List of aircraft carrier classes of the United States Navy

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On November 14, 1910, pilot Eugene Burton Ely took off in a Curtiss plane from the bow of Birmingham and later landed a Curtiss Model D on Pennsylvania on January 18, 1911. In fiscal year (FY) 1920, Congress approved a conversion of collier Jupiter into a ship designed for launching and recovering of airplanes at sea—the first aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. More aircraft carriers were approved and built, including Ranger, the first class of aircraft carriers in the United States Navy designed and built as aircraft carriers from the keel.

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The United States declared war on Japan following the attack of December 7, 1941 on Pearl Harbor. The two nations revolutionized naval warfare in the course of the next four years; several of the most important sea battles were fought without either fleet coming within sight of the other. Most of the fleet carriers were built according to prewar designs, [1] but the demand for air protection was so intense that two new classes were developed: light carriers (designated CVL), built on modified cruiser hulls, and escort carriers (CVE), whose main function was to protect Atlantic convoys from German U-boats.

During the postwar period, carrier technology made many advances. The angled flight deck was adopted in 1955. The first "supercarrier" was commissioned in 1955 (although an earlier plan had been canceled by the Secretary of Defense), and the first nuclear-powered carrier in 1961, all during the Cold War. Also, a record for crossing the Pacific Ocean was set by a U.S. Navy carrier during the Korean War. Carriers recovered spacecraft after splashdown, including the Mercury-Redstone 3 and Apollo 11 missions.

The lead ship of a new class, the Gerald R. Ford class, was launched in 2013 and was commissioned in 2017. The last conventionally powered (non-nuclear) US Navy carrier was decommissioned in 2007.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Pre–World War II

On November 14, 1910, a 24‑year‑old civilian pilot, Eugene Burton Ely, took off in a 50  horsepower Curtiss plane from a wooden platform built over the bow of the cruiser Birmingham; later, on January 18, 1911, Ely landed a Curtiss Model D on a platform aboard Pennsylvania. [2] The Naval Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1920 provided funds for the conversion of Jupiter into a ship designed for the launching and recovery of airplanes at sea—the United States Navy's first aircraft carrier. [2] Renamed Langley, she was commissioned in 1922. Commander Kenneth Whiting was placed in command. [2] In 1924, Langley reported for duty with the Battle Fleet, ending two years as an experimental ship. [2]

In 1922, Congress also authorized the conversion of the unfinished battlecruisers Lexington and the Saratoga as permitted under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, signed in February 1922. [2] The keel of Ranger, the first American ship designed and constructed as an aircraft carrier, was laid down in 1931, and the ship was commissioned in 1934. [2]

Following Ranger and before the entry of the United States into World War II, four more carriers were commissioned. Wasp was essentially an improved version of Ranger. The others were the three ships of the Yorktown class. [3]

DesignationClassShipsActiveDescriptionLead Ship
CV-1 [4] Langley [4]
1 [4]
1922 – 1936 [4] Converted from USS Jupiter. [2] Experimental ship, served 1925–36 as an aircraft carrier before being converted to a seaplane tender and given the new hull symbol AV-3. [2] USS Langley (CV-1).jpg
CV-2 Lexington
2
1927 – 1946The ships were laid down and partly built as part of a six-member battlecruiser class before being converted to carriers while under construction. USS Lexington (CV-2) launching Martin T4M torpedo planes, in 1931 (NH 82117).jpg
CV-4 [5] Ranger [5]
1 [5]
1934 – 1946 [5] First purpose-built US Navy aircraft carrier. [5] USS Ranger (CV-4) underway at sea during the later 1930s.jpg
CV-5 [6] Yorktown [6]
3 [6]
1937 – 1947 [6] [7] Hornet was built after Wasp. [6] By the end of September 1942, both Yorktown and Hornet were on the bottom of the Pacific; USS Enterprise, the orphaned sister of the class, became a symbol of the Pacific War. [6] USS Yorktown.jpg
CV-7 [6] Wasp [6]
1 [6]
1940 – 1942 [6] Modified Yorktown class, built on 3,000 fewer tons to use up allotted tonnage under the Washington Naval Treaty. [6] USS Wasp (CV-7).jpg

