USS George Washington (CVN-73)

Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier [ 1992 ]

There have been four ships in United States Navy service to have been named after the founding father, George Washington.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/08/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

High-angled bow view of the USS George Washington aircraft carrier at speed

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

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The USS George Washington (CVN-73) is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in service with the United States Navy. She represents the sixth such vessel of her type in the Nimitz-class of "supercarriers" and is named after the first president of the United States, George Washington. A handful of deployments have had her show the strength and might of the US Navy in oceans and seas around the world, becoming an integral part of the offense and defense of the United States "show of force" in their stand for liberty in the Global War on Terror.

A full complement of 5,680 personnel operate the various systems and subsystems of the George Washington. This includes a powerful air arm of up to 2,480 managing the air wing of fighters, strike aircraft, specialist aircraft, transports and helicopters. Like her sister ships, power is derived from her twin Westinghouse brand A4W nuclear reactors that power her 4 x steam turbines to 4 x shafts producing 260,000 shaft horsepower. A top speed of 30 knots is listed.

To compliment her offensive armament, the George Washington is fitted with several defensive systems in the case an enemy aircraft should make it past her umbrella of fighters and fleet support ships. This includes 2 x Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile launchers, 2 x RIM-166 RAM (Rolling Airframe Missiles) launchers and 3 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS). Electronic warfare is handled by way of an SLQ-25A(V)4 Countermeasures system and torpedo countermeasures as needed. Radars include a bevy of systems like the AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search, AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition and twin AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars.

The USS George Washington was first ordered in 1982 and laid down in 1986. She was launched in 1990 and officially commissioned in 1992. Interestingly enough, she makes her homeport at Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan and is affectionately known by the nickname of "GW". She is currently in active service with the United States Navy.

The USS George Washington is the only American carrier which makes its home port outside of the United States.

In November of 2010, the USS George Washington was called to waters near South Korea to undertake a joint military naval exercise with the South, this in response to an artillery shelling of a South Korean island by the North which left two South Korean marines and two civilians dead.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1992

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 and 4 x steam turbines developing 260,000 horsepower and driving 4 x Shafts under stern.

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-166 RAM (Rolling Airframe 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 including light- and medium-lift helicopter 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.