AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

 

 

 

 

 

On September 11, 2001, the USS Enterprise was cruising the Indian Ocean when news broke that the World Trade Center and Pentagon had been hit by hijacked airplanes.  The aircraft carrier was immediately turned around towards the Middle East, and for weeks carried out air raids on the terrorist cells believed to have carried out the attack. When it comes to military might, America's greatest weapon is its large fleet of aircraft carriers that patrol the world and can respond to incidents in a matter of hours from international waters.  No other country in the world maintains a fleet as large as the U.S., giving America no uncertain advantage. There are currently 10 supercarriers in commission, two under construction and another in planning. The few countries that can afford to invest in aircraft carriers usually maintain just one - at the most two.  See how America's aircraft carriers have changed over the years, from one of the first launched in 1920 to the modern super carrier.    +24 The US Navy's first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley, with eight warplanes on deck, during a show of naval strength off Baltimore. The aircraft carrier was completed in 1920  +24 Cruiser USS Santa Fe alongside Essex class aircraft carrier USS Franklin after it was hit by a Japanese divebomber, resulting in the death of 724 sailors in March 1945 +24 Some of the 3,700 sailor crew and passengers covering the flight deck of the USS Saratoga as she sails out of the fog towards the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco on September 13 1945 +24 The American aircraft carrier USS Midway pictured off Okinawa during qualification trials in 1951. +24 The USS Saipan pictured above in 1956. The Tawana-class carrier was decommissioned in 1977 and scrapped for metal  +24 The USS Princeton aircraft carrier pictured off the coast of Seattle, Washington above. The Princeton was sunk in World War II  +24 The USS Independence aircraft carrier pictured above. The Independence was used during World War II and later used as a target in nuclear testing  +24 The USS Hornet aircraft carrier. The Essex-class carrier has since been turned into a museum in Alameda, California  +24 A flight deck crewman (left) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger signals as a skyraider is placed on a catapult; other crewmen make final checks, March 24, 1965 +24 An image of the Aircraft Carrier USS Wasp burning after being struck by three torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-19 in the Coral Sea, September 15, 1942 +24 View of flight crews around a pair of Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter planes onboard an unidentified aircraft carrier (possibly the USS Ranger) in the early 1940s  +24 Aircrew from the USS John F Kennedy are lifted from the flight deck during Special Purpose Insertion/Extraction (SPIE) exercise on February 26, 2002 +24 An HH-60H Seahawk assigned to the 'Nightdippers' of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Five (HS-5) crosses the bow of the USS John F Kennedy as it enters the Mediterranean Sea on February 23, 2002 +24 The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) cruises off the coast of San Diego while conducting routine carrier operations on November 10, 2005 +24 Lightning storms rage over the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as the ship transits the Arabain Gulf on March 28, 2007 +24 In this handout image provided by the U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) departs Yokosuka, Japan for the final time on May, 28, 2008 +24 The former aircraft carrier USS Saratoga prepares for her final voyage from Newport Naval Station to a dismantling facility in Brownsville, Texas on August 21, 2014 +24 he aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on August 3, 2014 after participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise. RIMPAC is the world's largest international maritime exercise and takes place in and around the Hawaiian Islands +24 A shooter launches an F/A-18E Hornet assigned to the Thunderbolts of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 251 from catapult two aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise on September 26, 2012. +24 The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt departs Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment  on Tuesday March 11, 2015 +24 Sailors and Marines man the rails aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) on March 11, 2015 as the ship departs her homeport in Norfolk for an around-the-world deployment to their new homeport in San Diego. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group will conduct operations in the U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility +24 The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) departs Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment on March 11, 2015 +24 The decommissioned Forrestal-class aircraft carrier ex-Ranger (CV 61) is towed away from Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton on March 5, 2015. Ranger is being towed to Brownsville, Texas, for dismantling +24 A rainbow forms over the bow of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) on February 3, 2015   America's first 'super carrier' USS Forrestal where 134 men lost their lives in tragic 1967 fire is sold for ONE CENT and will be turned into scrap after museums refuse to take it The decommissioned USS Forrestal was snapped up for the bargain price by Texas company All Star Metals on Tuesday All 1,067-feet of the ship will be dismantled, scrapped and recycled once it is towed from the Navy's inactive ship facility in Philadelphia to the company's facility in Texas later this year Some 16,000 engineers, draftsmen and builders worked on the ship which cost $217 million - or $2 billion in today's dollars - to build in 1954 On July 29, 1967, a stray voltage triggered a rocket to launch from an F-4 Phantom on the flight deck, which sparked fires that killed 134 men The U.S. Navy has sold the nation's first ever 'supercarrier,' USS Forrestal, for a mere penny. The decommissioned aircraft carrier, aboard which 134 