Supercarrier USS Nimitz docks at Port Klang

S Vicknesan
Feb 8, 10
from:malaysiakini

One of the world’s largest aircraft carriers, the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz, is currently docked at Westport, Port Klang and will remain there until Feb 11 on a four-day port call.

The supercarrier and USS Pinckney are part of the US Navy’s Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) which arrived into Malaysian waters yesterday.

Carrying a crew of 4,500 including 400 women, the Nimitz prior to this spent a week working with the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force in a series of surface and air at-sea engagements as part of an exercise dubbed ‘Theater Security Cooperation’.

“We are honoured to work together with Malaysia and believe that a strong relationship between our two navies contributes to peace, security and stability in the region,” Rear Admiral John W Miller (below, second from right) Commander Carrier Strike Group 11 told reporters on board.

“It is always great to work with the professionals of the Royal Malaysian Navy,” he said, adding among the basic naval exercises conducted was simulated targeting.

While in Malaysia, the Nimitz‘s sailors will participate in seven community service projects to carry out improvements at homes for the underprivileged in the Klang Valley. These projects are coordinated in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Pantai.

They will also be taking the opportunity for rest and recreation (R&R) with visits arranged for adventure trekking, rock-climbing, golf and a tour of Malacca.

20,000 meals day

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, on a routine deployment in the region, has as its Commanding Officers Captain Paul O Monger (above, third from right) and Captain Bret C Batchelder (CAG) Carrier Air Wing 11 (extreme right).

Commissioned in 1975, the Nimitz‘s 333-metre length is only surpassed by the USS Enterprise‘s 342 metres. The former, however, is the undisputed heavyweight displacing 102, 000 tonnes to the latter’s 93,500 tonnes.

Reaching more than 23 storeys high and spread over 4.5 acres, the Nimitz is home to four F-18 strike fighter squadrons comprising 45 F-18 Super Hornets of the Foxtrot and Echo variants.

It also hosts helicopter anti-submarine and combat squadrons, an electronic attack squadron and a explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit.

The Nimitz reaches a top speed of 30 plus knots courtesy of its two nuclear power plants the cooling of which is taken care by four distilling units which enable her engineers to make more 1,500 litres of fresh water a day for the propulsion plants.

The carrier can accommodate a maximum crew of up to 5,000 for whom more than 20,000 meals are prepared daily.

She can stock a 70-day supply of refrigerated and dry goods. The ship’s medical services include a dental facility staffed by five dentists. Crew also have access to laundering and tailoring services among others.

Catapult launching

The Nimitz launches her fighter jets using four steam catapults. These ‘cats’ propel the heaviest aircraft from the deck at speeds in excess of 270 km/per hour, these speeds reached from a standing start in less than three seconds.

Aircraft are launched in a 100 metre ‘catapult stroke’- an equivalent land-based take-off would require more than 2,000 metres of runway. The catapults consist of a large piston underneath the deck and only a small device engages the aircraft’s nose gear above deck.

When the fighters are ready for take-off, the pilot increases the thrust of the jet engines and the catapult accelerates the plane to launch speed. Using all four catapults, the Nimitz, can launch aircraft at a rate of one every half-a-minute.