USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

USS "Nimitz" (CVN-68) is a supercarrier in the United States Navy, the lead ship of its class. She is one of the largest warships in the world. She was laid down, launched and commissioned as CVAN-68, but was redesignated CVN-68 (nuclear-powered multimission aircraft carrier) on 30 June 1975 as part of the fleet realignment of that year.

The keel of "Nimitz" was laid down 22 June 1968 by Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, and she was commissioned 3 May 1975 by President Gerald Ford. The ship was named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded the Pacific fleet in World War II. Captain Michael Manazir assumed command of the "Nimitz" on 16 March 2007.

The documentary series "Carrier" focuses on the life of "Nimitz" and the crew members that served on it during a six month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005.

hip's history

The USS "Nimitz" was first deployed to the Mediterranean in 1976 in company with the nuclear powered cruisers USS "South Carolina" and USS "California". It was the first time in ten years that the United States had deployed nuclear-powered ships to the Mediterranean. The cruise was uneventful, and the Carrier returned to Norfolk, Virginia in February 1977.

A second Mediterranean cruise was conducted during 1977–1978 was also uneventful. The third cruise conducted in September 1979, had the carrier involved in Operation Evening Light; the attempt to rescue the US Embassy staff being held hostage in Tehran, Iran. The mission was aborted when helicopters crashed at a rendezvous point in the Iranian desert. The ship finally returned home 26 May 1980, having spent 144 days at sea.

1980-1990

On 26 May 1981, one of carrier's EA-6B Prowlers crash landed on her flight deck, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others.cite news | last = Anderson | first = Kurt | coauthors = Beaty, Jonathan | title = Night of Flaming Terror | work = TIME in partnership with CNN | publisher = Time.com | date = 1981-06-08 | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922544-1,00.html | accessdate = 2008-10-02] Forensic testing conducted found that several members of the deceased flightdeck crew tested positive for marijuana. As a result of this incident, President Ronald Reagan instituted a "Zero Tolerance" policy across all of the armed services - which started the mandatory drug testing of all US service personnel. [Ackerman, D. L. (1991). A history of drug testing. In R. H. Coombs & L. J. West (Eds.), Drug testing: Issues and options (pp. 3-21). Oxford: Oxford University Press, ]

In 1981, during a freedom-of-navigation exercise in the Gulf of Sidra near Libya two F-14As of VF-41 were attacked by Libyan aircraft which resulted in two Libyans being shotdown. This became known as the Gulf of Sidra incident.

In 1985, two Lebanese gunmen hijacked TWA Flight 847, which carried 153 passengers and crew and included Americans. In response, the carrier was deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Lebanon, where she remained until August.

The "Nimitz" departed Norfolk, Virginia for the Mediterranean in December 1986. After four months and numerous port visits the carrier left the Mediterranean and 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 air wing, she arrived at her new home port of Bremerton, Washington on 30 June 1987.

During the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, the "Nimitz" provided security off the coast of South Korea. In October she participated in Operation Earnest Will, operating in the North Arabian Sea. On 30 November, while the ship conducted operations in the Arabian Sea, a 20 mm cannon accidentally fired on a A-7 Corsair II during maintenance. Six other aircraft were set on fire and there were two casualties; one sailor was killed and another died in the hospital from injuries on 2 December.

1990-2001

On 25 February 1991, she relieved the USS "Ranger" in Operation Desert Storm. She deployed again to the Persian Gulf for several months in 1993, relieving the USS "Kitty Hawk" during Operation Southern Watch.

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.

On September 1997, the "Nimitz" began an around the world cruise that ended in Newport News where she would underwent a mid-life Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) that ended 25 June 2001.

War on terror (2001-)

In 2001, the "Nimitz" changed its home port to San Diego, California, arriving there on 13 November. In January 2002, she began a four month post-shakedown availability at NAS North Island. The pier-side availability ended in May.

In mid-April 2003, "Nimitz" relieved the USS "Abraham Lincoln" in the Persian Gulf, launching aircraft for sorties over Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She returned to San Diego on 5 November 2003 where maintenance and repair work was carried out. After these were completed, the ship and crew conducted sea trials.Fact|date=March 2008

The "Nimitz" again deployed to the Persian Gulf in May 2005, returning in November 2005. This deployment is depicted in the 2008 PBS documentary series "Carrier". [ [http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=36564 "Nimitz Highlighted in PBS TV Series and Premiere"] - U.S. Navy - (c/o Navy.mil) - 4/23/2008]

The carrier departed North Island, San Diego in April 2007 on a six-month deployment in the Arabian Sea, relieving the USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower". She reached Chennai, India on 2 July as part of efforts to expand bilateral defense cooperation between India and the United States. [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/USS_Nimitz_not_carrying_nuke_warheads/articleshow/2151475.cms 'USS Nimitz not known to be carrying nuke warheads'-India-The Times of India ] ] Sailors of the nuclear powered aircraft carrier participated in community work in Chennai during its station there. She left Indian shores on 5 July along with the destroyer USS "Pinckney" towards the Persian Gulf. She returned to North Island on 30 September 2007.

