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US Navy
Kitty Hawk class Aircraft Carrier - CVA / CV
 

kitty hawk class aircraft carrier us navy uss constellation america 82c 
12/23
Ships:
CV 63 USS Kitty Hawk (1961-2009)
CV 64 USS Constellation (1961-2003)
CV 66 USS America (1965-1996)
 
Specifications:
 
Displacement: 83090 tons (full load) / 61910 tons (light)
Length: 326 meters (1069 ft) overall / 300 m (990 ft) waterline
Beam: 86 meters (282 ft) - extreme / 40 meters (130 ft) - waterline
Draft: 12 meters (38 ft)
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h), max.
Range:
12000 NMI (19000 km)
Complement:
up to 5500 (ship + airwing)

 
Propulsion:
8 x 1200 psi boilers
4 x Westinghouse geared steam turbines (280,000 shp / 210 MW)

4 shafts / 4 propellers
 
Armament:
 

as built:
2 x
Mk.10 twin-arm missile launchers for RIM-2 Terrier SAM
later modified to fire RIM-67B Standard SM-2ER missiles

later (between 1977-82) replaced by:
2 x Basic Point Defense Missile Systems / BPDMS
Mk.25 box launchers for RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles

later replaced by:
2 x Mk.29 launchers for RIM-7 Sea Sparrow Missiles (2 x 8 missiles + reload)


later added:
2 x Mk.49 missile launching system for RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) (2 x 21 missiles + reload)
Mk.15 Phalanx Close-In-Weapon System (CIWS)


in various arrangements

Aviation:
full flight deck with island and hangar deck
for up to 90 aircraft
 
 
The Kitty Hawk-class supercarriers were an incremental improvement on the Forrestal-class vessels.

The biggest differences from the Forrestals are greater length, and a different placement of elevators; two are forward of the island, one is aft of the island and another on the portside stern. The movement of the #4 elevator from the forward to the after end of the angle made it useful for aircraft movement, since the forward-end elevator was useless as it was in both the landing path and in the launch path of the #3 and #4 catapults.

Three different shipyards were used to construct the ships. Kitty Hawk was built at New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Constellation at New York Naval Shipyard, America and John F. Kennedy at Newport News Shipbuilding. John F. Kennedy is similar to the earlier units in flightdeck arrangement and propulsion, but has enough differences that she is often placed in her own class. Propulsion consisted of four Westinghouse geared turbines, 280,000 shp, four shafts with eight 1,200 pounds per square inch (8,300 kPa) Foster Wheeler boilers.

The first three units were constructed with a Terrier surface to air missile system. The supporting missile launchers and AN/SPG-55 radars consumed a large amount of space, while at the same time duplicating the capabilities of the air defence escorts, and were later removed. John F. Kennedy did not have Terrier and was built with the shorter ranged Sea Sparrow, Basic Point Defense Missile System (BPDMS). All were eventually equipped with NATO Sea Sparrow (NSSM) and Phalanx CIWS for self-defense. In 2001, Kitty Hawk received two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers replacing the forward Sea Sparrow and Phalanx CIWS equipment. The SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite was added as part of the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) on Kitty Hawk and Constellation.

America had several differences from the lead units of the class. Instead of two forward anchors, one on each side, America had no starboard anchor and an additional anchor astern, a change made to accommodate the AN/SQS-23 sonar. America was the only post-World War II U.S. carrier to be built with sonar, though it was removed in the early 1980s. She also had a narrow smokestack compared to prior units.

From 1987 to 1991 Kitty Hawk was overhauled for $785 million under the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. From 1990 to 1992, Constellation received her $800 million service life extension also in Philadelphia. The program was intended to add 15 years to the life of the ships. John F. Kennedy was not overhauled as part of SLEP. Instead, from 1993 to 1995, she received a $491 million overhaul. It was the final project of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard prior to its closing. America had been scheduled to be overhauled under the service life extension program after Constellation, but she was decommissioned 9 August 1996 instead, during a time of budget cuts after the Cold War. America was in very poor condition when she was decommissioned, and therefore despite her historical significance was not held as a donation asset. She was expended as a live-fire target and sunk on 14 May 2005.

Constellation was decommissioned 7 August 2003. John F. Kennedy was decommissioned on 23 March 2007. Only Kitty Hawk remained in service as of early 2008 and was replaced by USS George Washington (CVN-73) as the forward-deployed carrier in Japan. Kitty Hawk returned to the United States after the turnover. She was decommissioned on 31 January 2009.
 
images
(for more images go to the individual ship pages)

kitty hawk class aircraft carrier us navy cv-63 uss 447c
CV 63 USS Kitty Hawk

kitty hawk class aircraft carrier us navy cv-64 uss constellation 87c
CV 64 USS Constellation

kitty hawk class aircraft carrier us navy cv-66 uss america 67c
CV 66 USS America


ARMAMENT

kitty hawk class aircraft carrier us navy armament rim-116 ram missile rim-7 sea sparrow mk.15 ciws 02

kitty hawk class aircraft carrier us navy armament rim-7 sea sparrow mk.15 phalanx ciws 03

kitty hawk class aircraft carrier us navy armament mk.49 launcher rim-116 rolling airframe missile ram 04
 
 
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