USS Carl Vinson CVN 70

Description: Aircraft carriers provide a wide range of possible response for the National Command Authority.

To provide a credible, sustainable, independent forward presence and conventional deterrence in peacetime.

To operate as the cornerstone of joint/allied maritime expeditionary forces in times of crisis.

To operate and support aircraft attacks on enemies, protect friendly forces and engage in sustained independent operations in war.

The aircraft carrier continues to be the centerpiece of the forces necessary for forward presence. Whenever there has been a crisis, the first question has been: "Where are the carriers?" Carriers support and operate aircraft that engage in attacks on airborne, afloat, and ashore targets that threaten free use of the sea; and engage in sustained operations in support of other forces.

Aircraft carriers are deployed worldwide in support of U.S. interests and commitments. They can respond to global crises in ways ranging from peacetime presence to full-scale war. Together with their on-board air wings, the carriers have vital roles across the full spectrum of conflict.

The Nimitz-class carriers, eight operational and two under construction, are the largest warships in the world. USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was the first to undergo its initial refueling during a 33-month Refueling Complex Overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., in 1998. The next generation of carrier, CVN 21, the hull number will be CVN 78, is programmed to start construction in 2007 and is slated to be placed in commission in 2014 to replace USS Enterprise (CVN 65) which will be over its 50-year mark. CVN 79 is programmed to begin construction in 2012 and to be placed in commission in 2018.

Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, VA.

Date Deployed: March 13, 1982.

Unit Cost: About $4.5 billion each.

Propulsion: Two nuclear reactors, four shafts.

Length: 1,092 feet (332.85 meters).

Beam: 134 feet (40.84 meters); Flight Deck Width: 252 feet (76.8 meters).

Displacement: Approximately 97,000 tons (87,996.9 metric tons) full load.

Speed: 30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour).

Crew: Ship's Company: 3,200 - Air Wing: 2,480.

Armament: Two or three (depending on modification) NATO Sea Sparrow launchers, 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts: (3 on Nimitz and Dwight D. Eisenhower and 4 on Vinson and later ships of the class).

Aircraft: 85.

.....1980: On March 15, Congressman Carl Vinson became the first person in the history of the United States to witness a launching in his honor.

.....1982: USS Carl Vinson was commissioned on March 13, 1982.

.....1983: After extensive work up and sea trials, the ship with a crew of almost 6,000 Sailors departed Norfolk, Virginia on March 1, 1983, and embarked on an eight-month around the world cruise. Carl Vinson steamed in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, South China Sea, East Sea/Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean en route to its new home port of Naval Air Station Alameda, Calif. On Oct. 28, 1983, Carl Vinson sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time as it entered San Francisco Bay.

.....1984: Carl Vinson received the highest marks ever awarded an aircraft carrier during an operational readiness examination in February. In March, the ship and crew became " San Francisco ’s Own" in a formal adoption ceremony. In May, Carl Vinson participated in RIMPAC ’84, a multi-national exercise involving ships from nations which "Rim of the Pacific" including Canada, Japan, Australia, as well as the United Kingdom. On Oct. 14, Carl Vinson began a seven-month Western Pacific deployment.

.....1985: From early January to mid April, Carl Vinson was deployed in the Indian Ocean for 107 consecutive days at sea operations. The carrier received its first Meritorious Unit Commendations for operations conducted from November 1984 to May 1985. In February, the Chief of Naval Operations named Carl Vinson as the winner of the Admiral Flatley Memorial Award for operational readiness and aviation safety for 1984.

.....1986: In May and June, the ship was involved in a series of high-tempo operations that included RIMPAC ’86 exercise. On August 12, Carl Vinson deployed on its second Western Pacific/Indian Ocean cruise, and third deployment in all. During transit west, Carl Vinson became the first aircraft carrier to operate in the Bering Sea.

.....1987: After conducting extensive operations in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea, Carl Vinson transited the Bering Sea once again in January. During the transit to NAS Alameda, Carl Vinson received the highest grade ever given to an aircraft carrier during an Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination.

.....1988: Carl Vinson departed NAS Alameda for its fourth deployment on June 15, 1988, and making another challenging and successful transit of the Bering Sea. The carrier completed 82 days on station in the North Arabian Sea. While on station, the Gold Eagle supported the escorting of American flagged tankers in the Arabian Gulf. Carl Vinson returned to NAS Alameda on Dec.16. The carrier received its second Admiral Flatley Memorial Award for aviation safety.

.....1989: The carrier departed Alameda on September 18 to participate in PACEX ’89, the largest peacetime naval exercise since World War II. Carl Vinson conducted operations in the icy waters of the Bering Sea, including operations inside the Aleutian Islands. In the following weeks, Carl Vinson, leading a battle force of three carrier battle groups, conducted operations in the Western Pacific Ocean and East Sea/Sea of Japan, and were joined by the navies of other nations.

.....1990: The ship departed on its fifth deployment on February 1 for the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The carrier received its first COMNAVAIRPAC Battle "E" award for 1990. After returning to Alameda on July 3, the carrier steamed to Bremerton, Washinton in September to commence a complex overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard starting on Sept. 22, which would conclude on April 6, 1993.

.....1994: The carrier started its sixth deployment on February 17 to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. The Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet Change of Command was held on the carrier on August 5 while at Pearl Harbor. Carl Vinson returned to Alameda on August 17; and received its third Admiral Flatley Award for aviation safety.