sailors died in a series of explosions and a massive fire in 1967, was snapped up for the bargain price by Texas company All Star Metals. All 1,067 foot of the ship will be dismantled, scrapped and recycled once it is towed from the Navy's inactive ship facility in Philadelphia to the company's facility in Texas later this year, the Navy announced. Sold: The Navy has sold the nation's first ever 'supercarrier,' USS Forrestal, pictured in 2010, for a mere penny All Star Metals: The decommissioned aircraft carrier, pictured in 2010, was snapped up for the bargain price by Texas company All Star Metals According to Fox News, more than 16,000 engineers, draftsmen and builders worked on the ship which cost an estimated $217 million - or $2 billion in today's dollars - to build. It launched on December 11, 1954. The ship - named after the former Navy secretary and the first U.S. Secretary of Defense, James Forrestal - was in the Gulf of Tonkin for the Vietnam War effort. On the morning of July 29, 1967, a stray voltage triggered a rocket to launch from an F-4 Phantom on the flight deck and struck an armed A-4 Skyhawk - piloted by a young Lt. Cmdr. John S. McCain III. Expensive: The ship, pictured in 1954 when it was launched, cost an estimated $217 million - or $2 billion in today's dollars - to build Crowd: A crowd of some 3,000 persons gathered for the launching ceremonies of the USS Forrestal, pictured in 1954 Big job: More than 16,000 engineers, draftsmen and builders worked on the ship, pictured left and right On the high seas: The aircraft carrier USS Forrestal, pictured, was used for jet plane training exercises in the Caribbean in March 1956 before sailing to the Mediterranean to join the U.S. Sixth Fleet The rocket ruptured the fuel tanks of the plane, sparking a chain reaction of fires and explosions on the deck, which was full of fueled up, parked aircrafts. The crew fought the blaze on the flight deck for an hour, but other fires continued into the next day. In the aftermath, 134 men were killed and more than 300 injured. The ship was heavily damaged, and more than 26 aircraft were destroyed and another 30 damaged. The devastating fire, however, prompted changes to the way the Navy handles damage control and helped improve disaster training. It took seven months of repairs in the shipyard before the supercarrier was fit to return to sea, where it remained for two more decades. Horror day: USS Forrestal suffered heavy damage on July 29, 1967 when fire engulfing the ship exploded bombs and rockets of aircraft, killing 134 men Ship: The remarkable supercarrier is pictured left and right in 1956 However, the ship's rich history and nearly four decades of service are not enough to save it. After it was decommissioned on September 11, 1993 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register, the Navy tried to donate the historic aircraft carrier for use as a memorial or a museum, but no 'viable applications' were received. 'It's something that the Navy is caught between a rock and a hard place,' historian for the USS Forrestal Association and a survivor of the 1967 incident Ken Killmeyer said, according to Fox News. 'They have to have these vessels no matter how big or small they are, and they use them as you would your car until they’re no longer financially viable. So, they decommission them.' The USS Forrestal set off under tow on Tuesday morning for its final voyage from Philadelphia to a scrapping facility in Texas. Pulled by the Foss Marine Towing boat Lauren Foss, the Forrestal was untied from its berth at the former Naval Ship Yard in the pre-dawn darkness and headed down the Delaware River for the start of what is expected to be a 17 to 18-day trip. The Navy has paid one cent under a contract to have the 60-year-old vessel dismantled by All Star Metals in the Gulf port of Brownsville. The decommissioned aircraft carrier Ex-USS Forrestal, pictured in 2010, is now on its final voyage to the scrap heap in Texas The aircraft carrier USS Forrestal, pictured in 1956 undergoing jet plane training exercises in the Caribbean. It embarked on its final voyage today from Philadelphia to be turned into scrap in Texas The USS Forrestal during a shakedown cruise off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1955. The carrier was in service for 38 years before being decommissioned in 1993 Charred Wreckage on deck of USS Forrestal which suffered heavy damage when fire engulfing the ship exploded bombs and rockets of aircraft off the coast of Vietnam in 1967 The Forrestal, the first of the post-World War II supercarriers, was decommissioned September 11, 1993, after more than 38 years of service. The Navy had offered the carrier for use as a museum or memorial but said none of the applications it received was deemed viable. Under its contract with the Navy, All Start Metals assumes all costs of towing, insuring, and dismantling the vessel with the aim of recovering its costs and making a profit through the sale of the scrap. The warship remains the Navy’s property until dismantling is complete. The 1,067-foot ship is perhaps best known for a fire which broke out on board in 1967 while the carrier was on active service in Vietnam. Charred wreckage on deck of USS Forrestal which suffered heavy fire damage when on active service during the Vietnam War A rocket from a fighter jet on board misfired and impacted another plane which was incidentally occupied by future Senator John McCain. Some 134 servicemen were killed in the tragic incident and 161 injured. All Star Metals President Nikhil Shah told Fox today: 'This is the largest ship that we’ve ever dismantled, and the largest ship the U.S. government has ever awarded to be dismantled. It’s a very big job to us.' Mr Shah would not give a specific cost for towing and dismantling the giant boat but said it was millions of dollars. The boat was built in 1954 by more than 16,000 workers and named after James Forrestal, the first U.S. Secretary of Defense. It cost $217 million - the equivalent of $2 billion today. Last-minute construction work is rushed on the U.S. Navy's super-aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Forrestal in 1954. The U.S. Navy craft will now be sold for scrap.

