The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group left its home port of Bremerton in Washington State (WA) in March for a planned deployment in the western Pacific. For the "Nimitz", the oldest active aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, this will probably be its last deployment before it retires this year after 50 years of service.
Map of Washington State. Image: U.S. National Atlas, Public domain
The Nimitz battle group (CVN 68) consists of a carrier strike group (CVW-17) and a destroyer strike group (DESRON-9). The carrier group's mission is focused - as always - on protecting the security, freedom and prosperity of the United States, its allies and partners, and demonstrates the U.S. Navy's unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the U.S. Navy said.
All 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers were built between 1968 and 2006 at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. USS "Nimitz" was commissioned in 1975, just a few days after the fall of Saigon, which ended the Vietnam War.
USS "Nimitz" - departure parade from Bremerton/WA. Picture: US-Navy
Orders
The "Nimitz" was involved in numerous missions around the globe. In 1980, it took part in Operation Eagle Claw (hostage-taking in Iran), guarded the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, took part in Operations Desert Storm (2nd Gulf War) and Southern Watch (monitoring the no-fly zones in Iraq) in 1991 and observed a PRC manoeuvre in the sea area around Taiwan in 1995. From 2003 to 2007, the "Nimitz" was part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq war) several times and in 2009, 2010 and 2013 part of Operation Enduring Freedom (war against international terrorism as a result of 9/11). In 2013, the "Nimitz" guarded the east coast of North Korea and patrolled the Mediterranean. During her service, she visited Wilhelmshaven a total of four times in 1975, 1978, 1980 and 1986.
Planning
The Navy had announced in 2023 that it intended to retire the "Nimitz" in 2025 and the second oldest carrier in the class, the USS "Dwight D. Eisenhower", in 2026. Earlier this year, the Navy confirmed that it was sticking to its plan for the "Nimitz", but due to the current situation and the delays with the successor units, it would probably keep the USS "Eisenhower" in service until at least 2030. The plan for the "Nimitz" (100,00 tonnes) now envisages that it will operate in the western Pacific, round Cape Horn and then move to Naval Station Norfolk/Virginia to disembark reusable equipment, materials and devices.
From spring 2027, the "Nimitz" is to be relocated to HII-Newport News Shipbuilding, where the estimated 30-month process of removing the nuclear reactors and deactivating the carrier will begin. To this end, Huntington Ingalls Inc. has been awarded a contract worth approximately €16.2 million by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command to undertake the preliminary planning for the deactivation of the nuclear power plants on the "Nimitz", the first step towards decommissioning.
Christening of the "John F. Kennedy" (CVN 79). Picture: Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)
According to the US Navy, the USS "John F. Kennedy" (CVN 79) is to be commissioned this year and stationed in Bremerton/WA - its new home port - for the long term. To this end, the electrical supply system at the naval base still needs to be converted, starting in 2026. The actual arrival of the new 'JFK' is therefore not expected before 2029.
kdk, Stars&Stripes
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