.....1995: From August 26 to September 3, Carl Vinson participated in Exercise 'Ke Koa' and the commemoration of the end of World War II in the Pacific. During the commemoration, President Bill Clinton visited the ship in Hawaii and 12 historic warplanes from World War II were launched from the flight deck. One month later, the ship returned to the San Francisco Bay area and participated in Fleet Week, ’95, launching World War II aircraft, an F/A-18 Hornet and F-14 Tomcat, and an unprecedented launch and recovery of an S-3 Viking in San Francisco Bay. The carrier received its second Meritorious Unit Commendation for the 50th Commemoration of VJ Day 1995.

.....1996: Carl Vinson departed May 14 for its seventh deployment to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf. The ship participated in Exercise Rugged Nautilus and Operations Desert Strike and Southern Watch before returning to Alameda November 14. The carrier received its second Battle "E," its third Meritorious Unit Commendations and its fourth Admiral Flatley Award.

.....1997: On Jan. 17, Carl Vinson arrived at its new home port, Bremerton. In February, the ship added another chapter in the history of naval aviation as the platform for the last carrier launches and recoveries of the A6-E Intruder.

.....1998: Following an intense work up period Carl Vinson participated in RIMPAC ’98. The carrier steamed from Bremerton in early November for its eighth deployment to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf. On December 19, Carl Vinson launched air strikes in support of Operation Desert Fox, and continued support for Operation Southern Watch in enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq.   Vinson was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation Medal and was once again was awarded the Battle "E" for Efficiency.

.....1999: Carl Vinson maintained pressure on Iraq by launching several air strikes against selected targets located in the no-fly zone of southern Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch from January to March. As a result Vinson was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation.  In July, the ship entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an 11-month Dry-docked Planned Incremental Availability. The Navy spent more than $230 million for equipment upgrades, a new local-area network, new berthing, and several quality-of-life upgrades.

.....2000: Carl Vinson finished the overhaul period in June 2000 and began the pre-deployment phase of operations. The ship got underway for sea trials, TSTA, FEP, and COMPTUEX in the fall, operating off the coast of Southern California with Carrier Air Wing Eleven and other ships in the battle group.

.....2001: From January to June, the carrier spent most of the time out to sea preparing for the ship's twelfth deployment.  Carl Vinson steamed out of Bremerton, Washington on July 23, and after stopping to on load Carrier Air Wing Eleven at Naval Air Station, North Island, Calif ornia headed west. On September 11, as our nation was rocked by the terrorist attacks, USS Carl Vinson was rounding the tip of India en route the Arabian Gulf to enforce the no-fly zone over Southern Iraq in support 'Operation Southern Watch.' At that moment, the Gold Eagle changed course and headed to the North Arabian Sea, where our battle group would stand ready to answer the call of freedom. That call came, and on October 7, 2001, just 36 hours after we welcomed our new commanding officer, CAPT., Richard Wren, the Carl Vinson and her battle group launched the first strikes in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  For 72 days, we remained on station and together with Carrier Air Wing Eleven conducted more than 4,200 combat sorties in the War on Terrorism. In mid-December, Carl Vinson stood down the watch and headed home, visiting Singapore for Christmas.

.....2002:  Carl Vinson returned from her historic deployment on Jan. 23. For their support of the nation's war on terrorism, the crew received the Battle "E" and also the Navy Unit Commendation medal. In April, the crew began a Planned Incremental Availability.

.....During this time several new operational systems were installed, and the ship’s flight deck and catapults were completely renovated. Numerous other spaces and crew living areas were also entirely restored, drastically improving working and living conditions for the crew. Completing her maintenance-overhaul period in record-setting time, USS Carl Vinson and crew set sail in September to conduct sea trials and once again announced to their chain of command that they were ready for fleet operations. In mid-October, the aircraft carrier headed to sea and again set a new standard by completing a transformational innovative Inter Deployment Training Cycle (IDTC). By December, the Carl Vinson, along with Carrier Air Wing Nine team was deployment ready and was named the Pacific Fleet “ready carrier.”

.....2003: The Carl Vinson-Carrier Air Wing 9 team wasted no time in answering the call of America.   On January 13, the strike group responded to the world’s need for a stabilizing presence in the Western Pacific by ensuring theater security in cooperation with friends and allies in the region.  While underway, the Navy’s deployment schedule began shifting to implement a new Fleet Response Plan (FRP).  The shift required Carl Vinson to extend its deployment two and one half months.  After nearly nine months at sea, “ America ’s Favorite Aircraft Carrier” returned to Bremerton Sept. 19 to a heroes welcome.  During the final three months of 2003 the mighty “Gold Eagle” once again assumed the role of the West Coast ready carrier.

.....2004: In February, a meticulous inspection by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey found the “Gold Eagle” fit to continue its third decade of service to the American people.  The crew of Carl Vinson now faced the trifold challenge of preparing for their upcoming six-month deployment, readying their families for a change of home port from Bremerton to Norfolk, Virginia , and planning for 2005’s refueling and Complex Overhaul at Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipyard.  During RCOH, " America ’s Favorite Carrier" will be completely refitted, and the nuclear fuel that powers the Nimitz-class carrier will be replenished.

.....2005:  On January 3, Carl Vinson began an historic around-the-world deployment, leaving behind its Bremerton, Washington , its home port of eight years.  After completing Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX), Vinson began its journey west on February 1.