World War II

The Imperial Japanese Navy struck Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but none of the Pacific Fleet's aircraft carriers were in the harbor. [8] Because a large fraction of the navy's battleship fleet was put out of commission by the attack, the undamaged aircraft carriers were forced to become the load-bearers of the early part of the war.[ citation needed ] The first aircraft carrier offensive of the U.S. Navy came on February 1, 1942, when the carriers Enterprise and Yorktown, attacked the Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. [8] The Battle of the Coral Sea became the first sea battle in history in which neither opposing fleet saw the other.[ citation needed ] The Battle of Midway started as a Japanese offensive on Midway Atoll met by an outnumbered U.S. carrier force, and resulted in a U.S. victory. [8] The Battle of Midway was the turning point in the Pacific War. [8]

In 1943, new designations for carriers were established, limiting the CV designation to USS Saratoga, USS Enterprise, and the Essex class. [9] The new designations were CVB (Aircraft carrier, large) for the 45,000 long tons (46,000 t) carriers being built, and CVL (Aircraft carriers, small) for the 10,000 long tons (10,000 t) class built on light cruiser hulls. [9] The same directive reclassified escort carriers as combatant ships, and changed their symbol from ACV to CVE. [9] By the end of the war, the Navy had access to around 100 carriers of varying sizes.

On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the surrender agreement aboard USS Missouri, ending World War II. [10]

DesignationClassShipsActiveDescriptionLead Ship
CV-9 Essex
24
1942 – 1991This class constituted the 20th century's largest class of heavy warships, with 24 ships built. [11] 32 ships were originally ordered, but some were cancelled.[ citation needed ] (Some sources consider the 13 ships of the Ticonderoga class a separate class or "long hull" variants of the Essex class, and Oriskany a one-ship class). USS Essex (CV-9) underway on 20 May 1945.jpg
CVL-22 Independence [12]
9 [12]
1943 – 1970 [12] [13] This class was a result of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt 's interest in Navy shipbuilding plans. [12] In August 1941, with war looming, he noted that no new fleet aircraft carriers were expected before 1944 and proposed to quickly convert some of the many cruisers then building. [12] USS Independence CVL-22.jpg

Training ships

During World War II, the United States Navy purchased two Great Lakes side-wheel paddle steamers and converted them into freshwater aircraft carrier training ships. Both vessels were designated with the hull classification symbol IX and lacked hangar decks, elevators or armaments. The role of these ships was for the training of pilots for carrier take-offs and landings.[ citation needed ] Together Sable and Wolverine trained 17,820 pilots in 116,000 carrier landings. [14]

DesignationClassShipsActiveDescriptionLead Ship
IX-64 Wolverine 11942–1945Former Great Lakes paddle steamer Seeandbee converted for aircraft takeoff and landing training USS Wolverine (IX-64) Lake Michigan 1943.jpg
IX-81 Sable 11943–1945Former Great Lakes paddle steamer Greater Buffalo converted for aircraft takeoff and landing training USS Sable (IX-81).jpg

Cold War

Aircraft carrier technology underwent many changes during the Cold War. The first of the 45,000-ton carriers, USS Midway was commissioned eight days after the end of World War II, on September 10. [15] A larger ship was planned, and in 1948, President Harry Truman approved the construction of a "supercarrier", a 65,000-ton aircraft carrier to be named USS United States; however, the project was canceled in April 1949 by the Secretary of Defense. [15] The Navy's first supercarriers came later, in 1955, with the Forrestal class. [16] 1953 saw the first test of an angled-deck carrier, USS Antietam. [17]

The "N" suffix was added to the designation system to represent nuclear powered carriers in 1956. [17] The first carrier to receive this suffix was USS Enterprise, commissioned in 1961. [18] The last conventionally powered carrier, USS John F. Kennedy, was commissioned in 1968 and was decommissioned in 2007.