America christens $13billion aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford capable of launching 220 airstrikes a day USS Gerald R. Ford will cost $13Billion when finished Carrier will be equipped to launch 220 airstrikes per day Ship holds 4,000 sailors and marines and is virtually invisible to enemy radar Project faces criticism after becoming beset by delays and cost overruns Navy plans to buy another three carriers, at a cost of $43 billion The US Navy today christened the USS Gerald Ford, costliest and most deadly aircraft carrier ever built. The $13billion warship is the first in the Navy's newest generation of aircraft carriers. It was launched in a grand ceremony Saturday from the Newport News, VA., naval yard. The Ford is expected to stay commissioned for five decades and will enter the fleet in 2016. I christen thee, the USS Gerald Ford: Susan Ford Bales, daughter of former President Gerald R. Ford, right, christens the USS Gerald R. Ford Hooyah!: The USS Gerald Ford has been christened and is ready to move out The giant 1,106-foot USS Gerald R. Ford is be able to launch 220 airstrikes per day from its two runways, hold 4,000 sailors and marines while appearing virtually invisible to enemy radar. 'She is truly a technological marvel,' Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said at the ceremony 'She will carry unmanned aircraft, joint strike fighters, and she will deploy lasers.' The staggering number of airstrikes, about one every six minutes, is capable because the ship's deck uses electromagnetic force to propel the jets forward, according to WTKR. Pressurized steam is used in older ships. Electromagnetic force is used to propel roller coasters, the station noted. The gear used to snag jets as they land will be software controlled, a significant bump from the systems currently used. Pomp and circumstance: It's not everyday the most expensive aircraft carrier ever built is launched All hands on deck: An honor guard of boy scouts from the local area and Michigan welcome visitors for the christening of the USS Gerald R. Ford Soon to be set free: The $13billion ship will soon set sail President Ford's daughter Susan Bales Ford spoke shortly before smashing a champagne bottle on the ship's bow. 'Dad, their message fills this shipyard,' she said. 'You kept your promise. You healed the nation. You gave the American people a president that was a shining beacon of integrity at the helm.' 'And as demonstrated by Capt. (John) Meier and by the crew and by this mighty carrier, the American people are forever grateful to you. And Dad, I'll always be proud,' she added. Other speakers honoring Mr Ford included former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The Ford - with a new nuclear power plant, electromagnetic catapults and an enhanced 5-acre flight deck - will leave dry dock and head to a pier at Newport News Shipbuilding next week. The Navy says construction on the ship is about 70 percent complete and will finish up in 2015. It will then undergo a series of sea trials before it is commissioned and becomes operational. The Navy also plans to buy another three such carriers, at a cost of $43 billion, to complete its fleet. But the project to build the most advanced aircraft carrier every made has come at a high price, with costs overrunning to the tune of nearly $3billion and major delays. Beci Brenton, spokesman for Huntington Ingalls Industries, the maker of the ship, told FoxNews.com: 'The structure has been rearranged to accommodate new technology and meet all of the Navy’s operational requirements. From head to toe: The USS Gerald Ford is decked out in patriotic colors Big day: A massive crowd is on-hand to help dedicate the equally gigantic ship Finishing touches: Workers tend to a few last minute details before the ceremony begins The $13billion USS Gerald R. Ford will be one of the most fearsome weapons in the Pentagon's arsenal Superpower: The new generation of aircraft carriers incorporates a host of top secret technology which is designed to secure dominance of any battlefield Deadly: USS Gerald R. Ford will hold 4,000 sailors and marines and is designed to be virtually invisible to enemy radar The ship’s structure and exterior are now 100 per cent complete, Brenton said. But internal connections and features inside the ship are still being added. The ship began construction in Newport News, Virginia, in 2007, but is unlikely to enter sea trials until 2016. The carrier would be fully capable by February 2019, according to a critical watchdog report. Delays ranging from between two and a half and four and a half years in testing three of the ship’s most important new advances: its dual band radar, arresting gear and