When the United States' nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is deployed, it carries a full complement of 90 combat aircraft and helicopters. This is why the US Air Force is considered the most powerful in the world. The US possesses 11 such massive aircraft carriers. In addition, it has amphibious assault ships, which operate fast jets. It should come as no surprise that the US operates the most combat aircraft globally, and these aircraft are capable of striking from very long distances.
USS George Washington
The USS George Washington is a sixth-generation aircraft carrier. It is the fourth US Navy ship named after the first US president, George Washington. The early history of the USS Washington is largely uneventful. However, following the September 11th attacks, the carrier was deployed to defend New York City. From August 2017, the USS George Washington has been undergoing a four-year refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH), expected to be completed by August 2021.
USS Abraham Lincoln
The USS Abraham Lincoln is a fifth-generation aircraft carrier. This ship is the second naval vessel named after President Lincoln. For the first time, the USS Abraham Lincoln saw action during Operation Desert Shield/Storm in the early 1990s. Throughout the 1990s, it was deployed multiple times for operations in the Middle East. More recently, in May 2019, the USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Middle East as the flagship for Carrier Strike Group 12, with Carrier Air Wing Seven assigned to support it.
USS Wasp
The USS Wasp is a multi-purpose amphibious assault ship and landing helicopter dock (LHD), and is the lead ship of its class. The Wasp and her sister ships were specifically designed to accommodate new Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) for rapid troop movement ashore. Furthermore, it can operate Harrier II (AV-8B) vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jets, providing close air support for the assault force. Additionally, the USS Wasp can accommodate a full range of naval and Marine Corps helicopters, conventional landing craft, and amphibious vehicles.
USS Theodore Roosevelt
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is a fourth-generation aircraft carrier and is still operational. Authorization for the construction of the USS Theodore Roosevelt was first granted in 1976, but it was canceled and the ship did not begin construction until 1981. It was the first aircraft carrier assembled using modular construction techniques. Since its maiden voyage in 1984, the USS Theodore Roosevelt has been deployed during the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and numerous other campaigns.
USS Essex
The USS Essex is the second oldest Wasp-class amphibious assault ship and the fifth ship named after Essex County, Massachusetts, in the US Navy. Commissioned in 1992, the USS Essex made its first deployment in 1994 to prepare for the complex task of covering the withdrawal of the UN multinational force from Somalia in Operation United Shield. The Essex served as the command ship for Expeditionary Strike Group Seven until its replacement by the USS Bonhomme Richard on April 23, 2012. More recently, in 2018, the USS Essex was deployed to the US Central Command area of operations.
Giuseppe Garibaldi
The Giuseppe Garibaldi is the oldest active non-American aircraft carrier. Named after General Giuseppe Garibaldi, this Italian aircraft carrier was the first deck aviation vessel built for the Italian Navy and the first Italian ship designed to operate fixed-wing aircraft. The Giuseppe Garibaldi GE is powered by four Fiat COGAG gas turbines, licensed under the GE, providing a continuous power output of 81,000 hp (60 MW). Over the years, this aircraft carrier has been involved in combat air operations in Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Libya.
USS Carl Vinson
The USS Carl Vinson is another Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that has been in service for many decades. The ship was named after Carl Vinson, a Georgia congressman credited with expanding the US Navy during the 20th century. The USS Carl Vinson embarked on its maiden voyage in 1983, which was an eight-month world cruise. It has operated in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, South China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.
The USS Carl Vinson was deployed during Operation Desert Strike, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Enduring Freedom, and has been the site of several significant events, including the use of the ship to bury the body of Osama bin Laden at sea.
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, nicknamed Ike, was the second Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and the third nuclear-powered vessel built. Like the USS Nimitz, the USS Eisenhower's first deployment was to the Mediterranean Sea. Since commissioning, the Dwight D. Eisenhower has participated in deployments, including Operation Eagle Claw during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980, as well as the Gulf War in the 1990s, and more recently in support of US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower serves as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 10.
