Naval Warfare

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)

Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier [ 1982 ]

The USS Carl Vinson has recently seen action in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/10/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery network.

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The USS Carl Vinson is one of ten Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers operated by the United States Navy with the latest in the series becoming the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS George W. Bush. The Nimitz-class is further broken down into subclasses that are the Nimitz subclass, Theodore Roosevelt subclass and the Ronald Reagan subclass. The Vinson is a part of the Nimitz subclass.

Propulsion for the USS Carl Vinson is provided by her twin Westinghouse-brand A4W nuclear-powered reactors in addition to her 4 x steam turbines. These feed the four large propeller shafts at a reported 260,000 shaft horsepower allowing for speeds of up to 30 knots. She maintains a displacement of about 97,000 tons.

Like other Nimitz-class carriers in this group, the Vinson needs thousands of sailors to operate to full efficiency. This is further augmented by the 2,480-strong air group that supports her flying wing of about 90 aircraft and includes helicopters. Her offensive punch is supplemented by her defensive capabilities that include 2 x Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile launchers and 2 x RIM rolling airframe missile launchers. Additionally, 3 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) provide short-range anti-missile/anti-aircraft capability - that is, should anything get past her aircraft and fleet defenses.

The Carl Vinson was first ordered in 1974, laid down in 1975 and launched in 1980. She was officially commissioned in 1982 and makes her home in Norfolk, Virginia. She has incurred a variety of comical nicknames throughout her years of service and these include "Starship Vinson", "Chuckie V", "the USS Chuck Wagon" and the "Carl Prison". As of this writing, the Carl Vinson is in active service.©MilitaryFactory.com

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February 2017 - The United States Navy revealed that USS Carl Vinson has been conducting patrols in the disputed South China Sea, drawing the ire of China.

April 2017 - USS Carl Vinson has been dispatched to the Korean Peninsula region in response to repeated missile launch tests by North Korea.

Specifications

Service Year

1982

Origin

United States

Status

COMMISSIONED
In Active Service.

Complement

5,680
PERSONNEL

Class

Nimitz-class

Number-in-Class

10
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

USS Nimitz (CVN-69); USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69); USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70); USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71); USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72); USS George Washington (CVN-73); USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74); USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75); USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76); USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Flag Ship / Capital Ship
Serving in the fleet Flag Ship role or Capital Ship in older warship designs / terminology.

Length

1,092.0 ft
332.84 m

Beam

252.0 ft
76.81 m

Draught

41.0 ft
12.50 m

Displacement

97,000
tons

Installed Power: 2 x Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors feeding 4 x steam turbines developing 260,000 horsepower to 4 x Shafts.

Surface Speed

30.0 kts
(34.5 mph)

Range

Essentially Unlimited

2 x Sea Sparrow Mk 57 Mod 3 surface-to-air missile launchers

2 x RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile short-range surface-to-air missile launchers

3 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft Gatling-style rotating gun

Graphical image of an air-to-air missile weapon

Graphical image of a medium-range air-to-air missile

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

Up to 90 aircraft of various types.

Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period

Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.