The Nimitz-class supercarrier’s arrival in Southeast Asia demonstrates American-Philippine defensive cooperation.
When it comes to sea-based power projection, no service across the globe is as well-equipped as the US Navy. Currently, the United States maintains 11 active carriers, including the Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford-class warships. No other nation comes close to fielding this naval capability, providing the United States with unparalleled clout in terms of deterrence and military strength. As tensions between Beijing and Washington continue to surge, US aircraft carriers continue to sail the South China Sea in an effort to thwart the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) sweeping claims in those waters. This week, USS George Washington arrived off the Philippine capital for a port visit. The arrival of the Nimitz-class supercarrier in Southeast Asia demonstrates the American-Philippine defensive cooperation against the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
“The US Navy, along with our allies and partners, is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Lieutenant-Commander Mark Langford, spokesman for the USS George Washington, told AFP. “These operations demonstrate the commitment to stability in the region, a commitment we uphold throughout the year and regardless of current events,” Langford added, calling the Philippines a “long-standing and critical ally”.
An Overview of USS George Washington
USS George Washington (CVN-73) is the sixth carrier produced for the Nimitz-class. She was first laid down in 1986 and officially entered service with the Navy a few years later. Like her sister ships, the George Washington’s construction was made possible by Newport News Shipbuilding. Over her service life, the George Washington would notably become the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be forward-deployed at naval base Yokosuka, Japan. Perhaps this massive supercarrier is best known for a serious fire that broke out aboard the warship back in 2008. According to the service, the incident was “serious,” injuring 37 sailors. Upon docking for repairs, it was discovered that the fire was more destructive than initially believed. Repairs took several months and cost US taxpayers a staggering $70 million.
The Nimitz-class
As a Nimitz-class carrier, the George Washington plays a critical role in the Navy’s power projection strategy at sea. Each warship in this class is designed for a half-century service life while requiring one mid-life refueling. In terms of fuel output, reactor quantity, and sortie capability, the Nimitz ships featured many enhancements over the service’s preceding carrier classes when first introduced. These supercarriers are powered by a pair of A4W nuclear reactors, which enable the vessels to reach speeds up to 30 knots. Additionally, Nimitz-class carriers can carry 90 percent more aviation fuel and 50 percent more ordnance than the Forrestal-class ships. The angled flight decks of the Nimitz ships use CATOBAR arrangements to launch aircraft. A range of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, including the F/A-18 Super Hornet and MH-60 Seahawk platforms, can launch from the Nimitz vessels.
Although the Nimitz ships have ruled the seas for more than half a century, the Navy’s newer Ford-class aircraft carriers host even greater capabilities. The Gerald R. Ford is currently the only active Ford-class carrier in service today, but is soon to be joined by the USS John F. Kennedy.
About the author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: DVIDS.
