USS Nimitz CVN-68, US Navy Aircraft Carrier

USS Nimitz CVN-68 is a super carrier in the United States Navy, the lead ship of its class. She is one of the largest warships in the world. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier was laid down, launched and commissioned as CVAN-68, but was re designated CVN-68 (nuclear-powered multimission aircraft carrier) on 30 June 1975 as part of the fleet realignment of that year. USS Nimitz CVN-68, US Navy Aircraft Carrier was named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded the Pacific fleet in World War II and was the Navy’s last five-star admiral. Unlike all subsequent Nimitz class carriers, Nimitz only uses its namesake's surname. Nimitz has been home ported at Naval Station Norfolk, and is currently home ported at NAS North Island.

USS Nimitz CVN 68 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 ft (11.3 m) Limit: 41 ft (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 × 21 cell Sea RAM 2 × Mk 29 Sea Sparrow
Armor:	Classified
Aircraft carried:	90 fixed wing and helicopters
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The keel of Nimitz was laid down 22 June 1968 by Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier was christened in 1972 by Catherine Nimitz Lay, daughter of the late Admiral Nimitz. Nimitz was delivered to the Navy in 1975 and she was commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk, Va on 3 May 1975 by President Gerald Ford.

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier first deployed to the Mediterranean on July 7, 1976 with Carrier Air Wing 8 embarked in company with the nuclear powered cruisers USS South Carolina and USS California. In November 1976, NIMITZ was awarded the Battle "E" from Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet, for being the most efficient and foremost aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. The cruise was uneventful, and the carrier returned to Norfolk, Virginia on February 7, 1977.

A second uneventful Mediterranean cruise was conducted from Dec. 1, 1977 to July 20, 1978. The third deployment began on September 10, 1979 to the Mediterranean. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carriermoved to the Indian Ocean in response to the Iran hostage crisis in which the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran was overtaken and 52 hostages were held. After four months on station, Operation Evening Light was launched from USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier decks in an attempt to rescue the U.S. Embassy staff. The mission was aborted after a helicopter crashed at a refueling point in the Iranian desert. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier finally returned home 26 May 1980, having spent 144 days at sea.

On 26 May 1981, an EA-6B Prowler crashed on the flight deck, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others. Forensic testing conducted found that several members of the deceased flight deck crew tested positive for marijuana. As a result of this incident, President Ronald Reagan instituted a "Zero Tolerance" drug policy across all of the armed services - which started the mandatory drug testing of all US service personnel. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier deployed again to the Med on Aug 3, 1981. The ship, in company with USS Forrestal (CV-59) conducted a Freedom of Navigation exercise in international waters in the Gulf of Sidra near Libya on August 18 and 19. On the morning of August 19, two F-14As of VF-41 were engaged by two Libyan Su-22s, resulting in the two Libyan aircraft being shot down in what became known as the Gulf of Sidra incident.

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier fourth deployment, from November 10, 1982 to May 20, 1983 was to the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas.

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier deployed a fifth time on March 8, 1985. On June 14, 1985, two Lebanese gunmen hijacked TWA Flight 847, which carried 153 passengers and crew and included Americans. In response, Nimitz was deployed to the coast of Lebanon, where she remained until August. The embarked Airwing 8 flew continuous sorties for 67 days, bombing several sites in Beirut including the international airport runways. The ship returned to Norfolk on October 4, 1985.

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier, again with CVW-8 embarked, departed Norfolk for her sixth and final Mediterranean deployment on December 30, 1986. After four months and numerous Mediterranean port visits, the carrier crossed the equator en route to Rio de Janeiro. From Rio she proceeded south around Cape Horn and into the Pacific. After a brief stop in San Diego, California to offload her East Coast air wing, she arrived at her new home port of Bremerton, Washington on July 2, 1987.

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier deployed to the Western Pacific with Carrier Air Wing 9 embarked on September 2, 1988. During the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Nimitz provided security off the coast of South Korea. In October she operated in the North Arabian Sea participating in Operation Earnest Will, the protection of re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers. On 30 November 1988 while in the Arabian Sea, a 20 mm cannon accidentally fired during maintenance, striking a A-7 Corsair II. The ensuing fire spread to six other aircraft and there were two fatalities. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier returned to Bremerton on March 2, 1989.

