jimmy Carter, and George H. W. Bush.

USS Carl Vinson CVN 70 General characteristics
Class and type:	Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:	Approximately 101,000 long tons (103,000 t) full load
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 4 × steam turbines 4 × shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed:	30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)
Range:	Essentially unlimited
Complement:	Ship's company: 3,200 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 2 × AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars AN/SPN-43B air traffic control radar AN/SPN-44 landing aid radars 4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 4 × Mk 95 radars
Electronic warfare and decoys:	SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures
Armament:	2 × Mk 57 Mod3 Sea Sparrow 2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile 3 × Phalanx CIWS
Armor:	Unknown
Aircraft carried:	90 fixed wing and helicopters

On 13 March 1982, USS Carl Vinson was put to sea for a post-commissioning shakedown. Carl Vinson departed 1 March 1983 on an eight-month around the world cruise to its new home port at Naval Air Station Alameda.

USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier participated in RIMPAC '84 before departing 14 October 1984 for overseas deployment in the Western Pacific. From January until April 1985, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier was in the Indian Ocean for 107 consecutive days. The WESTPAC deployment included Sea of Japan operations and an exceptionally difficult sea period while pursuing a Soviet CHARLIE I submarine in the Indian Ocean.

In May and June 1986 USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier was involved in several exercises, including a RIMPAC '86 exercise. On 12 August 1986 the ship departed for a second western Pacific deployment, and in the process became the first aircraft carrier to operate in the Bering Sea.

In January 1987, after operating extensively in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier transited the Bering Sea once more while returning to Naval Air Station Alameda.

USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier departed for its fourth overseas deployment 15 June 1988. While on station the carrier escorted U.S. flagged tankers in the Persian Gulf. The carrier returned 16 December 1988.

On 18 September 1989 the carrier departed Alameda to participate in PACEX '89, the largest peacetime naval exercise since the Second World War. During CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier operated in the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islanthe exercise USS Carl Vinsonds, eventually leading a three carrier battle group operation in the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier had a port call in Pusan, South Korea and then returned to its home port of Alameda shortly after the devastating earthquake.

USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier departed on its fifth deployment 1 February 1990, making port calls to Honolulu, Hawaii, Sasebo, Japan, Subic Bay, The Philippines, Diego Garcia, Perth, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. This deployment also had the Last deployed squadron of A-7 Corsairs. Carl Vinson dropped off the Air Wing at San Diego, CA and returned to Alameda on 9 September 1990 without incident.

In September 1990, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier entered the yards at Bremerton Naval Station, Washington for a 28-month complex overhaul (COH).

On 17 February 1994 USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier departed for the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. On 5 August 1994 Carl Vinson hosted the change of command ceremonies for the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet. The carrier returned to Alameda on 17 August 1994.

From 26 August until 3 September 1995, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier participated in Exercise Ke Koa, as well as ceremonies to commemorate the end of World War II in the Pacific. During these ceremonies, President Bill Clinton visited the ship in Hawaii. As part of the commemoration ceremonies, Vinson launched 12 WWII era planes.

USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier departed for its seventh deployment 14 May 1996, heading for the Persian Gulf in support for Operation Southern Watch and Operation Desert Strike. The ship also participated in Exercise Rugged Nautilus before returning to Alameda on 14 November 1996.

With the closing of Naval Air Station Alameda, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier was transferred to Bremerton, Washington, in late 1996 or early 1997. USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier arrived at her new homeport 17 January 1997, where she played host to the last carrier launch and recovery operations for the A-6E Intruder.

In 1998 USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier participated in RIMPAC '98 before departing for the Persian Gulf, launching air strikes on 19 December 1998 in support of Operation Desert Fox and Operation Southern Watch. These strikes continued into March 1999. In July 1999, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier was dry docked in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for 11 months as the Navy spent more than $230 million dollars to upgrade the ship. Post refit shakedowns continued into 2000.

USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier also starred in the 2000 film Behind Enemy Lines with Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman where Navy LT Chris Burnett is a downed Naval aviator trapped behind enemy lines in Bosnia. The young officer must evade capture long enough to be rescued by the U.S. Marines.

From January until June 2001 USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier began rigorous training for its twelfth deployment overseas. On 23 July 2001 Carl Vinson steamed from Bremerton, Washington, bound for the Persian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch. This changed abruptly on 11 September 2001, as the ship was rounding the tip of India. In response to the terror attacks on U.S. soil, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier changed course and sped toward the North Arabian Sea, where on 7 October 2001, Vinson launched the first air strikes in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For 72 days, Vinson, along with Carrier Wing 11, launched over 4,000 combat sorties in the War on Terror. Earning the 'Carl Vinson' the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier spent a total of 112 days without seeing land at this time. As a result of her performance of the Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination (ORSE) USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier received an "Excellent" Rating. This was the first time in over a decade that any aircraft carrier had received such a high score. USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier earned a Battle E Ribbon and Navy Unit Commendation during this deployment as well. In mid December, Vinson began the return trip home, stopping over at Changi Naval Base, Singapore for Christmas before reaching the U.S. on 23 January 2002. In April, the ship was overhauled, setting sail in September for a post-refit shakedown.

In January 2003 USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier was set for a one month work up for Flight Deck Quals. Due to the start of the Operation Iraqi Freedom the ship was extended at sea indefinitely. After 9 months (Sept 2003) the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier finally returned home. From January 2003 until September 2003, she made port calls in Hawaii, Guam, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. USS Carl Vinson’s participation in Foal Eagle, an annually scheduled joint and combined training exercise conducted in the Korean theater.

In January 2005, the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier departed Bremerton, Washington for the last time. From January to August 2005 she completed a World Cruise which included several months in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Highlights of the cruise included port calls to Singapore, Guam, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Rhodes, Greece and Lisbon, Portugal.

Per the COMPACFLT decision of March 2007, USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 US Navy aircraft carrier will transition back to the Pacific Ocean and be based at NAS North Island (San Diego), joining the Nimitz (CVN-68) and Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), by early 2010.