The Nimitz-class supercarriers, a line of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy, are the largest capital ships in the world, and are considered to be a hallmark in the superpower status of the United States of America. These aircraft carriers are numbered with consecutive hull numbers starting with CVN-68. The letters CVN denote the type of ship: "CV" is the hull classification symbol for aircraft carriers, and "N" indicates nuclear-powered propulsion. The number after the CVN means that this is the 68th "CV", or large aircraft carrier. (CVN-68), the lead ship of the class, was commissioned on May 3, 1975. (CVN-77), the tenth and last of the class, was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company, and entered naval service on January 10, 2009. The George H.W. Bush is the first transition ship to the new Gerald R. Ford class, the first ship of which began construction in 2007 and will incorporate new technologies including a new multi-function radar system, Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), volume search radars, an open architecture information network, and a significantly reduced crew requirement. To lower costs, some new technologies were also incorporated into the , the previous carrier to the George H.W. Bush. Due to construction differences between the first three ships ( Nimitz, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Carl Vinson) and the latter seven (from on), the latter ships are sometimes erroneously called Theodore Roosevelt-class aircraft carriers, though the U.S. Navy considers them all to be in one class. As the older Nimitz carriers come in for Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH), they are upgraded to the standards of the latest ships. The Nimitz was the first ship of the class to undergo her initial refueling, during a 33-month RCOH at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Newport News, Virginia, in 1998. The Dwight D. Eisenhower was next, completing its RCOH in 2005. The Carl Vinson began its RCOH in late 2005, and completed its post-overhaul sea trials in July 2009. The Vinson is currently undergoing the RCOH Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding - Newport News. The fourth of the class, the Theodore Roosevelt entered drydock in August, 2009 to begin its RCOH. By tonnage, the Nimitz-class warships are the largest aircraft carriers built so far, holding the world record for displacement of any naval war vessel. Nimitz Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers have a displacement of 102,000t, and a flight deck length of 332.9m. General characteristics- Displacement: 98,235–104,112 tons full load
- Speed: 30+ knots (56+ km/h)
- Aircraft: 85 (current wings are closer to 64, including 48 tactical and 16 support aircraft)
- *Aircraft currently in operation on Nimitz class carriers include: F/A-18C/D Hornet / F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, EA-6B Prowler, E-2 Hawkeye, C-2 Greyhound, SH/HH-60 Seahawk, and T-45 Goshawk (non-combat aircraft, used only for training missions) for many missions including self defense/interception, land attack/close-air support, electronic warfare, maritime strike and air crew training.
- Cost: about US$4.5 billion each
- Range: Capable of continuously operating for 20 years without refueling
- Average Annual Operating Cost: US$160 million
- Crew: Ship's Company: 3,200; Air Wing: 2,480
- *20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts: Three on the and the and four on the and later ships of the class, except for the and the which have three. (The USS Ronald Reagan has none, having been armed with the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile system during construction.)
- *Rolling Airframe Missile: Two on the , the , and the . These will be installed on the other ships as they return for RCOH.
- Date First Deployed: May 3, 1975 (the )
 Official USN sideview linedrawing Due to a design flaw, ships of this class have inherent lists to starboard when under combat load which exceed the capability of their list control systems. Ships in classThe United States Navy lists the following ships in the Nimitz class:
. - Launched: May 13, 1972 (List)
- Commissioned: May 3, 1975 (List)
- Victories: 2 Libyan aircraft in 1981
thumb|240px|With George Washington behind- Laid down: August 15, 1970
- Launched: October 11, 1975 (List)
- Commissioned: October 18, 1977 (List)
thumb|240px|Returning from Operation Enduring Freedom- Laid down: October 11, 1975
- Launched: March 15, 1980 (List)
- Commissioned: March 13, 1982 (List)
thumb|240px|USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)- Laid down: October 31, 1981
- Launched: October 27, 1984 (List)
- Commissioned: October 25, 1986 (List)
thumb|240px|In the Gulf of Alaska- Laid down: November 3, 1984
- Launched: February 13, 1988 (List)
- Commissioned: November 11, 1989 (List)
thumb|240px|USS George Washington- Laid down: August 25, 1986
- Launched: July 21, 1990 (List)
- Commissioned: July 4, 1992 (List)
thumb|240px|Heading home to Bremerton, WA- Laid down: March 13, 1991
- Launched: November 11, 1993 (List)
- Commissioned: December 9, 1995 (List)
thumb|240px|USS Harry S. Truman alongside oiler - Laid down: November 29, 1993
- Launched: September 7, 1996 (List)
- Commissioned: July 25, 1998 (List)
thumb|240px|USS Ronald Reagan- Laid down: February 12, 1998
- Launched: March 4, 2001 (List)
- Commissioned: July 12, 2003 (List)
thumb|240px|USS George H. W. Bush underway from Naval Station Norfolk.- Laid down: September 6, 2003
- Launched: October 9, 2006 (List)
- Commissioned: January 10, 2009 (List)
- Status: Pending post delivery maintenance before commencing training for operational deployment in 2010.
See also
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