7 US Aircraft carrier battle groups location

After 43 years and assignments in just about every conflict from Vietnam to Iraq (news - web sites), the Navy's oldest active-duty warship is what a charitable sailor would call "mature." But even though the carrier fleet went nuclear long ago, officials aren't quite ready to let the diesel-powered USS Kitty Hawk sail off into the sunset.


"The ship is in superb mechanical condition," Parker, the aircraft carrier's commanding officer, said in an interview. "The ship could continue for however long it's necessary for us to be here."

john

story.news.yahoo.com.../ap/20040721/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/oldest_warship

Prediction:

As soon as Russia send 40,000 troops to Iraq, the U.S. will
invade Iran. Some of the carrier battle groups will be used
to deter China or North korea from intervening. But the bulk
will be used to support invading U.S. Forces from Iraq and
elsewhere.

I think the USS Kitty Hawk will be replaced by the tenth Nimitz class carrier the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) which is set to be commissioned in 2009 so I think the Kitty Hawk will still be around for 4-5 more years.

I didn't even realize that ole George had one coming... cool !!

www.chinfo.navy.mil...

Navy to name newest carrier in honor of former President
9 December 2002


At 1,092 feet in length and 97,000 tons, Nimitz class
aircraft carriers are the largest warships in the world. They
have a flight deck of 4.5 acres and carry an air wing of
approximately 75 aircraft and can travel at speeds in excess of
30 knots. America's carriers deploy around the globe in support
of U.S. interests and commitments and can respond to crises in
ways ranging from peacetime presence to full-scale war serving a
vital role in the defense of the American people.

Features of CVN 77 Concept Design

1 Passive Jet Blast Deflector: Redesigns and new materials mean reduced maintenance costs.
2 Island Designs: Improve flight deck access and reduce signature and electronic self-interference.
3 Signature Reduction: Curved flight deck edges, enclosed antenna farms, smaller islands and internal aircraft elevators add up to maximum stealth.
4 Aircraft Pit Stop: Semi-automated refueling and servicing in a new configuration and deck location provides faster, more efficient airwing pit stops and requires fewer people.
5 Hanger Bay: New designs reduce clutter.

Other features incorporated in this concept include:

Manpower Reductions: Technology, space rearrangement, operational procedure changes, advanced sensor technologies and condition-based maintenance systems all allow for a smaller, specially-trained crew.

Reconfigurable Spaces: Life-of-the-ship modular construction designs provide flexibility and reduce cost.

Expanded Bandwidth: More onboard and offboard capability gives the ship a communications edge.

Zonal Electrical Distribution Systems: Isolate the potential for problems and minimizes the effect on the rest of the ship.

Automation Insertion: Material movement devices, semi-autonomous, gravity compensated weapons handling devices, damage control automation systems and components will reduce the ship's crew and costs.

Speed -30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour)
Aircraft- 85
Aircraft elevators - Four
Catapults - Four
Armament- 4 Sea Sparrow launchers
3 Phalanx CIWS 20mm mounts [Nimitz & Ike]
4 Phalanx CIWS 20mm mounts [Vinson and later]
Combat Systems- SPS-48E 3-D air search radar
SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar
3 Mk91 Fire Control

Multi-Function Radar (MFR) [CVN-77]
Volume Search Radar (VSR) [CVN-77]

AN/SLQ-32(V)4 active jamming/deception
AN/WLR-1H ESM

So according to this a Nimitz class carrier can carry 85 airplanes.
Here is a 3D model of the USS George H. W. Bush [CVN-77]

[img] www.globalsecurity.org...[/img]

ABOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK (AP) In his office under the flight deck of the USS Kitty Hawk, Capt. Thomas Parker points at a wall covered by the photos of his 32 predecessors. The first one took command before the 1962 Cuban missile crisis; in the middle are the Vietnam-era captains.

john

www.japantimes.co.jp...