747400sp From United States, joined Aug 2003, 1888 posts, RR: 2 Posted (3 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 1380 times:
The USS Enterprise CVN-65 strike group deployed this week. At the age of 45 the USS Enterprise is still going strong. It is good to see this old girl still plowing though the seas. May God be with her and her whole strike group.
JarheadK5 From United States, joined Nov 2005, 205 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (3 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day ago) and read 1252 times:
Quoting TedTAce (Reply 1): Wasn’t the whole point of a nuclear vessel so they could be deployed/used indefinitely?
The tactical value of a nuclear-powered vessel (as I understand it) is their relative independence from fuel tankers. Of course a CVN still has to UNREP periodically for JP-5 and parts/food/mail, but nowhere near as often as a CV. No bunkers for ship's fuel means more bunkers for JP-5 and more space for other stuff.
ANY warship that stays around that long is pretty amazing. These things aren't exactly "babied"...
KC135TopBoom From United States, joined Jan 2005, 7564 posts, RR: 51 Reply 3, posted (3 years 6 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1232 times:
Quoting JarheadK5 (Reply 2): CVN still has to UNREP periodically for JP-5 and parts/food/mail, but nowhere near as often as a CV. No bunkers for ship's fuel means more bunkers for JP-5 and more space for other stuff.
I believe the USN and USAF use JP-8 now. Both JP-4 and JP-5 have been discontinued.
Jetjack74 From United States, joined Jul 2003, 6587 posts, RR: 55 Reply 8, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 1014 times:
Quoting TedTAce (Reply 1): Wasn’t the whole point of a nuclear vessel so they could be deployed/used indefinitely?
Yes, should the need ever arise, thanks to the practise of an unrep(Underway Replenishment). However, the Big E's 8 reactors need to be defueled, and refueled every 5-7 years. The Nimitz class carriers can go 10-15 years without a de/refuel. The latter being in extreme cases. When I was on Roosevelt in 90-92, we used to pull pierside in Norfolk with the E either going or coming from the yards It has the record for the most yard periods due to repeated QDR's.
"Shut your pie hole and listen to me when I say that I am finished with the checking of the bags conversation."
Jetjack74 From United States, joined Jul 2003, 6587 posts, RR: 55 Reply 12, posted (3 years 6 months 3 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 957 times:
The 2 enormous reactors on on the Nimitz Class carriers dwarf the the size of the small 8 reactors on the Big E with all of them put together. The Enterprise technology is almost 20 years older than the Nimitz and was an experiment when it was built. The Nimitz was the perfect product of nuclear technology when it was built. Here are 2 sites on each of the ships. http://www.sizor.com/cvn65/ http://navysite.de/cvn/cvn68.html
"Shut your pie hole and listen to me when I say that I am finished with the checking of the bags conversation."