Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carriers

The stats and numbers that surround the Nimitz class are simply staggering. They cost billions of dollars, are over 300 meters long, 40 meters wide, displace over 100,000 tons, can carry up to 85 aircraft, can operate for 20 years without refueling and carry over 5,000 men and women – making the Nimitz class one of the most spectacular feats of naval engineering, and one of the most awesome sights in military history.

The Nimitz class aircraft carrier is the ultimate symbol of the United States superpower status. A true behemoth, this is an unsurpassed weapons platform that overshadows all of its nearest rivals. This book looks at the development and deployment of the nuclear-powered Nimitz class aircraft carriers from 1975 onwards.The Nimitz class aircraft carrier is the ultimate symbol of the United States superpower status. A true behemoth, this is an unsurpassed weapons platform that overshadows all of its nearest rivals. A history of the world's largest aircraft carriers, with runways over 300 meters long, this book looks at the development and deployment of the nuclear-powered Nimitz class aircraft carriers from 1975 when the USS Nimitz, the lead ship of the class, was commissioned, to the present day. All of the class are still operational and the tenth and last of the class, the USS George H. W. Bush, was commissioned in 2009. Here, Brad Elward provides a detailed overview of their design and development, highlighting their unique features, from jet blast deflectors to cutting edge radar systems, and a history of the Nimitz class in service, from deployment in the Gulf during Operation Desert Storm, through to the enforcement of the no fly zone over Bosnia.