AIRCRAFT CARRIERS ARE the cornerstone of America’s naval capabilities. They’re able to project air power anywhere in the world without having to depend on local bases.
And they are truly massive.
Spanning 1,092 feet long – three times the length of a soccer pitch – Nimitz-class warships like the USS George HW Bush are the largest aircraft carriers. See below for a selection of pictures showing just how massive these floating airfields are:
The USS Nimitz conducts an aerial demonstration.
An aircraft director guides an F/A-18C Hornet onto a catapult aboard the USS Harry S Truman.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Sailors scrub down the flight deck of the USS George Washington (CVN-73).
Sailors man the rails of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) while departing Naval Base Coronado.
The USS George HW Bush is under way.
PCU Gerald R Ford is floated for the first time.
Blue Angels fly over the USS George HW Bush in the Atlantic Ocean.
The USS John C Stennis conducts flight operations.
Sailors man the rails as the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) enters Pearl Harbour.
The USS Carl Vinson is under way in the Persian Gulf.
Sailors observe as the USS John C Stennis sails alongside the USS Ronald Reagan.
The USS George Washington (CVN-73) leads the George Washington Carrier Strike Group.
The USS Ronald Reagan transports sailors’ vehicles.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) departs San Francisco.
The USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75) performs a full-power run-and-rudder swing check during sea trials.
F/A-18 Hornets demonstrate air power over the USS John C Stennis (CVN-74).
The USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) negotiating the Strait of Hormuz.
The USS Enterprise is underway with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis (CVN-74) returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and USS John C Stennis join for a turnover of responsibility in the Arabian Sea.
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