USS Nimitz (CVN-68) facts for kids

The USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

The USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a very large aircraft carrier used by the United States Navy. It's so big that it's called a supercarrier. This powerful ship is named after Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, a famous leader in the Navy. Since late 2011, the USS Nimitz has been based at Naval Station Everett in Everett, Washington.

This amazing ship is about 1,063 feet (333 meters) long. That's longer than three football fields! It was built to take the place of another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln.

What Makes the Nimitz Special

Power and Speed

The USS Nimitz gets its power from two special nuclear reactors. These reactors allow the ship to stay at sea for a very long time, up to 24 years, without needing to refuel. However, refueling is a very careful process and can only be done at special naval bases. The ship weighs about 100,000 tons, which is incredibly heavy!

Launching Aircraft

One of the most important jobs of an aircraft carrier is to launch planes. The Nimitz has four powerful steam catapults. These catapults can launch a heavy plane, weighing 100,000 pounds, to a speed of 160 miles per hour (257 km/h) in just 100 meters (about 328 feet).

The Nimitz can carry many different types of aircraft. This includes planes that warn of danger, like early warning planes. It also carries fighter jets such as the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and the Super Hornet fighter-bomber aircraft. It can carry up to 130 F/A-18 Hornets or about 85 to 90 other types of planes.

Images for kids

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  Catherine Nimitz Lay christens Nimitz on May 13, 1972

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  Wreck of an EA-6B Prowler after it crashed during a night landing, 1981

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  Monitor showing data about Nimitz

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  An MV-22 Osprey of VMM-165 lands on Nimitz in October 2012.

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  A C-2 Greyhound of VRC-30 and an F-35C Lightning II of VX-23 ready for launching from Nimitz in November 2014; a second F-35C and an F/A-18F Super Hornet sit behind the catapults.

See also

In Spanish: USS Nimitz (CVN-68) para niños