The U. S. Navy was established on 13 October, 1775, making it now 250 years old. The Navy’s oldest warship still in commission today is the USS Constitution nicknamed, “Old Ironsides”, launched in 1797. It is made completely of wood, no iron anywhere. It got its nickname during the revolutionary war when British sailors saw canon balls bouncing off its thick oak hull.
The U.S. Navy today lists a total of 515 vessels. Of that number, 296 are designated “battle force ships”. Our battle force includes 83 nuclear powered ships. All 11 of our aircraft carriers, all 71 of our submarines, and one research vessel. These ships can sail the world’s oceans for decades without the need for refueling.
Our first nuclear powered vessel, the submarine “USS Nautilus”, was launched in 1954 followed by the nuclear powered aircraft carrier, “USS Enterprise” in 1960. The Enterprise was the 8th U.S. warship to bear that name. In May, 2017, the Navy accepted delivery of the aircraft carrier, “USS Gerald R. Ford”. The Ford is the largest warship ever built displacing 100,000 tons. It launches planes with a state of the art “Electromagnetic Launch System”, no more cables and hydraulics.
Our nuclear powered aircraft carriers are much like floating cities. They accommodate up to 6500 sailors and marines. They are equipped with grocery stores, post offices, gyms, fast food restaurants, doctors and dentists, and ATM machines. They also have a complement of 80 or more aircraft on board. Aircraft carriers do not go into battle alone. They are part of a task force which includes cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and auxiliary vessels. Each carrier has two nuclear reactors for propulsion. Nuclear weapons have not been aboard since 1991 when President George W. Bush removed them.
Our nuclear powered submarine fleet currently numbers 71 boats. Fifty three are fast attack submarines. Fourteen are Ohio class Trident ICBM launching submarines and four are Ohio class submarines equipped to launch conventional cruise missiles. Each submarine uses a single nuclear reactor. One of our newest submarines, the “USS Montana”, is a Virginia class fast attack submarine based at Pearl Harbor. Among our fast attack submarines, one is unique. SSN 23, a Seawolf class submarine, was launched in 2005. It was then heavily modified to make it “unmatched in speed, stealth, and weaponry”. Among other modifications was the addition of 100 feet to its length and the ability to “hover”over a location. It reportedly has the ability to launch cruise missiles, repair undersea cables, and deliver SEAL teams to foreign shores. It is appropriately named the “USS Jimmy Carter” in honor of the only American President to serve aboard a submarine. It is the most expensive submarine ever built at $3.5 billion.
Our Trident submarines, equipped with Trident II ICBMs, are the most powerful weapons in the world. Each submarine was designed to carry 24 ICBMs each capable of carrying up to 12 independently targeted nuclear weapons. Negotiations and nuclear agreements have reduced the number of ICBMs actually carried to 20 and the number of warheads on each missile to five or six.
Typically, a Trident submarine leaves port for a classified location in one of the earth’s oceans. There it sinks to the bottom and lies quietly for up to 120 days. In the event a launch order is received, it rises near the surface and spends a few minutes orienting itself to the precise direction and geographical location. That information is necessary to ensure the ICBMs will follow the exact path to their targets.
Only six nations have nuclear powered ships today; The U.S., Russia, The United Kingdom, France, China, and India.
Author: Staff
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