What You Need to Know: After undergoing a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the lead ship of the iconic Nimitz-class supercarriers, has returned to operations.
-Initially slated for retirement in 2023, the carrier’s service has been extended to at least 2026 due to delays with the Ford-class carriers. Nearly two million man-hours were spent modernizing the ship to address escalating global threats.
-This revitalization ensures the Nimitz remains a capable force while newer carriers like USS Gerald R. Ford begin to take its place.
The U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class supercarriers have defined America’s sea power for nearly fifty years. While the Navy’s newest Ford-class warships are considered even more advanced than their predecessors, the Nimitz carriers are not going anywhere anytime soon. Some of these ships are undergoing modernization overhauls to remain relevant out at sea until their successors are introduced. This summer, the lead ship of the class- USS Nimitz- returned to operations with the Navy after spending more than half a year undergoing a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) period.
USS Nimitz was docked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where it was privy to various maintenance and enhancement procedures.
“Both the civilian contractors and the Nimitz crew worked tirelessly to ensure Nimitz is at peak condition,” the ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Douglas Graber said in a statement. “Thanks to their dedication, we’re prepared to get out to sea and maintain a strong, professional presence wherever our nation requires us to be.”
As the Navy’s first-ever aircraft carrier to enter service years ago, it is quite the feat that USS Nimitz remains a force to be reckoned with. Initially, Nimitz was meant to retire in the upcoming year. However, due to budgetary and production issues with the latest Gerald R. Ford-class of carriers, Nimitz will serve the Navy until at least 2026. Due to this decision, Nimitz’s maintenance period went longer than expected. The global threat climate is only escalating, deciding to ensure Nimitz is equipped with the latest and greatest is essential for the Navy’s readiness. According to reports, nearly two million man-hours were spent on her latest enhancements, indicating the warship is ready to take on even the most modern threats.
Before the introduction of the Navy’s newest Ford-class carrier, the Nimitz warships were the largest vessels of their kind to be constructed across the world. These super-carriers are powered by two A4W pressurized water reactors, unlike their predecessors which used diesel-electric systems or gas turbines to sail. While the true top speed of the Nimitz ships remains classified, these boats can travel at speeds of more than thirty knots.
USS Nimitz (first commissioned as CVAN-68) is part of Carrier Strike Group Eleven (CSG-11) under its new designation of CVN-68. Since her introduction to service in the early 1970’s, Nimitz has participated in several theatres of operation. Most recently, the warship operated in the Pacific for a seven-month-long deployment, where she focused on freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea.
Despite Nimtiz’s recent PIA period, she will soon be replaced by the upcoming Ford-class carriers. The lead ship of the class, USS Gerald R. Ford, completed its first deployment this year, launching over 8,000 sorties in the Mediterranean in response to the Israel-Hamas War.
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock
From the Vault
F-35I Adir: Israel Has a Special Stealth Fighter Even America Doesn't Fly
