But the unthinkable occurs when the billiondollar ship is destroyed in what appears to be a nuclear accident it is the. Navy officer to hold the rank, preceding william halsey jrwith an overall length of 1,092 ft 333 m and fullload. Uss nimitz is the first ship in the nimitz class of nuclearpowered aircraft carriers and the first ship in the navy named after fleet. An unconquerable fortress, the us nimitz class aircraft carrier thomas jefferson is the most powerful nuclearpowered warship in the world, stationed in the arabian sea to preserve the peace and western allied interests. Nimitz class nimitz class audiobook, by patrick robinson. Owner of this site is not responsible for potential mistakes or lacks of data. In 2009, the decision was made to decommission her. As a result of the use of nuclear power, the ships are capable of operating continuously for over 20 years without refueling and are predicted to have a service life of over 50 years. Ford class nuclear aircraft carrier cvn 78 is the planned successor to the nimitzclass cvn 68 aircraft carrier.
He played a major role in the naval history of world war ii as commander in chief, u. Navy to perform refueling and overhaul work on the uss nimitz cvn 68. Ford class carrier cvn 80, which will be built starting in 2018. Nimitzclass vs gerald r fordclass comparison aircraft. The author is at his best when describing the navy and naval actions. What are the ramifications of changing armor class to be constitutionbased instead of dexteritybased. An enjoyable read, nimitz class has a more serious purpose, to draw attention to the worldwide peacekeeping role being carried out by the u. The fordclass carrier is a nuclearpowered aircraft carrier that serves as a successor to the nimitzclass carriers designed in the 1960s. Foreign military sales fms transfer to a outside organization as a museum ship scrapping transfer to the inactive ships mothball fleet which eventua. Now, on what would have been nimitzs 129th birthday, that collection is being made available to the public, according to. Its supersonic aircraft can level entire cities at a stroke. On the surface this book had the potential of being a tom clancy class naval thriller.
The navy plans 33month nuclear refueling refueling complex overhauls for its nimitz class carriers beginning with the uss nimitz in fiscal year 1998. However, the author dropped the ball by rushing his story telling. Feb 02, 2019 the fordclass carrier is a nuclearpowered aircraft carrier that serves as a successor to the nimitzclass carriers designed in the 1960s. In mid2002, the uss thomas jefferson suddenly vanishes from the radar screens of the warships escorting it on a routine but. The nimitz class is a class of ten nuclearpowered aircraft carriers in service with the united states navy. What will become of the wasp and nimitz class ships once. Hello, i was wondering why heavy armor like the kind that was used on ww2 ships especially the iowas is spoken of as though its a lost art or medieval potion that cannot be done today. I know from memory alpha that they called the nimitz and miranda classes, respectively. Huntington ingalls industries newport news shipbuilding unit has delivered a firstofclass aircraft carrier to the u. Navy ship is taken out of active duty, one of four things can happen. In november 20 the us navy launched the uss gerald r.
Ford class cvn 78 was ordered in 2008 and is slated to be delivered in 2016 as the force structure replacement for uss enterprise excvn 65 which. The socalled gray book, named for its original cover, spans from the days after the attack on pearl harbor to the final days of world war ii. Nimitz, who commanded the united states pacific fleet during ww2. The annual cost of operating and maintaining a nimitzclass carrier is. Called a great book worthy of a great man, this definitive biography of the commander in chief of the pacific fleet in world war ii, first published in 1976 and now available in paperback for the first time, continues to be considered the best book ever written about adm. Dec 07, 2016 the successor of the nimitzclass is the fordclass supercarriers. A history of the worlds largest aircraft carriers, with runways over 300 meters long, this book looks at the development and deployment of the nuclearpowered nimitz class aircraft carriers from. A reader of nimitz class may sometimes find it difficult to keep in mind that the book is fiction, because the military and political details seem so realistic.
Anyhow, he writes with the in depth techie stuff like clancy did. The narrative follows bill baldridge as he investigates the us navys loss of a titular nimitz class supercarrier to. The navy plans 33month nuclear refueling refueling complex overhauls rcoh. An acquaintance who had red patrick robinsons books, recommended them. The nimitzclass aircraft carriers were the largest warships ever built until the commissioning of uss gerald r ford in 2017. The successor ships to the united states navys uss enterprise aircraft carrier were also nimitzclass ships and were named after the same man. As the successor to the 102,000 ton nimitz class supercarriers, the cvn21 program aimed to increase aircraft sortie generation rates by 20%, increase survivability to better handle future threats, require fewer sailors, and have depot maintenance requirements that could support an increase of up to 25% in operational availability. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or. The nimitz class aircraft carriers were the largest warships ever built until the commissioning of uss gerald r ford in 2017. Nimitz class was patrick robinsons first fiction book to be published in 1997. My brother and i have both, in our turn, served on nimitz class carriers during the cold war and even during some mildly warmer conflicts. Navy following the platforms completion of acceptance trials the company said thursday the uss gerald r. A true behemoth, this is an unsurpassed weapons platform that overshadows all of its nearest rivals.
