T
HE US NAVY’S force of 11
nuclear-powered aircraft
carriers currently includes
nine ships that are capable of
deploying as the agship of a
Carrier Strike Group (CSG). The
CSG and the carriers’ embarked air wings
provide the national command authority
with a powerful, forward-deployed
diplomatic weapon that is capable
of projecting a tactical and strategic
presence where and when required.
Five aircraft carriers and ve carrier
air wings are assigned to the US Paci c
Fleet. The US Atlantic Fleet also has
ve carriers assigned but only four are
currently considered to be deployable
because CVN 78 is still supporting post-
delivery testing and training. Only four
CVWs are assigned to the Atlantic Fleet
and the size of the carrier force ensures
that the navy can simultaneously
maintain two deployed carrier strike
groups while retaining the ability to
surge three or more, if required.
On August 2, the commander, Naval
Air Forces, revealed plans for another
three-carrier home port swap that
will see USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70)
relocated from NAS North Island inSan Diego, California to Naval Base
Kitsap-Bremerton, Washington, and
the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) from
Norfolk, Virginia, to NAS North Island.
Additionally, USS John C. Stennis (CVN
74) will move from North Island to
Norfolk. The Navy previously conducted
a three-carrier home port swap that
began in August 2015 and involved the
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS
George Washington (CVN 73) and USS
Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).THE CARRIERS
The eet achieved a milestone in early
November 2017 when seven CSGs were
simultaneously at sea for the rst time
since 2004. The USS Ronald Reagan
(CVN 76), USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) wereconducting operational deployments in
the western Paci c as part of the Seventh
US Fleet. In addition, the USS Carl Vinson
(CVN 70) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN
74) were operating in the Eastern Paci c
and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and
the navy’s newest carrier, USS Gerald R.
Ford (CVN 78), were conducting training
operations in the Atlantic.
The USS George Washington (CVN 73),
which arrived in Norfolk in December
2015, is undergoing a 48-month RCOH
(refueling and complex overhaul) that
began in August 2017. The USS Abraham
Lincoln (CVN 72), the fth Nimitz-class
carrier to complete its RCOH, was returned
to the eet in May 2017. The mid-life
overhauls permit the ships to serve the
eet for their entire 50-year design life.
The decommissioning of the USS
Enterprise (CVN 65) in 2012 left the USThe US Navy is unparalleled
when it comes to carrier-
borne aviation. The ability to
strategically position a ship
with an embarked air wing
that rivals most air forces is a
powerful tool for the world’s
largest superpower.REPORT Tom Kaminski
Aircraft Number Mission
F/A-18E/F (44) Strike ghter
EA-18G (5) Airborne electronic attack
E-2C/D (5) Airborne early warning
MH-60R/S (19) Anti-submarine/anti-surface warfare/logistical support
C-2A (2) Carrier on-board delivery
Note: The future carrier air wing structure will comprise two squadrons of F-35Cs, two
squadrons equipped with F/A-18E/Fs and a single squadron with EA-18Gs.Below: The USS
Carl Vinson (CVN
70) transits the
Pacifi c Ocean.
This carrier is set
to remain part of
the Pacifi c Fleet,
but will relocate
from San Diego
to Naval Base
Kitsap-Bremerton,
Washington.
US Navy/
MCS2C Sean M.
CastellanoUNITED STATES NAVY CARRIER AIR POWER
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UNITED STATES NAVY CARRIER AIR POWER
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UNITED STATES NAVY CARRIER AIR POWERUNITED STATES NAVY CARRIER AIR POWER
THE
34 October 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net