Nimitz-class
US Navy nuclear-powered supercarrier class; ten ships, 100,000 tonnes, primary US power-projection asset.
Last refreshed: 26 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
With three Nimitz-class carriers in the Persian Gulf, is this the biggest concentration of US naval power since World War II?
Timeline for Nimitz-class
Mentioned in: Third US carrier reaches CENTCOM theatre
Iran Conflict 2026- How many Nimitz-class carriers does the US have and where are they?
- The US Navy operates ten Nimitz-class carriers; three (Truman, Vinson, Bush) were simultaneously deployed to the CENTCOM region in April 2026, an unprecedented concentration in a single theatre.Source: event
- What aircraft does a Nimitz-class carrier operate?
- A Nimitz-class carrier air wing typically includes F/A-18E/F Super Hornets (strike fighters), EA-18G Growlers (electronic warfare), E-2D Hawkeyes (airborne early warning), and MH-60 helicopters (anti-submarine and search and rescue).Source: US Navy
- Is the Nimitz-class being replaced?
- Yes. The Gerald R. Ford class is the successor, with Ford (CVN-78) and Kennedy (CVN-79) now in service; however Nimitz-class ships will remain the majority of the US carrier fleet through the late 2020s.
Background
The Nimitz-class is a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers operated by the United States Navy, the largest warships in history by displacement. The lead ship, USS Nimitz (CVN-68), was commissioned in 1975; the final ship, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), in 2009. Each carrier displaces approximately 100,000 tonnes at full load, is 333 metres long, and operates an air wing of up to 90 aircraft including F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, and MH-60 helicopters.
Nimitz-class carriers are nuclear-powered, giving them essentially unlimited range without refuelling, though their conventional stores require replenishment every 90 days. Each carrier is accompanied by a Carrier Strike Group of cruisers, destroyers, a submarine, and a logistics ship, making the CSG the most powerful conventional military unit in existence.
In the 2026 Iran conflict, three Nimitz-class carriers were deployed to the CENTCOM area simultaneously — USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) — an unprecedented concentration. The Gerald R. Ford class has begun replacing Nimitz-class ships; Ford (CVN-78) and Kennedy (CVN-79) are now commissioned, but the Nimitz-class remains the majority of the US carrier fleet through the late 2020s.