The Korean War began June 25, 1950, and the need for planes and troops was urgent. [17] Returning from Korea, USS Boxer made a record trip across the Pacific—7 days, 10 hours, and 36 minutes. [17] In 1952, all carriers with designations "CV" or "CVB" were reclassified as attack carriers and given the sign "CVA". [17]

As the Mercury-Redstone 3 mission ended, USS Lake Champlain recovered Commander Alan B. Shepard, the first American in space, on May 5, 1961. [19] Another aircraft carrier USS Hornet, recovered the Apollo 11 astronauts after their splashdown. [20] Apollo 11 was the first human landing mission to the moon, and was composed of astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. [21]

In 1975, the first Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was commissioned; the Nimitz class were the largest warships in the world until the commissioning of their replacements, the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. [22] Construction and commissioning of the Nimitz class continued after the Cold War. [23]

Also, in 1975, the U.S. Navy simplified the carrier designations—CV, CVA, CVAN, CVB, CVL—into CV for conventionally powered carriers and CVN for nuclear-powered carriers. [24]

DesignationClassShipsActiveDescriptionLead Ship
CV-41 [25] Midway [25]
3 [25]
1945 – 1992 [25] This class was one of the longest lived carrier designs in history. First commissioned in late 1945, the lead ship of the class, USS Midway was not decommissioned until 1992, shortly after seeing service in the Gulf War. [25] Six were planned; three were built including USS Coral Sea and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. [25] The class was originally designated CVB. [25] USS Midway (CVB-41) after commissioning.jpg
CVL-48 [26] Saipan [26]
2 [26]
1946 – 1970 [26] Built on modified Baltimore-class cruiser hulls. [26] Both were converted to command-and-control ships in the mid-1950s: Saipan to USS Arlington (AGMR-2), Wright to CC-2. [26] USS Saipan (CVL-48) at sea with helicopters embarked, circa in 1955 (NH 67747).jpg
CVA-58 United States
1 keel
None commissionedThis class was never commissioned (3 more were planned). See Revolt of the Admirals for details. Artist's impression of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS United States (CVA-58) in October 1948.jpg
CV-59 [16] Forrestal [16]
4 [16]
1955 – 1998 [16] The Forrestal class was the first class of "supercarriers" of the Navy, so called because of their then-extraordinarily high tonnage (75,000 tons, 25% larger than the Midway class), and full integration of the angled deck. [16] [25] USS Forrestal (CV-59) underway at sea in 1987 (NH 97657-KN).jpg
CV-63 [27] Kitty Hawk [27]
3 [27]
1961 – 2009 [28] Sometimes called "Improved Forrestal class". [29] Sometimes mistaken as a four-ship class, with USS John F. Kennedy (see below) as a member. The biggest differences from the Forrestals are greater length, and a different placement of starboard elevators; two are forward of the island, with a third at the portside stern. This class includes USS America. US Navy 060526-N-8591H-164 USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) departs Yokosuka, Japan, to conduct sea trials in the Western Pacific Ocean.jpg
CVN-65 [18] Enterprise [18]
1 [22]
1961 [30] – 2012First nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, using eight A2W reactors. [31] Enlarged, modified, and nuclear-powered Kitty Hawk-class design. [31] Six ships of this class were planned, only the lead ship was constructed. Enterprise had been in active operational service for 51 years, longer than any combatant ship in American history. Enterprise Cruising.JPG
CV-67 [32] John F. Kennedy [32]
1 [32]
1968 – 2007 [32] [33] Last conventionally powered aircraft carrier built (as of 2013). Sometimes grouped as a Kitty Hawk-class ship.[ citation needed ] Laid down as a nuclear ship to use four A3W reactors, converted to conventional propulsion early in construction. [34] USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) departs Naval Station Mayport on 11 November 2003.jpg
CVN-68 [22] Nimitz [22] 1975 – Present [22] A line of nuclear-powered supercarriers in service with the US Navy using two A4W reactors, and the largest capital ships in the world. [22] The Nimitz class are numbered with consecutive hull numbers starting with CVN-68. [22] Ten ships are in the class as of 2009. [22] [23] USS Nimitz 1997.jpg