On January 2008, the "Nimitz" deployed to the Pacific for a surge-deployment. [ [http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34414 Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Set to Deploy] ] On 9 February 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 convert|500|mi|km away from the U.S. ships, and intercepted the bombers convert|50|mi|km south of the "Nimitz". 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 convert|50|mi|km away from the carrier. The fighters then proceeded to guide the Russians away from the area. 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 the "Nimitz" at an altitude of convert|2000|ft|m. This caused much controversy. On the same day, Russian aircraft entered Japanese airspace, which caused the Japanese to raise protest at the Russian ambassador in Tokyo. [cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,534621,00.html |title=Russian bombers fly over US aircraft carrier |accessdate=2008-03-06 |date=2008-02-12] CVN-68/CVW-11 made a port visit to Busan, South Korea on 28 February in conjunction with military exercises Key Resolve/Foal Eagle. [cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=35305 |title=Nimitz CSG Ships Arrive in South Korea for Port Visits |date=2008-02-29 |accessdate=2008-03-06 |publisher=Nimitz Carrier Strike Group 11 Public Affairs] Again, on 5 March 2008, a Russian bomber came within three to five nautical miles (9 km) and flew convert|2000|ft|m above the "Nimitz" and its battle group. Two F/A-18 fighters intercepted the Russian aircraft and escorted it out of the area.cite news |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23490503/ |title=Russian bomber intercepted near U.S. ship |publisher=MSNBC |date=2008-03-05 |accessdate=2008-03-06 |last=Reuters]

The "Nimitz" was awarded the Navy Battle "E" for battle efficiency for 2007 along with the Ney award for food service excellence and the Department of Defense Thomas Jefferson Award for best newsletter format publication "Nimitz News". In keeping with the ships motto of "Teamwork, a Tradition!". She returned to her homeport of San Diego, California on 3 June 2008 after spending 10 of the last 14 months at sea. The ship is currently undergoing a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) and will begin workups in 2009.

"Nimitz" Carrier Battle Group

"Nimitz" 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.

hips of DESRON-23

*
*
*
*
*

quadrons 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"
* Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232) "Red Devils"
* 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"

Popular culture

USS "Nimitz" features in the 1980 film "The Final Countdown" starring Kirk Douglas, James Farentino and Martin Sheen. In the movie, the ship and crew are thrown back in time via a wormhole storm to 6 December 1941 near Hawaii; just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The "Nimitz" is featured in the 1986 novel "Red Storm Rising" by famous techno-thriller-autor Tom Clancy. In the story, the "Nimitz" is part of a NATO carrier battle group operating in the North Atlantic and is heavily damaged during an attack of Soviet bombers.

In the mockumentary "Countdown to Looking Glass" the "Nimitz" is involved with, and ultimately sunk by, an initial salvo between US and Soviet naval forces.

In 2005 PBS filmed "Carrier", a 10-part miniseries that documents naval life aboard the USS "Nimitz".

ee also

* List of aircraft carriers
* List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy

References

External links

;Official
* [http://www.nimitz.navy.mil USS "Nimitz"] - Official website

;Images
* [http://www.relevantsearchscotland.co.uk/ships/ships/069nimitz.html USS "Nimitz" information and images]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/aircraft_carriers/nimitz_cvn_68/uss_nimitz_cvn_68_page_1.htm Maritimequest USS "Nimitz" CVN-68 Photo Gallery]

;Other
* [http://ussnimitzassociation.org/ USS "Nimitz" Association]
* [http://www.navyvets.com/group/ussnimitzcvn68 USS "Nimitz" at NavyVets.com]
* [http://www.navysite.de/cvn/cvn68.html A USS "Nimitz" website]
* [http://www.spectrepublishing.com/FinalCountdown.html "The Final Countdown"]
* [http://www.uscarriers.net/cvn68history.htm USS "Nimitz" history at U.S. Carriers]