A Special Salute To All Serving Aboard The USS Carl Vinson & The Pacific Fleets
By Dell Hill
With Christmas nigh, a moment out to give thanks for the men and women serving America in the United States military.
A special shout-out to over 6,000 American men and women aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), currently deployed in the “Western Pacific”.
The Mighty USS Carl Vinson - US Navy Photo
The USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is the third United States Navy Nimitz class supercarrier and is named after Carl Vinson, a Congressman from Georgia. Carl Vinson's callsign is "Gold Eagle".
On 30 November 2011, Carl Vinson departed Naval Air Station North Island, California, on its scheduled Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment.
| Class and type: | Nimitz-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 101,300 long tons (113,500 short tons)[1] |
| Length: | Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m) Waterline: 1,040 feet (317.0 m) |
| Beam: | Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m) Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m) |
| Draft: | Maximum navigational: 37 feet (11.3 m) Limit: 41 feet (12.5 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors 4 × steam turbines 4 × shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW) |
| Speed: | 30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph) |
| Range: | Unlimited distance; 20-25 years |
| Complement: | Ship's company: 3,200 Air wing: 2,480 |
| Crew: | 6062 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radar AN/SPN-41 landing aid radars 4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 4 × Mk 95 radars |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: | SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures |
| Armament: | 2 × Mk 57 Mod3 Sea Sparrow 2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile 3 × Phalanx CIWS |
| Armor: | Unknown |
| Aircraft carried: | 90 fixed wing and helicopters |
2010–2011 deployment to the U.S. Seventh Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR) in the Western Pacific and U.S. Fifth Fleet Areas of Responsibility in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf as part of Carrier Strike Group One.
U.S. Navy carrier strike groups typically consist of an aircraft carrier (flagship), an embarked carrier air wing, at least one Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, and a destroyer squadron.
As of 2011, Carrier Strike Group One is composed of the following units:
- USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), flagship (pictured)[10]
- Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17)[10]
- USS Bunker Hill (CG-52)[10]
- USS Lake Champlain (CG-57)[10]
- Destroyer Squadron One (DESRON 1)[10][11]
The United States military seldom, if ever, identifies the location and/or missions involving its nuclear class submarines, but rest assured “they’re out there” protecting the surface fleet, along with “special ops” teams that we never hear about, but are always there.
To each and every man and woman serving aboard these vessels, our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and A Happy, Healthy New Year!!
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