Nimitz-Class Archives

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

78,000 Tons: France’s New PANG Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Has a Message for the U.S. Navy

Isaac Seitz, defense columnist and Strategic Intelligence graduate, examines France's Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération — Europe's largest warship ever planned. At 310 meters and...

Isaac SeitzMarch 17, 2026

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) transits the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 15, 2026. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is at sea training as an integrated warfighting team. Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) is the Joint Force’s most complex integrated training event and prepares naval task forces for sustained high-end Joint and combined combat. Integrated naval training provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders highly capable forces that deter adversaries, underpin American security and economic prosperity, and reassure Allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mitchell Mason)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz Is Not Retiring Yet — the Iran War Just Changed Everything for the U.S. Navy

Caleb Larson, former POLITICO Europe defense reporter, covers the U.S. Navy's decision to keep USS Nimitz — its oldest aircraft carrier — in service...

Caleb LarsonMarch 17, 2026

210618-N-JW440-2165 STRAIT OF MALACCA (June 18, 2021) As seen from the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67), the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) transits the South China Sea with the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97). The ships are part of Task Force 70/Carrier Strike Group 5, conducting underway operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Rawad Madanat)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy’s Nuclear USS Nimitz Is the ‘Reserve’ Supercarrier for Now

The decision to retain the USS Nimitz is a symptom of a deeper industrial and strategic malaise. While the Ford-class was intended to revolutionize...

Brandon WeichertMarch 16, 2026

220213-N-TL932-1221 PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 13, 2022) Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), back, and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) transit the Pacific Ocean, Feb. 13, 2022. Vinson and Nimitz are currently conducting routine maritime operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Joshua Sapien)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Time to Say Goodbye to Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz of the U.S. Navy

Stephen Silver, an award-winning national security journalist, evaluates the historic final voyage of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) as it departs the Pacific Northwest for...

Stephen SilverMarch 11, 2026

The USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group sails in formation during a strait transit exercise in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 8, 2026. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is at sea as an integrated warfighting team. Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) is the Joint Force’s most complex integrated training event and prepares naval task forces for sustained high-end Joint and combined combat. Integrated naval training provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders highly capable forces that deter adversaries, underpin American security and economic prosperity, and reassure Allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John R. Farren)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

100,000 Ton U.S. Navy Nuclear Supercarrier USS George H.W. Bush Is Being Deployed to Smash Iran

Dr. Brent M. Eastwood, a former U.S. Army Infantry officer and defense expert, evaluates the strategic "firepower injection" of the USS George H.W. Bush...

Brent M. EastwoodMarch 11, 2026

The Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) passes by a Washington State Ferry as it transits Puget Sound during the ship’s final departure from Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Washington, March 7, 2026. Nimitz is underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations as part of a scheduled homeport shift to Norfolk, Virginia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kimberli Ibarra Ruiz)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz Is Getting One Last Chance to Prove Itself

Jack Buckby, a New York-based defense analyst and British researcher, evaluates the unusual "final act" of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) as it transits to...

Jack BuckbyMarch 10, 2026

U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 5, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) operates in the Arabian Sea during sunset. John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Yeoman 3rd Class James Stahl/Released)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

U.S. Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carriers Have One Big Flaw: ‘Nuclear Refueling’

Summary and Key Points: Christian D. Orr, a senior defense editor and former Air Force officer, evaluates the Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) crisis affecting...

Christian D. OrrFebruary 28, 2026

A MH-60S Seahawk helicopter assigned to the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 delivers cargo to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) during a vertical replenishment in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 15, 2026. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is at sea training as an integrated warfighting team. Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) is the Joint Force’s most complex integrated training event and prepares naval task forces for sustained high-end Joint and combined combat. Integrated naval training provides combatant commanders and America’s civilian leaders highly capable forces that deter adversaries, underpin American security and economic prosperity, and reassure Allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mitchell Mason)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘Significant Mechanical Degradation’: The Navy Just Lost Another Nuclear Supercarrier

Summary and Key Points: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood, a defense analyst and former US Army Infantry officer, evaluates the critical delays affecting the USS...

Brent M. EastwoodFebruary 28, 2026

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), transits the Strait of Gibraltar, Oct. 1, 2025. Gerald R. Ford, a first-in-class aircraft carrier and deployed flagship of Carrier Strike Group Twelve, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to support the warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and defend U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Alyssa Joy)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Psychology Suggests U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Crew of USS Gerald R. Ford Might Suffer Mental Health Issues from Record Deployment

The USS Gerald R. Ford is being pushed into another Middle East mission after an extended deployment that has already stretched past 230 days....

Brandon WeichertFebruary 27, 2026

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Stuck in Port: A Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier Was Out of Combat Readiness for 2,117 Days

Summary and Key Points: USS George Washington’s midlife Refueling and Complex Overhaul ballooned into a nearly six-year, 2,117-day stretch in port, driven by stoppages,...

Brent M. EastwoodFebruary 21, 2026

19FortyFive

All posts tagged "Nimitz-Class"

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

78,000 Tons: France’s New PANG Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Has a Message for the U.S. Navy

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz Is Not Retiring Yet — the Iran War Just Changed Everything for the U.S. Navy

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy’s Nuclear USS Nimitz Is the ‘Reserve’ Supercarrier for Now

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Time to Say Goodbye to Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz of the U.S. Navy

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

100,000 Ton U.S. Navy Nuclear Supercarrier USS George H.W. Bush Is Being Deployed to Smash Iran

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Nuclear Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz Is Getting One Last Chance to Prove Itself

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

U.S. Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carriers Have One Big Flaw: ‘Nuclear Refueling’

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

‘Significant Mechanical Degradation’: The Navy Just Lost Another Nuclear Supercarrier

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Psychology Suggests U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Crew of USS Gerald R. Ford Might Suffer Mental Health Issues from Record Deployment

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Stuck in Port: A Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier Was Out of Combat Readiness for 2,117 Days

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