Nimitz class is much alike to the late tom clancys the hunt for red october. Trump wants a fleet of 12 aircraft carriers and the. Information about the nimitz class aircraft carrier cvn 68 class, including no. Nimitz class is a world class technothriller with a plot as riveting as hunt for red octoberand an explosive twist out of tomorrows headlines. On 01 may 1998 newport news shipbuilding was awarded a contract by the u. Nimitz class aircraft carriers possess an inherent list to starboard that their list control systems lcs are typically unable to correct while under combat load conditions. Mar 11, 2020 as the successor to the 102,000 ton nimitz class supercarriers, the cvn21 program aimed to increase aircraft sortie generation rates by 20%, increase survivability to better handle future threats, require fewer sailors, and have depot maintenance requirements that could support an increase of up to 25% in operational availability. Bush, was designed as a transition ship from the nimitz class to the replacement gerald r. The successor of the nimitzclass is the fordclass supercarriers. The nimitz class is made up of ten total aircraft carriers and all are nuclearpowered vessels capable of reaching any point of the world while fielding a variety of fixedwing and rotarywing aircraft up to 90 of various types. The nimitzclass is made up of ten total aircraft carriers and all are nuclearpowered vessels capable of reaching any point of the world while fielding a variety of fixedwing and rotarywing aircraft up to 90 of various types. An unconquerable fortress, the us nimitzclass aircraft carrier thomas.
Built during world war 2, each ship displaces approximately 58,000 tons fully loaded, or just over half a nimitzclass aircraft carrier and seven times that of an arleigh burkeclass destroyer, the backbone of the modern usn. Thats below the number mandated by federal law, but the navy was granted a waiver while it. The uss nimitz nuclear fuel was replenished during the late1990s as part of the carriers rcoh refueling and complex overhaul programme. February 24, 1885 february 20, 1966 was a fleet admiral of the united states navy. The most powerful warship in the world, the nuclearpowered u. With over 6,000 personnel including aircrew, the up to 106,600 metric ton nimitz class carriers are 1,092 feet long 332. An unconquerable fortress, the us nimitzclass aircraft carrier thomas jefferson is the most powerful nuclearpowered warship in the world, stationed in the arabian sea to preserve the peace and western allied interests. Highly respected by both the civilian and naval communities, nimitz was sometimes overshadowed by more. Aircraft carriers are generally estimated to have useful operating lives of 50 years. It is the first book in the series which features admiral arnold morgan and ben adnam. With over 6,000 personnel crew and aircrew, the carrier has a displacement of 102,000t and a flight deck length of 332. When one of americas prized nimitz class carriers is lost with all hands and planes while on station in the arabian sea, washington publicly accepts the catastrophe as a tragic mishap and secretly organizes an allout hunt to bring those responsible to justice. As a result, it has become necessary to use fresh water ballast in a number of inner bottom voids and damage control voids to augment the lcs. The next generation of aircraft carrier, the gerald r.
Ford class cvn 78 was ordered in 2008 and is slated to be delivered in 2016 as the force structure replacement for uss enterprise excvn. The us military officers are strong and exciting characters. According to worldcat, the book is held in 1,197 libraries. Is a modified kamikaze val or zero comparable to a modern anti ship missile or does the increased speed of asms make them much deadlier because of increased. The aircraft carrier uss nimitz cvn 68 steams ahead of the arleigh burke. Military kit aircraftcarriers are big, expensive, vulnerableand.
The nimitz class aircraft carrier continues to be the centerpiece of the forces necessary for operating forward. On any given day, aircraft carriers exercise the chief of naval operations cno navigation directions of warfigh. Nimitz class supercarrier how they work by cowin, hugh w. Reactivating the iowa sisters, or bringing a gun to a.