After the Cold War

When the Cold War ended in 1991, the U.S. Navy had conventionally powered carriers from the Midway, Forrestal, and Kitty Hawk classes active, along with USS John F. Kennedy; and the nuclear Nimitz class and USS Enterprise; however, all of the conventional carriers have been decommissioned. [16] [22] [25] [28] [30] [32] Construction of the Nimitz-class continued after the Cold War, and the last Nimitz-class carrier, USS George H.W. Bush, was commissioned in 2009. [23]

The next class of supercarriers—the Gerald R. Ford class—launched the first ship in 2017. [35] The new carriers will be stealthier, and feature A1B reactors, electromagnetic catapults, advanced arresting gear, reduced crew requirements, and a hull design based upon that of the Nimitz class. [35] [36] Ten carriers are planned for the Gerald R. Ford class. [35]

DesignationClassShipsActiveDescriptionLead ship
CVN-78 [35] Gerald R. Ford [35]
1 (9 more planned) [37]
2017–present [38] The next generation supercarrier for the United States Navy. [35] Carriers of the Gerald R. Ford class will incorporate many new design features including a new nuclear reactor design, stealthier features to help reduce radar profile, electromagnetic catapults, advanced arresting gear, and reduced crewing requirements. [35] [36] The Gerald R. Ford class uses the basic hull design of the preceding Nimitz class. [35] Ten ships are currently planned for the Gerald R. Ford class. [35] Bow view of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) underway on 8 April 2017.JPG

Escort carriers

During World War II, the U.S. Navy built escort carriers in large numbers for patrol work, and scouting and escorting convoys. [39] Escort carriers, based on merchant ship hulls, were smaller than aircraft carriers; escort carrier crews referred to the ships as "Jeep carriers", the press called them "baby flat tops". [39] The escort carriers had lighter armor than aircraft carriers, were slower, had less defensive armament, and less aircraft capacity compared to aircraft carriers. [39] This smaller variant of carriers was designated "CVE"; a common joke amongst crews was "CVE" meant "Combustible, Vulnerable and Expendable". [39]

Early in the war, German submarines and aircraft were interfering with shipping. [39] The worst losses occurred far at sea—out of the reach of land-based air forces—leading the Royal Navy to experiment with catapult-launching fighter aircraft from merchant ships, a somewhat successful approach. [39] However, the number of planes was still limited, so the United Kingdom appealed to the United States for help. [39]

Before World War II started, the U.S. Navy had contemplated converting merchant ships to small aircraft carriers for this purpose, so the quick solution was to build escort carriers on merchant ship hulls. [39] The first escort carrier, USS Long Island, was converted from a freighter. [39] A shortage of merchant ship hulls caused four escort carriers—USS Sangamon, USS Suwanee, USS Chenango, and USS Santee—to be built on oil tanker hulls. [39] In total, 78 escort carriers were built and launched from June 1941 to April 1945. [39]

DesignationClassShipsDescriptionLead ship
CVE-1 [40] Long Island [40] 2 [40] One ship, USS Long Island, in USN service, the other, HMS Archer, in the RN. [40] USS Long Island (CVE-1) underway on 10 June 1944.jpg
CVE-9 Bogue 4534 in RN service; 11 were Attacker class and 23 were Ruler class. The other 11 ships were in USN service. USS Bogue ACV-9.jpg
CVE-26 Sangamon 4All in USN service. Built on oil tanker hulls rather than merchant ship hulls. [39] Uss sangamon CVE-26.jpg
CVE-30 Charger 4One ship, USS Charger, mainly in USN service, the other three in RN service as the Avenger class. USS Charger CVE-30.jpg
CVE-55 Casablanca 50All in USN service. Cve-55a.jpg
CVE-105 Commencement Bay 19All in USN service. Includes two units which were accepted but not commissioned and laid up for many years after the war. USS Commencement Bay (CVE-105) c1944.jpeg

See also

Related Research Articles

The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the United States Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II. They were typically half the length and a third the displacement of larger fleet carriers, slower, more-lightly armed and armored, and carried fewer planes. Escort carriers were most often built upon a commercial ship hull, so they were cheaper and could be built quickly. This was their principal advantage as they could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce. However, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable, and several were sunk with great loss of life. The light carrier was a similar concept to the escort carrier in most respects, but was fast enough to operate alongside fleet carriers.

