USS America: The U.S. Navy Sank Its Own Aircraft Carrier

What You Need to Know: The USS America (CV-66), a storied Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier with a distinguished 30-year service history, was decommissioned in 1996 and ultimately sunk in 2005 during a live-fire exercise, “SinkEx.”

-This exercise was designed to test the survivability of aircraft carriers and improve future carrier designs.

-Despite protests from former sailors who wanted it preserved as a museum, the Navy used America for crucial tests, including simulated torpedo and bomb attacks.

-The tests highlighted the carrier’s resilience, offering valuable insights into modern carrier durability and survivability.

-The USS America now rests at the bottom of the Atlantic, a testament to its enduring legacy.

Why Did The US Navy Sink the Aircraft Carrier USS America?

The USS America, CV-66, was one of three Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carriers constructed during the 1960s. After commissioning in 1965, the carrier had a long 30-year career with service in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. 

After decommissioning, the America languished in the Philadelphia shipyard for another ten years. In 2005, the carrier was towed from Philadelphia to a location off the coast of the Carolinas, about halfway to Bermuda. There, the ship was sunk over the objections of the sailors who had served on it, who wanted it turned into a museum. 

It was the first time an aircraft had been sunk since World War II. The USS America was the largest ship ever to sink. Why did the Navy decide to sink the USS America? 

Brief History of the USS America (CV-66):

The USS America was initially ordered as an Enterprise-class nuclear carrier. However, the rising costs of the Enterprise during construction caused the Navy to cancel the nuclear CVAN-66 and reorder her as a conventionally powered Kitty Hawk-class carrier (CV-66).

After commissioning in January 1965, the ship conducted short-shakedown cruises until September 1965, when she first deployed to the Mediterranean. CV-66 would spend the majority of her service in the Atlantic, where she was off the coast of Israel during the 1967 war. 

The carrier made three different tours to Vietnam in 1968, 1970, and 1972, where she served with distinction. During the 1980s, in Libya, after being fired upon by Libyan forces in 1986, the USS American sank a missile-equipped patrol boat. This was the first use of the Harpoon anti-ship missile in combat.

 A second patrol boat was severely damaged but sought refuge alongside a neutral merchant ship. Libyan anti-aircraft radars that had been targeting US aircraft that had been operating off the carrier were destroyed. 

After Libya responded with terrorist attacks in Berlin, USS America took part in a joint Navy-Air Force strike against Libyan targets. 

During the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), CV-66 conducted more than 3,000 sorties against Iraqi Republican Guard positions, anti-aircraft sites, anti-ship missile sites, oil production facilities, and command and control headquarters. 

USS America Aircraft Carrier Sinking in a Controlled Detonation in 2005. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Amazingly, during more than 10,000 sorties in Vietnam and 3,000 more in the Gulf War, the USS America never lost an aircraft due to enemy action. 

In 1994, in one of her final deployments, the USS America sailed to the coast of Haiti with a contingent of US Army helicopters on board, a first for the carrier. Due to the troubles in Haiti, the president authorized the military to evacuate American civilians by using Army Special Forces via helicopters and US Marines on the ground if the situation called for it. But no direct action was needed.

The carrier was decommissioned on August 9, 1996. She was initially slated to undergo a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) in 1996 for subsequent retirement in 2010; however, due to service budget cuts by President Clinton, she retired instead.

A Final Mission for the USS America

The aircraft carrier was slated to be sold for scrap after its time in the Philadelphia shipyard, but it was not to be. 

The Navy decided to sink her during a simulated live-fire exercise dubbed “SinkEx. ” This exercise was intended to test the carrier’s capacity to withstand battle damage and improve the durability of future ship designs. The Navy has sunk several retired ships in this manner.

The Navy’s then-Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Natham, said, “America will make one final and vital contribution to our national defense, this time as a live-fire test and evaluation platform.

An aerial starboard bow view of the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA (CV-66) underway.

“America’s legacy will serve as a footprint in the design of future carriers — ships that will protect the sons, daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of American veterans.

“We will conduct various comprehensive tests above and below the waterline, collecting data for use by naval architects and engineers in creating the nation’s future carrier fleet. 

We must make those ships as highly survivable as possible. When that mission is complete, America will slip quietly beneath the sea. I know America has a very special place in your hearts, not only for the name but also for your service aboard her. 

“I ask that you understand why we selected this ship for this one last crucial mission and make note of the critical nature of her final service.”

The tests first simulated attacks by submarines and torpedoes under the waterline. Aircraft then launched bombs and missiles at the flight deck to no avail. The America was built rugged and still stood weeks after the Sinkex began. The Navy then decided to place explosive charges at different sections of the ship, and it finally sank on May 9, 2005.

Lessons Learned From the Sinking of CV-66

The Sinkex for the USS America showed just how difficult it is to sink an aircraft carrier. With modernized firefighting equipment, a modern aircraft carrier can take a lot of punishment. However, it must be noted that the USS America didn’t have any fuel, bombs, or ammunition on board, which can set a carrier ablaze after a hit from a bomb or a missile. 

A Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 2 (HC-2) UH-2 Seasprite helicopter flies off the starboard side of the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA (CV 66) while the ship is underway. An unidentified aircraft carrier is in the background.

During the Battle of Midway, the Japanese carrier Kaga was eviscerated by bombs, setting off a series of explosions of bombs and fuel that utterly destroyed the top half of the carrier.

The USS America finally came to rest upright on the ocean’s floor about 16,000 feet beneath the surface. 

About the Author: 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.