the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System that will catapult jets off the carrier have become serious issues. Power: The USS Gerald R. Ford is the new generation of aircraft carriers capable of launching 220 airstrikes a day Rising costs: The USS Gerald R. Ford is expected to cost taxpayers more than £13billion when it is finally completed US Navy's USS Gerald Ford carrier being built in timelapse film New generation: The giant 1,106-foot ship is currently under construction at a dry dock in Newport News, Virginia, but will not be commissioned until 2016 And the spiralling costs come at a time when the Navy is seaching for ways to plug a $14 billion cut in the upcoming fiscal year as a result of the automatic federal budget cuts known as sequestration. The state-of-the-art carrier has provoked strong criticism from some quarters, including the government's own watchdogs. In a report earlier this month the Government Accountability Office wrote: 'Key ship systems face reliability shortfalls that the Navy does not expect to resolve until many years after [Ford] commissioning, which will limit the ship’s mission effectiveness during initial deployments and likely increase costs to the government.' It added: 'The Navy faces technical, design, and construction challenges to completing Gerald R. Ford that have led to significant cost increases.' National security experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Brookings Institution, have also called into question the value of the aircraft in future conflicts. 'I’m not persuaded they’re worth twice what the old carriers cost,' Michael O’Hanlon, of Brookings, told FoxNews.com. Christening: Relatives of former U.S. President Gerald Ford salute a model of a new aircraft carrier named the USS Gerald R. Ford during a naming ceremony at the Pentagon in 2007 State-of-the-art: This graphic illustrates the cutting edge technology in the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier   +8 The laser weapon aboard the USS Ponce, where is was able to shoot boats and drone in exercises +8 Perfect shot! The moment the laser weapon blows up an unmanned boat during tests in the Persian Gulf +8 The weapons was also shown downing a drone with a single blast from its laser 'Our nation's adversaries are pursuing a variety of ways to try and restrict our freedom to operate,' Klunder said. 'Spending about $1 per shot of a directed-energy source that never runs out gives us an alternative to firing costly munitions at inexpensive threats.' As a result of the test, Navy officials said they planned to deploy the weapon into the Middle East for a year aboard the Ponce, allowing sailors to use the system to track potential threats and defend the ship. 'We have the authorities right now to use it in self-defense,' Klunder said. 'If someone was coming to harm the USS Ponce, we could use this laser system on that threat and we would intend to do so.' Navy demonstrates powerful new laser gun aboard USS Ponce The Navy already has demonstrated the effectiveness of lasers in a variety of maritime settings. In a 2011 demonstration, a laser was used to defeat multiple small boat threats from a destroyer. In 2012, LaWS downed several unmanned aircraft in tests. A surface warfare weapons officer aboard USS Ponce who can operate all functions of the laser-and if commanded, fire the laser weapon. Using a video game-like controller, that sailor will be able to manage the laser's power to accomplish a range of effects against a threat, from disabling to complete destruction. +8 Just one controller is need, who uses a game controller to direct and fire the laser weapon +8 To show its accuracy, researchers put a test missile on an unmanned craft - and the laser was able to hit it perfectly The deployment on Ponce will prove crucial as the Navy continues its push to provide laser weapons to the fleet at large. The Navy will decide next year which, if any, of the three industry prototypes are suitable to move forward and begin initial ship installation for further testing. 'We are in the midst of a pivotal transition with a technology that will keep our Sailors and Marines safe and well-defended for years to come,' said Peter Morrison, ONR program manager for SSL-TM. 'We believe the deployment on Ponce and SSL-TM will pave the way for a future acquisition program of record so we can provide this capability across the fleet.' +8 The U.S. Navy is has declared an experimental laser weapon on its Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) in the Persian Gulf an operational asset and U.S. Central Command has given permission for the commander of the ship to defend itself with the weapon. +8 The USS Ponce, where the radical weapon is being tested by the US Navy