The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol to identify their ships by type and by individual ship within a type. The system is analogous to the pennant number system that the Royal Navy and other European and Commonwealth navies use.

USS <i>George H.W. Bush</i> US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is the tenth and final Nimitz-class supercarrier of the United States Navy. She is named for the 41st President of the United States and former Director of Central Intelligence George H. W. Bush, who was a naval aviator during World War II. The vessel's callsign is Avenger, after the TBM Avenger aircraft flown by then-Lieutenant George H. W. Bush in World War II. Construction began in 2003 at Northrop Grumman, in Newport News, Virginia and was completed in 2009 at a cost of $6.2 billion. Her home port is Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

<i>Nimitz</i>-class aircraft carrier US Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier class

The Nimitz class is a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. The lead ship of the class is named after World War II United States Pacific Fleet commander Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who was the last living U.S. Navy officer to hold the rank. With an overall length of 1,092 ft (333 m) and a full-load displacement of over 100,000 long tons (100,000 t), the Nimitz-class ships were the largest warships built and in service until USS Gerald R. Ford entered the fleet in 2017.

USS <i>Enterprise</i> (CVN-65) Decommissioned United States Navy aircraft carrier

USS Enterprise (CVN-65), formerly CVA(N)-65, is a decommissioned United States Navy aircraft carrier. In 1958, she was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth United States naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed "Big E". At 1,123 feet (342 m), she is the longest naval vessel ever built and the only ship of a class that was originally planned to have five other ships. Her 93,284-long-ton (94,781 t) displacement ranks her class as the third largest carrier class, after the Nimitz class and the Gerald R. Ford class. Enterprise had a crew of some 4,600 service members.

<i>Yorktown</i>-class aircraft carrier US Navy aircraft carrier class

The Yorktown class was a class of three aircraft carriers built for the United States Navy and completed shortly before World War II, the Yorktown (CV-5), Enterprise (CV-6), and Hornet (CV-8). They immediately followed Ranger, the first U.S. aircraft carrier built as such, and benefited in design from experience with Ranger and the earlier Lexington class, which were conversions into carriers of two battlecruisers that were to be scrapped to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty, an arms limitation accord.

<i>Midway</i>-class aircraft carrier Class of American aircraft carriers

The Midway-class was a class of three United States Navy aircraft carriers. The lead ship, USS Midway, was commissioned in September 1945 and decommissioned in 1992. USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was commissioned in October 1945, and taken out of service in 1977. USS Coral Sea was commissioned in April 1947, and decommissioned in 1990.

<i>Gerald R. Ford</i>-class aircraft carrier Class of supercarriers for the U.S. Navy

The Gerald R. Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are currently being constructed for the United States Navy, which intends to eventually acquire ten of these ships in order to replace current carriers on a one-for-one basis, starting with the lead ship of her class, Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), replacing Enterprise (CVN-65), and later the Nimitz-class carriers. The new vessels have a hull similar to the Nimitz class, but they carry technologies since developed with the CVN(X)/CVN-21 program, such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, including sailing with smaller crews. This class of aircraft carriers is named after former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford. CVN-78 was procured in 2008 and commissioned into service on 22 July 2017. The second ship of the class, John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), is scheduled to enter service in 2025.

<i>Independence</i>-class aircraft carrier Light aircraft carrier class of the US Navy

The Independence-class aircraft carriers were a class of light carriers built for the United States Navy that served during World War II.

The names of commissioned ships of the United States Navy all start with USS, for United States Ship. Non-commissioned, primarily civilian-crewed vessels of the U.S. Navy under the Military Sealift Command have names that begin with USNS, standing for United States Naval Ship. A letter-based hull classification symbol is used to designate a vessel's type. The names of ships are selected by the Secretary of the Navy. The names are those of states, cities, towns, important persons, important locations, famous battles, fish, and ideals. Usually, different types of ships have names originated from different types of sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Air Wing Nine</span> Military unit

Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Air Wing is currently assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). The Tail Code of aircraft assigned to CVW-9 is NG.

