The Briefing Room
General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: bkepley on September 04, 2015, 08:28:15 pm
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Tyler Rogoway
Foxtrot Alpha
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) has returned to sea after spending 23 months in dry dock getting upgrades and repairs totaling 1.2 million man-days of work. Now the ship and her crew are getting their sea legs again, and part of the process is pushing the carrier to her max, which includes high-speed maneuvering.
A Nimitz Class super carrier can reach speeds in excess of 35 miles per hour, which is amazing considering they displace just over 100,000 tons, and so in a straight line is one thing, but undergoing huge rudder deflections is a whole other story. Check out the video below of The USS Harry S. Truman conducting similar trials.
These maneuvers are not for stress tests alone. There are a few tactical scenarios where even a giant aircraft carrier, at the center of a Carrier Strike Group, could use its speed and maneuverability as a defensive tactic. These include evading swarms of enemy fast boats, the rare chance of aerial bombardment, and even evading some types of missile attacks.
It also just looks like a lot of fun.
Video and etc. here: http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/watch-this-super-carrier-carve-through-the-sea-during-h-1728578936
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The video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4KnCqcTEOU
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It's a little odd watching such a huge ship heeling so far over.
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Bloody hell.