The United States Navy possesses 10 operational aircraft carriers as of 2016 and it’s the largest and most powerful fleet in the world by all means. All aircraft carriers are named after important personalities or cities of the US and are chosen by the secretary of the Navy. The names of all ships begin with USS which stands for: "United States Ship". The active carriers are (from the oldest to the latest):
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| USS Nimitz |
1- USS Nimitz
2- USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
3- USS Carl Vinson
4- USS Theodore Roosevelt
5- USS Abraham Lincoln
6- USS George Washington
7- USS John C. Stennis
8- USS Harry S. Truman
9- USS Ronald Reagan
10- USS George H.W. bush
The USS Gerald Ford and the USS John F Kennedy are currently conducting sea tests and will be joining the armed forces respectively by the end of 2016 and 2020.
All of the carriers are of the Nimitz class, the largest type of aircraft carriers in the world, having a water displacement above 100,000 tons, with a nuclear propulsion which gives it an unlimited range of action and therefore the ability to navigate for an indefinite period of time, and each one can carry up to 90 aircraft, mainly F-18 Hornet and F-18 Super-hornet and F-14 Tomcat. The new F-35 joint strike fighter jet will start replacing the F-18 starting from 2018.
All of the carriers are of the Nimitz class, the largest type of aircraft carriers in the world, having a water displacement above 100,000 tons, with a nuclear propulsion which gives it an unlimited range of action and therefore the ability to navigate for an indefinite period of time, and each one can carry up to 90 aircraft, mainly F-18 Hornet and F-18 Super-hornet and F-14 Tomcat. The new F-35 joint strike fighter jet will start replacing the F-18 starting from 2018.
9 other aircraft carriers have been decommissioned since 1995, the latest being the USS Enterprise, all of them are at dock and awaiting disposal.
Aircraft carriers give the US military enormous strategical and tactical advantages over any possible opponent, making the US Navy envied by all armies worldwide. An aircraft carrier provides the ability to intervene practically in any area of the world, in a very efficient and decisive way. Each carrier is accompanied by a number of ships called strike group such as guided missile destroyers, frigates, attack submarines, and other ships for logistical support like refueling ships and floating hospitals. Every carrier with its backup and accompanying ships constitute a fleet in itself and has a huge attack/defense capabilities.The ultra modern 90 fighter aircraft embarked on the flying deck, and the latest sophisticated missiles and electronic defense systems installed on board give the US Navy unrivaled battlefield supremacy.
Aircraft carriers have contributed decisively to end many recent conflicts in the world such as in Iraq, Syria, Libya and others.
