A US Navy super carrier, like the USS Carl Vinson, is a floating piece of sovereign US territory, that can go almost anywhere.

The third US Nimitz class carrier built, it was commissioned in 1980, and, named for a Georgia congressman who is known as the congressional father of America’s two ocean navy.

The Carl Vinson, has enough firepower on it, about 90 fixed wing and helicopters, a match to about 80 per cent of the world’s air forces of smaller nations.

The Ship is fresh from deployment to the Indian Ocean. Aboard it, SEAL Team 6 which carried out the successful mission versus Osama Bin Laden’s compound.

It is where the returned to from their mission. And to the Carl Vinson was where Bin Laden’s identity was confirmed by DNA testing done on the ship.

He was given a traditional muslim funeral followed by a burial at sea from this ship.

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT AQUINO PERSONALLY WELCOMES CARL VINSON

A visit from a foreign head of state is rare.

The honor accorded to President Aquino, shows the closeness of the USA and the Philippines does not only extend to treaty ties. It is built on blood and shared relationships.

Scores of Filipino Americans and some Filipino citizens serve on the USS Carl Vinson. The visit per Sec. Ricky Carandang’s twitter account was part of a welcome by the Philippine President the carrier which along with four other US Navy vessels will be in Manila for rest and replenishment.

 

 

All in all the Ship will be in Manila for about four days, Philippine Armed forces spokesman Commodore Miguel Rodriguez described the visit as a Allied port visit. The USS Carl Vinson, will be in Manila AOR from the 16th to the 2oth per a news release from the Philippine department of defense.

SPECIFICATIONS: Nimitz Class Super Aircraft carrier

Type:	Aircraft carrier
Displacement:	100,000 to 104,600 long tons (100,000–106,300 t)[1]
Length:	Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m) Waterline: 1,040 feet (317.0 m)
Beam:	Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m) Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m)
Draft:	Maximum navigational: 37 ft (11.3 m) Limit: 41 ft (12.5 m)
Propulsion:	2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors 4 × steam turbines 4 × shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed:	30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)
Range:	Essentially unlimited distance; 20 years
Complement:	Ship’s company: 3,200 Air wing: 2,480
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radar AN/SPN-41 landing aid radars 4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 4 × Mk 95 radars
Electronic warfare and decoys:	SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures
Armament:	16–24 × Sea Sparrow or NATO Sea Sparrow missiles 3 or 4 × Phalanx CIWSs or RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles
Armor:	2.5 in (64 mm) kevlar over vital spaces[2]
Aircraft carried:	85–90 fixed wing and helicopters[3]  The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. With an overall length of 1,092 ft (333 m) and full-load displacements of over 100,000 long tons,[1] they are the largest capital ships in the world. Instead of the gas turbines or diesel-electric systems used for propulsion on many modern warships, the carriers use two A4W pressurized water reactors which drive four propeller shafts and can produce a maximum speed of over 30 knots (56 km/h) and maximum power of around 260,000 shp (190 MW). As a result of the use of nuclear power, the ships are capable of operating for over 20 years without refueling and are predicted to have a service life of over 50 years.

 

PHOTO GALLERY OF VISIT: All photo’s released into public domain by US Navy

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Tags | AFP, Armed Forces, Benigno Aquino III, Jeffrey Ferriol, Jesus Sahidulla, Jr. Rodriguez, Jr. Socrates, Manila, news report, Obama, Pacific Islands, PACOM, PNoy, Pres. Aquino, president aquino