USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Aircraft Carrier.

BACKBONE OF THE US NAVY

All units of the Nimitz class which to date include the Nimitz (CVN68), Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN69), Carl Vinson (CVN7O), Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71), Abraham Lincoln (CVN72), George Washington (CVN73) and John C Stennis (CVN74) were built at Newport News Shipbuilding, as were the Harry S Truman (CVN75), launched on 14 September 1996, and the Ronold Reagan (CVN76), laid down in February 1998. The building of these tremendous nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, whose size and combat strength increased with their serial number, has caused some controversy in US political circles because of the enormous increase in construction costs.

A HALF CENTURY

Presently, there are plans to start building a tenth aircraft carrier in the year 2002. It will probably be the last unit of this class with an unchanged powerplant. The horrendous cost of building these giants not to mention the costs of the onboard naval aircraft squadrons is partially compensated for by their unusually long service life of 50 years. The strength of Nimitz-class ships is that they are subdivided into no fewer than 2000 watertight compartments and have armour plating which partly consists of Kevlar 650mm (2.6in) thick in all critical areas.

TECHNICAL DATA

Type: Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Engines: 4.shaft geared turbines fed by two A4W/A1 G pressurised water reactors giving 260,000shp
Dimensions: Length, 331.7m (1088ft); beam, 40.8m (134Ft)
Displacement: 91,400t (full load)
Draught: 11.2m (36.6ft)