Was the nimitz class a predecessor of the miranda class. Bush incorporates new technologies including improved propeller and bulbous bow designs, a reduced radar crosssection and electronic and environmental upgrades. Pacific fleet and commander in chief, pacific ocean areas, commanding allied air, land, and sea forces during world war ii. In times of crisis, the first question leaders ask in a crisis is. The new ships are designed to increase the rate at which. It is stylistically similar to tom clancy, particularly the hunt for red october. The uss nimitz took its name from fleet admiral chester w.
Its crew of six thousand works night and day to keep this awesome military. Nimitz class has a decent plot, a lot of interesting technical information about submarines, carrier fleets, and naval operations. The navy plans 33month nuclear refueling refueling complex overhauls for its nimitzclass carriers beginning with the uss nimitz in fiscal year 1998. Navy officer to hold the rank, preceding william halsey jr. Its as big as the empire state building, a massive floating fortress at the throbbing heart of a u. Nimitz class aircraft carrier, united states of america. Jan 16, 1997 nimitz class by patrick robinson is whatif scenario that touches somewhat close to some of my dearest subjects. Sir davids successor, general nick houghton, complained in may that. The nimitz class aircraft carrier is the ultimate symbol of the united states superpower status. Aircraft carriers cvn description aircraft carriers are the centerpiece of americas naval forces. Nimitz class is a worldclass technothriller with a plot as riveting as hunt for red octoberand an explosive twist out of tomorrows headlines. Its crew of six thousand works night and day to keep this awesome military machine at peak performance.
The book is awkward when he is trying to, what i believe to be, humanizing the characters. The combination of a new design nuclear propulsion plant and. So when the first stunned messages say only that the thomas. The nimitzclass ships constructed since uss ronald reagan also have bulbous bows in order to improve speed and fuel efficiency by reducing wavemaking resistance. While capturing the excitement of naval operations, it also raises critical issues about the future of naval forces, terrorism, and the implications of the spread of weapons of mass destruction. One of the largest warships in the world, she was laid down, launched, and commissioned as cvan68, aircraft carrier, attack, nuclear powered, but she was later redesignated as cvn68, aircraft carrier, multimission, nuclearpowered, on 30 june 1975, as part of a fleetwide realignment that year. Catherine nimitz lay, his daughter, christened the carrier in may 1972. A companion to the authors earlier book on the nimitz class aircraft carriers, this book covers the earlier supercarriers built during the cold war, the four forrestal and four kitty hawk class carriers and the nuclearpowered uss enterprise, the last of which was retired in 2012. The lead ship of the class is named after world war ii united states pacific fleet commander fleet admiral chester w. The united states fields the most powerful naval force on the planet and its largest collection of aircraft carriers. The plot revolves around a nuclear torpedo attacks on a made up aircraft carrier. Nimitz class is a naval thriller published in 1997 by patrick robinson. Nimitz class aircraft carrier cvn 68 info, budgetcosts. Was the nimitzclass a predecessor of the mirandaclass.
Its surveillance gear can track every target within thousands of square milesin the air, on the surface, and under the sea. In the nimitz case, rcoh lasted three years, concluding in june 2011. Its a nimitzclass nuclear carrier, the most powerful weapons system on the planet. Patrick robinson has 59 books on goodreads with 155357 ratings. The cvn 78 mission is to provide credible, sustainable, independent forward presence during peacetime without access to land bases. Its a nimitz class nuclear carrier, the most powerful weapons system on the planet. Uss nimitz cvn68 is a supercarrier of the united states navy, and the lead ship of her class. The author has made good use of excellent military advice, particularly about the ways of the british navy. Nimitz class is that rare combination of military thriller and tactical treatise. Another book, like raiders of the reich, that seems to be a cheaper version of another series riding of the success of said other series. In a scenario rendered with terrifying plausibility, the nimitz class aircraft carrier thomas jefferson, on station in the arabian sea, surrounded by its battle group of cruisers, destroyers and. The uss nimitz cvn68, the name ship of the most numerous class of aircraft carriers since the world war iiera essex, was laid down in 1968. What will become of the wasp and nimitz class ships once the. Also present at that event was thenus president, gerald ford plus over 20,000 other attendees such was the nimitz commissionings significance.
Nimitz kept a collection of communications that grew to more than 4,000 pages. Once the largest and fastest carrier afloat, the big e. Each ship is capable of speeds of 32 knots at full tilt, with a range of nearly 15,000 miles at 15 knots. Robinson tries quite hard in nimitz class to be another tom clancy but what were left with is a rather depthless and uncaptivating novel which at times bordered even cheesy.
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