Tom Clancy FAQ - Carriers and Naval Aircraft
This section
of the Tom
Clancy FAQ Concordance deals
with Aircraft Carriers and Naval Aircraft.
United States Navy
Other Navies
Naval Aircraft
U.S. Navy
- "When word of a crisis breaks out in Washington, it's
no accident that the first question that comes to everyone's
lips is: 'Where's the nearest carrier?'" Remarks
by President Bill Clinton on March 12, 1993 during a visit
to USS Theodore Roosevelt
-
- "Four and a half acres of sovereign U.S. territory
anytime - anyplace." Author unknown
The United States Navy presently has 12 deployable carriers. One
of these 12 is a training carrier but it would be deployable in a
crisis. Three are conventionally powered (i.e. non-nuclear)
and the rest are nuclear. One carrier is always homported at
the Japanese base of Yokosuka. This carrier must be one of the
conventionally powered carriers as the Japanese will not allow the
nuclear powered carriers in their ports.
The U.S. Navy has as its doctrine: "Forward... From the sea". The
aircraft carrier is central to this doctrine. Currently, all
air wings include F-14 and F-18 fighters, S-3 attack planes, E-2 AWACS,
EA-6 electronic warfare planes, and a combination of helicopters. The
air wings are capable of making 150 strikes per day (sorties flown
is much higher). The Navy intends to fully convert the air wings
to F-18C/D and F-18E/F fighters over the next few years followed by
the introduction of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) as it becomes available. SV-22
Osprey aircraft are also slated for inclusion in the air wings.
Current U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers
Name
|
Designation
|
Fleet
|
Homeport
|
Class
|
| USS
Kitty Hawk |
CV-63 |
PACFLT |
Yokosuka, Japan |
CV-63 |
| USS
Constellation (retired 07 August 2003) |
CV-64 |
PACFLT |
San Diego, CA |
CV-63 |
| USS
Enterprise |
CVN-65 |
LANTFLT |
Norfolk, VA |
CVN-65 |
| USS John F. Kennedy |
CV-67 |
LANTFLT / Reserve Training |
Mayport, FL |
CV-67 |
| USS
Nimitz |
CVN-68 |
LANTFLT |
Norfolk, VA |
CVN-68 |
| USS
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
CVN-69 |
LANTFLT |
Norfolk, VA |
CVN-68 |
| USS
Carl Vinson |
CVN-70 |
PACFLT |
Bremerton, WA |
CVN-68 |
| USS
Theodore Roosevelt |
CVN-71 |
LANTFLT |
Norfolk, VA |
CVN-68 |
| USS
Abraham Lincoln |
CVN-72 |
PACFLT |
Everett, WA |
CVN-68 |
| USS
George Washington |
CVN-73 |
LANTFLT |
Norfolk, VA |
CVN-68 |
| USS
John C. Stennis |
CVN-74 |
PACFLT |
San Diego, CA |
CVN-68 |
| USS
Harry S. Truman |
CVN-75 |
LANTFLT |
Norfolk, VA |
CVN-68 |
| USS Ronald Reagan |
CVN-76 |
PACFLT (01 July 2004) |
San Diego, CA |
CVN-68 |
| USS
George H.W. Bush (keel laying 9/6/2003) |
CVN-77 |
Unknown |
Unknown |
CVN-68 |
CV-63 Class Aircraft Carriers
There is one remaining CV-63 class aircraft carrier: USS
Kitty Hawk. This is a conventionally powered carrier
(i.e. oil fired and not nuclear) which, as of 2003, is 42
years old. USS
Kitty Hawk is presently the only forward homeported carrier
being based at Yokosuka, Japan.
| Propulsion |
Eight boilers, four geared steam turbines, four shafts,
280,000 shaft horsepower |
| Overall Length |
Approximately 1063 feet (approximately 324 meters) |
| Width of Flight Deck |
252 feet (76.8 meters) |
| Displacement |
Approx. 80,800 tons (72,720 metric tons) full load |
| Speed |
In excess of 30 knots (34.5 miles per hour) |
| Typical Maximum Aircraft |
85 (currently approximately 50) |
| Embarked Crew |
Ship's Company: 3,000+ - Air Wing: 2,000+ |
| Defensive Systems |
Three Sea Sparrow launchers and Four (4) 20mm Phalanx
CIWS mounts |
| Combat Systems |
SPS-48C/E, SPS-49, SPS-67, 3 Mk91 Fire Control |
 CV-63
(USS Kitty Hawk) underway.
