747400sp From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3030 posts, RR: 3 Posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 2138 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 of America, joined Nov 2005, 216 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 2010 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 of America, joined Jan 2005, 10587 posts, RR: 53 Reply 3, posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1990 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.
747400sp From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3030 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 1959 times:
ContinentalFan From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 352 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 1941 times:
Quoting TedTAce (Reply 1): Wasn’t the whole point of a nuclear vessel so they could be deployed/used indefinitely?
BladeLWS From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 372 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (5 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 1938 times:
They can stay operational so long as its cost effective and the hull doesn't rust out from under you.
Jetjack74 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 7139 posts, RR: 54 Reply 8, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1772 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.
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 28886 posts, RR: 67 Reply 9, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 1767 times:
Quoting Jetjack74 (Reply 8): However, the Big E's 8 reactors need to be defueled, and refueled every 5-7 years.
Makes you wonder how much hotter that ship is with the core open that often....actually the 8 cores.
Correct me if I am worng but in addition to the different refuel times, the Enterprise was built with 8 reactors compared with the Nimitz's 2.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
LMP737 From United States of America, joined May 2002, 4434 posts, RR: 27 Reply 11, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 1720 times:
Quoting MigFan (Reply 10): I am sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but why would a ship need eight reactors?
I can understand two, but I am not a nuclear engineer.
I believe it has to do with the fact that in between the time the Enterprise and Nimitz were launched nuclear reactors became more efficent.
Jetjack74 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 7139 posts, RR: 54 Reply 12, posted (5 years 9 months 1 week 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 1715 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