Feb 18, 2021

US Navy Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise

The USS Enterprise was one of the eight US Navy ships to carry this name, and the first worldwide to be of the nuclear type, apart from this it was a maritime warship that with its 342 meters in length became the largest of those that entered into service, after the Nimitz class, was the one with the most displacement.

At the beginning, there was a planning of an aircraft carrier similar to the Enterprise, where this ship would be the first of that class. The unexpected rise in the cost of construction materials prevented the development of the project, ending up with the Enterprise as the only one of that class.

Image result for uss enterprise

Its design included Terrier missile launchers, however at the time of its launch, it was not thought of, due to the high cost of construction of the ship, it never possessed such missiles, and its defense was based on the RIM7, later two NATO and three Mk15 Phalanx were added.

In its design, steam boilers were replaced by nuclear reactors, so that its size is higher than that of other nuclear aircraft carriers, becoming the largest super-carrier in existence, and therefore, instead of two rudders, it had four.

It had flat panel radars, which in the mid 80s, were replaced by conventional radars.

Newport News was built, its keel was laid in 1958, and it was launched by the wife of the Minister of the Navy, Mrs. W.B. Franke.

Technical Characteristics of the USS Enterprise

73,858 t and 92,325 t displacement at maximum load
Length of 342 m
Sleeve of 78,4 m
12 m depth
Sensors SPS48E
Aerial Radar SPS 49
Mk 23 Target Radar
Three Mk95 radars
Navigational aid radar SPN44
Two air traffic control radars SPN46
Armament
42 cells Sea RAMRIM116
2 Mk29
2 Phalanx
Propulsion
8 nuclear reactors WH
4 WH steam turbines
4 propellers
Power 280,000 hp
Speed 33.6 knots
Crew of 3000
Aircraft 70 planes,helicopters
4 elevators
4 catapults

Facts about the USS Enterprise

In the month of September 1960, he was thrown into the sea
The USS Enterprise was discharged in November 1961
Started the inauguration trip in January 1962
The USS Enterprise participated in February 62 in the Misted 7 flight
-Alongside the aircraft carriers Essex, Independence and Randolph worked on the blockade of Cuba in the so-called missile crisis in October 62
Deployed twice in the Mediterranean Sea between 1963 and 1964 participating in the operation called Sea Orbit
It was the first nuclear aircraft carrier to enter combat, this occurred on December 2, 1965, when it participated in the conflict with Vietnam
Deployed six times in Asia between 1965 and 1972
In the war between India and Pakistan in 1971 the Enterprise was taken to the Golf of Bengal
In 1974 he received modifications to carry in his F14 fleet
It was used by international aid on Mauricio Island, because of the disasters caused by Gervais, a typhoon in this island in 1975
For the crisis in Uganda caused by the kidnapping of U.S. citizens, the aircraft carrier was moved to Mombasa in July 1976.
It crossed the Suez Canal in April 1986, being the first nuclear vessel to do so
Participated with NATO in Bosnia in 1996
He relieved the Eisenhower on his missions to the Persian Gulf in 1998, during which time President George Bush was on board
He was involved in attacking Iraqi positions in the operation called Desert Fox
After the attack on the Twin Towers, in the war against Afghanistan, he provided support for the bombing of Al-Qaeda positions
On March 15, 2013, the USS Enterprise is discharged, due to the excessive consumption of the 8 nuclear reactors, becoming also the first nuclear ship to be discharged.