 CV-64
(USS Constellation) during UNderway REPlenishment operations (UNREP)
CVN-65 Class Aircraft Carriers
There was only one carrier in this class: USS
Enterprise. Enterprise was the first nuclear powered carrier
and still remains in service after 38 years as of 1999. Enterprise
underwent a three-year refueling and major overhaul beginning in
1992. She is scheduled to be retired in 2013 after 52 years
of service.
| Propulsion |
Eight nuclear reactors, four shafts |
| Overall length |
Approximately 1101 (approximately 336 meters) |
| Flight Deck Width |
252 feet (76.8 meters) |
| Displacement |
Approx. 89,600 tons (80,640 metric tons) full load |
| Speed |
In excess of 30 knots (34.5 miles per hour) |
| Typical Maximum Aircraft |
85 (currently approximately 50) |
| Crew |
Ship's Company: 3,000+ - Air Wing 2,000+ |
| Armament |
Sea Sparrow Missile launchers and Three (3) Phalanx 20
MM CIWS mounts |
| Combat Systems |
SPS-48C/E, SPS-49, SPS-67, 3 Mk91 Fire Control |
 CVN-65
(USS Enterprise) leaving Norfolk, VA on the way to the Persian Gulf.
CV-67 Class Aircraft Carriers
There is also only one carrier in this class: USS John F. Kennedy. As
of 1995, JFK was made the first Naval Reserve training carrier. The
carrier remains fully mission ready and, in fact, returned home on
October 28, 1997 after a six month deployment in the Mediterranean
Sea, the Adriatic Sea, and the Persian Gulf. The carrier is
not scheduled to retire until 2018 after 60 years of service.
| Propulsion |
Eight boilers, four shafts, 280,000 total shaft horsepower |
| Overall Length |
Approximately 1052 feet (approximately 315.6 meters) |
| Flight Deck Width |
252 feet (76.8 meters) |
| Displacement |
Approx. 82,000 tons (74,389 metric tons) full load |
| Speed |
In excess of 30 knots (34.5 miles per hour) |
| Typical Maximum Aircraft |
Approximately 85 |
| Crew |
Ship's Company: 3,000+ - Air Wing: 2,000+ |
| Armament |
Sea Sparrow missiles with box launchers and Three 20mm
Phalanx CIWS |
 CV-67
(USS John F. Kennedy) leaving port.
CVN-68 Class Aircraft Carriers
There are presently eight (8) deployable aircraft carriers in this
class. The ninth, USS Ronald Reagan, CVN-76, is presently under
construction with christening planned for 2000. CVN-77 may deviate
from the Nimitz class design as it is designated for development of
the next generation carrier, known as the CV(X). This ship is
expected to be completed in 2008.
| Propulsion |
Two A4W Pressurized Water Reactor nuclear
power plants, four shafts |
| Overall Length |
Approximately 1092 feet (approximately
332.85 meters) |
| Flight Deck Width |
252 feet (76.8 meters) |
| Displacement |
Approx. 97,000 tons (87,300 metric
tons) full load |
| Speed |
In excess of 30 knots (34.5 miles per
hour) |
| Typical Maximum Aircraft |
Approximately 85 |
| Crew |
Ship's Company: 3,000 + - Air Wing:
2,000+ |
| Armament |
4 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers, 3-4 20mm
Phalanx CIWS mounts |
 A
cutaway view of a Nimitz class carrier (illustration by John Batchelor)
 CVN-71
(USS Theodore Roosevelt)
 A
two-carrier battle group underway
Other Navies
Naval Aircraft
U.S. Navy
Presently, the United States Navy carrier air wings include
F-14 and
F-18 fighters, S-3 antisubmarine and strike planes,
E-2C AWACS
aircraft, EA-6 electronics warfare planes, and helicopters of varying
types. The Navy intends to fully convert the air wings to F-18C/D
and F-18E/F fighters over the next few years followed by the introduction
of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) as it becomes available. SV-22
Osprey aircraft are also slated for inclusion in the air wings. C-2
aircraft are utilized as cargo planes supplying the carriers. Over
the period of time covered by the Clancy books (excepting Without
Remorse), carrier air wings also included
A-6 attack
planes.
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