On Feb. 25, 1991, USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier departed Bremerton for the Arabian Gulf in relief of USS Ranger in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm, returning to Bremerton on Aug. 24, 1991. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier again deployed to the Arabian Gulf on Feb. 1, 1993, in support of Operation Southern Watch (OSW), returning on August 19, 1993. On November 27, 1995 USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier deployed to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. In March 1996, she patrolled the waters off Taiwan amid missile tests conducted by the Chinese in the area, becoming the first American warship to pass though the Taiwan Strait since 1976. She also cruised the Arabian Gulf in support of OSW prior to returning from deployment on May 20, 1996. On September 1, 1997, USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier began an around the world cruise, again supporting OSW, that ended in Newport News on March 2, 1998. She would spend the next three years undergoing a mid-life Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) that ended 25 June 2001.

On September 21, 2001 after sea trials in the Virginia Capes, USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier began her transit around South America to her new home port of NAS North Island in San Diego, California, arriving there on 13 November. Aircraft from Carrier Air Reserve Wing 20 were embarked for the transit. From January to May 2002, she underwent a four month post-shakedown maintenance availability at North Island. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier eleventh operational deployment began on March 3, 2003. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier relieved USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf in mid-April 2003, launching Carrier Air Wing 11 aircraft sorties over Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). She returned to San Diego on 5 November 2003. Nimitz and CVW-11 were awarded the 2003 Battle "E" and Flatley Award in early 2004.

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier, again with CVW-11 embarked, deployed to the Persian Gulf on May 7, 2005, returning on November 8, 2005. This deployment marked three decades of service, and was depicted in the 2008 PBS documentary series Carrier. In June 2006, USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier was awarded the 2005 Battle "E".

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier departed North Island for her thirteenth deployment on April 2, 2007 to the Arabian Sea, relieving USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in support of OIF. USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier anchored off Chennai, India on 2 July as part of efforts to expand bilateral defense cooperation between India and the United States. Sailors participated in community work in Chennai prior to departing on 5 July along with the destroyer USS Pinckney towards the Persian Gulf. She returned to North Island on 30 September 2007.

On January 24, 2008, USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier deployed to the Pacific for a "surge"-deployment. On February 9, 2008, two Russian Tu-95 'Bear' bombers overflew the carrier in the Western Pacific. Four F/A-18C Hornets were launched when the bombers were 500 miles (800 km) away from the U.S. ships, and intercepted the bombers 50 miles (80 km) south of USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier. Two F/A-18s trailed one of the bombers, which buzzed the deck of the carrier twice, while the other two F/A-18s trailed another TU-95 circling about 50 miles (80 km) away from the carrier. Reportedly, there was no radio communication between the American and Russian aircraft. According to the Department of Defense, one of the two aircraft was said to have flown above USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier at an altitude of 2,000 feet (610 m). On the same day, Russian aircraft entered Japanese airspace, which caused the Japanese to raise protest to the Russian ambassador in Tokyo. Again, on 5 March 2008, a Russian bomber came within three to five nautical miles (9 km) and flew 2,000 feet (610 m) above USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier and its battle group. Two F/A-18 fighters intercepted the Russian aircraft and escorted it out of the area.

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier was awarded the Navy Battle "E" for battle efficiency for 2007 along with the Ney award for food service excellence. She returned to her homeport of San Diego, California on 3 June 2008.

USS Nimitz CVN-68 US Navy Aircraft Carrier is part of Carrier Strike Group 11 (CSG-11) with Carrier Air Wing 11 embarked, with Nimitz as the flagship of the battle group and the home of the commander of Destroyer Squadron 23.

Ships of DESRON-23

• USS Higgins (DDG 76)
• USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53)
• USS Pinckney (DDG 91)
• USS Sampson (DDG 102)

Squadrons of CVW-11

• Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters"
• Strike Fighter Squadron 41 (VFA-41) "Black Aces"
• Strike Fighter Squadron 81 (VFA-81) "Sunliners"
• Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA-97) "Warhawks"
• Electronic Attack Squadron 135 (VAQ-135) "Black Ravens"
• Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 117 (VAW-117) "Wallbangers"
• Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 6 (HS-6) "Indians"
• Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 Detachment 4 (VRC-30) "Providers"