USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
Enterprise, Long Beach and Bainbridge in formation in the Mediterranean, June 18, 1964. Enterprise crewmembers are spelling out the equation on the flight deck. This was the first all-nuclear battle formation. | |
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Laid down: | 4 February 1958 |
| Launched: | 24 September 1960 |
| Commissioned: | 25 November 1961 |
| Fate: | on active service |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 85,600 t |
| Length: | 1,101 ft (336 m) |
| Beam: | 133 ft (40 m) |
| Extreme Width: | 252 ft (76 m) |
| Draft: | 35 ft |
| Speed: | 33.6 knots (62 km/h) |
| Complement: | 4,600 officers and men |
| Armament: | 2 Sea Sparrow launchers, 3 x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts |
| Aircraft: | 85 (One squadron of F-14 Tomcats; Three of F/A-18 Hornets; Four EA-6B Prowlers; Four E-2C Hawkeyes; Six S-3 Vikings; Two Shadows; Eight SH-3 Sea Kings or SH-60 Seahawks) |
| Nickname: | Big E |
The eighth USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was the world's first nuclear supercarrier, powered by eight A2W reactors. She is nicknamed the "Big E".
Her keel was laid in 1958 and she was launched on September 24, 1960 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company sponsored by Mrs. W. B. Franke, wife of the Secretary of the Navy. She was commissioned on November 25, 1961 with Captain V. P. de Poix in command.
After commissioning, Enterprise began a lengthy series of tests and training exercises, designed to determine the full capabilities of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Immediately her superlative characteristics and performance became obvious. She began flight operations on 17 January 1962, when a F8U Crusader became the first airplane to land on board her giant flight deck. The same aircraft later became the first plane to be catapulted from Enterprise.
One month later, on 20 February 1962, the nuclear-powered carrier played a role in the space age when Enterprise acted as a tracking and measuring station for the flight of Friendship 7, the "Project Mercury" space capsule in which Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn. Jr., USMC, made the United States' first orbital space flight.
The first three deployments of the Enterprise, from August 1962, were to the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.
In August of 1964 as operation Sea Orbit, Enterprise, along with USS Long Beach (CGN-9) and USS Bainbridge (DLGN/CGN-25), embarked on an 30,565 mile (49,190 km) around the world cruise to demonstrate the ability of nuclear powered ships to operate free from the usual ties to shore bases.
Upon completion of this operation, the carrier entered the shipyard at Newport News, Virginia, for refuelling. Upon completion, the ship was transferred to the Pacific Fleet to provide support to the growing war in Vietnam.
On January 14, 1969, while the ship was 70 nautical miles (130 km) from Honolulu, Hawaii, an accidental armament explosion on a below deck aircraft sparked a large fire and further explosions of munitions or fuel. Twenty-eight crew were killed and over 150 were wounded.
She returned to Newport for her second refuelling in 1970 and following the 1973 Vietnam cease-fire she was docked at Puget Sound for an extensive refit to support a wing of the new F-14 fighters.
From 1979 to 1982, she underwent another extensive refit at Puget Sound, centered on improvements to the electronics and detection systems - the entire island was effectively rebuilt. In another extended refit from 1990 to 1994 she was updated to serve until 2015. This refit was supplemented with additional six month work stints in 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2003. Her intended replacement is CVN-78 to be built by 2013.
As of 2004, the Enterprise is homeported at NS Norfolk, Virginia. On September 11th, 2001, the Enterprise was just outside of the Persian Gulf and was the first carrier to take station off of Afghanistan and was among the first units to conduct strikes on the Taliban in Pakistan as part of Operation Infinite Justice, later renamed Operation Enduring Freedom. Most recently, the Enterprise embarked on Summer Surge '04 and participated in several multinational exercises.
The USS Enterprise is the only ship of her class.
General Characteristics
- Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Company, Newport News, Virginia
- Power Plant: Eight A2W reactors, four shafts
- Cost: annual running costs estimated at $220 m
- Crew: Ship's Company: 3,320 - Air Wing: 2,600
- Armament:
- Two Sea Sparrow launchers
- 3 x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts
de:USS Enterprise (CVN-65) zh:美國企業號航空母艦 (1960年～)