USS <i>Gerald R. Ford</i> Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is an aircraft carrier for the United States Navy and the lead ship of her class. The ship is named after the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, whose World War II naval service included combat duty aboard the light aircraft carrier Monterey in the Pacific Theater.

United States ship naming conventions for the U.S. Navy were established by congressional action at least as early as 1862. Title 13, section 1531, of the U.S. Code, enacted in that year, reads, in part,

The vessels of the Navy shall be named by the Secretary of the Navy under direction of the President according to the following rule: Sailing-vessels of the first class shall be named after the States of the Union, those of the second class after the rivers, those of the third class after the principal cities and towns and those of the fourth class as the President may direct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Air Wing Six</span> Military unit

Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing whose operational history spans from the middle of World War II to the end of the Cold War. Established in 1943 as Carrier Air Group Seventeen (CVG-17), it would be re-designated several times during its establishment, including Carrier Air Group Six (CVG-6) as the second unit to be so designated. The first Carrier Air Group Six served for just over two years during World War II, but drew on the history of the Enterprise Air Group established in 1938 and active in the early battles of the Pacific War, being disestablished after the first year of the conflict. During its time in USS Enterprise (CV-6), it was the Navy's only carrier-based air group to carry out three complete tours of duty during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 11</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 11 is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is the strike group's current flagship. Other units currently assigned to the group include the cruisers USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and USS Princeton (CG-59), and Destroyer Squadron 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 5</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The Strike Group Flagship is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) which also embarks Strike Warfare Commander, Carrier Air Wing Five and its nine squadrons. As of June 2015, CSG 5 includes three Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Destroyer Squadron Fifteen, which serves as the Sea Combat Commander and is responsible for seven assigned Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

<i>Essex</i>-class aircraft carrier 1940s class of aircraft carrier of the United States Navy

The Essex class was a class of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. The 20th century's most numerous class of capital ship, the class consisted of 24 vessels, which came in "short-hull" and "long-hull" versions. Thirty-two ships were ordered, but as World War II wound down, six were canceled before construction, and two were canceled after construction had begun. Fourteen saw combat during World War II. None were lost to enemy action, though several sustained crippling damage. Essex-class carriers were the backbone of the U.S. Navy from mid-1943 and, with the three Midway-class carriers added just after the war, continued to be the heart of U.S. naval strength until supercarriers joined the fleet in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Several of the carriers were rebuilt to handle heavier and faster aircraft of the early jet age, and some served until well after the Vietnam War.

References

  1. ↑ The first fleet carrier to follow the Essex class, USS Midway, was not commissioned in time to participate in the war.
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  14. ↑ "The Greater Buffalo & The U.S.S. Sable". WNY Heritage Press. 2005. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
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  20. ↑ "Danville man documents Apollo 11 splashdown". Danville Weekly. Embarcadero Publishing Company. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
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  29. ↑ "Improved Forrestal Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier". Military-Today.com. ARG. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  30. 1 2 "CVN-65 Enterprise". fas.org. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  31. 1 2 "USS Enterprise Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier". Military-Today.com. ARG. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 "CV-67 John F. Kennedy". fas.org. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  33. ↑ ""Big John" Decommissioned After 38 Years of Service". navy.mil. Department of the Navy. March 24, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  34. ↑ "CV67 – USS John F. Kennedy". tech.military.com. monster. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "CVN 78 Gerald R Ford Class – US Navy CVN 21 Future Carrier Programme". naval-technology.com. SPG Media Group Ltd. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
  36. 1 2 "CVN 78". nn.northropgrumman.com. Northrop Grumman Newport News. Archived from the original on June 12, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
  37. ↑ "Navy awards $3.4 billion contract to Huntington Ingalls to build Ford-class aircraft carrier". www.militaryaerospace.com. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  38. ↑ "Naval Vessel Register - USS GERALD R FORD (CVN 78)". www.nvr.navy.mil. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  39. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Germinsky, CE1 Robert A. "A Brief History of U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers The Escort Carriers". A Brief History of U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers. Department of the Navy. Retrieved June 6, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  40. 1 2 3 4 Fahey, James C (1945). The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. United States Naval Institute (Victory ed.). 1265 Broadway, NY 1, NY: Ships and Aircraft.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
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