Today, there are a large number of giant aircraft carriers. The main requirement for a modern army is mobility. It is for this simple reason that there is nothing more effective than aircraft carriers that can carry dozens of combat aircraft and a large number of people on board. Let's look at the largest aircraft carriers in the world with you. Some of them fulfill their function today, while others have long been decommissioned and serve as museum exhibits.
The largest aircraft carrier of the Nimitz type
It is safe to say that Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are considered the largest in the world. With a length of 333 meters and a width of the flight deck of more than 76 meters, these giants accommodate about 90 units of aircraft. Among them are 64 fighters and 26 helicopters. The full crew of the Nimitz aircraft carriers is 3,200 people. From here it is possible to distinguish 2 800 people of flight personnel and 70 people of command. Almost all ships have the same technical characteristics, design decisions and weapons on board. It should be noted that the aircraft carriers "Nimitz" can work for about 20 years without replacing the energy source of the power plant. Simply put, it can be sent for 20 years on a long voyage. The first ship of the line was launched in 1975 and had the same name “Nimitz”.
A more detailed description of the aircraft carrier class "Nimitz"
Separate few words need to be said about the power plant of the ship. It consists of primary and secondary systems. The main one includes two water reactors, each of which feeds 2 turbines. A feature of a water reactor is that it uses ordinary water under pressure as a coolant and a moderator. Today in the world this type of nuclear reactor on aircraft carriers is the most popular and effective. If you add the power of four turbines, then the result is a device for 280,000 horsepower. The auxiliary installation is 4 diesel engines with a total capacity of 10,700 horsepower. These are the largest aircraft carriers in the world equipped with weapons to protect against air enemies and underwater threats. In the first case, 3 anti-aircraft missile systems are installed, as well as 4 anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm caliber. For protection against torpedoes there are two torpedo tubes of caliber 324 mm. At present, 10 Nimitz aircraft carriers have been built, the last of which is George W. Bush, and we will now consider it.
Aircraft carrier "George W. Bush" - the most powerful warship in the world
This ship is the latest development of the Nimitz project. It has a number of distinctive enhancements that make it truly unique. As you can understand, this aircraft carrier was named in honor of the 41st President of the United States of America - George W. Bush. The construction of the vessel began in 2003 and cost the treasury of the United States almost $ 6.5 billion. In 2009, "George W. Bush" was officially adopted. Today it is one of the largest and most powerful aircraft carriers in the world. The length of the giant is 332.8 meters with a displacement of 110 thousand tons. It can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour and carry 90 units of military equipment on board. Many call it the modern Noah's Ark. Due to the fact that the designers managed to shift the wheelhouse and antennas to the edge of the deck, it turned out to slightly expand the runway, which is very important for a ship of this purpose. Well, now let's look at the other largest aircraft carriers in the world, because there are quite a lot of them.
About Enterprise in Details
Of course, one cannot fail to mention the longest ship in the world, which was launched more than half a century ago. This is the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world with a crew of almost 5,000 people and a length of 342 meters. The government planned to release 6 Enterprise ships, but after the first cost $ 450 million and significantly affected the US treasury, the rest were abandoned. For many years, it has been said that the Enterprise is the pinnacle of the military development of the army. During the service, the aircraft carrier has been in many conflicts, starting from Vietnam and ending with North Korea. Over 52 years of operation, more than 100,000 people served on the Enterprise, so we can safely say that this ship is worthy of attention. In 2012, it was decommissioned and is still being dismantled for scrap, the process is planned to be completed by the beginning of 2015.
The sad story of "Shinano"
If this Japanese ship cannot be called something ingenious from a design point of view, then giants can be attributed without a twinge of conscience. During the execution of its first mission, this cruiser sank, it happened back in 1944. The length of the ship was about 266 meters, and a displacement of almost 70 thousand tons. But the active conduct of hostilities did not allow the constructs to 100% complete the ship, so it was launched and sank 17 hours after leaving the port. It was torpedoed by an American submarine, and since the watertight partitions were originally installed incorrectly, and the team had no experience, already 7 hours after the torpedo hit the ship was at the bottom.
The Great Admiral Kuznetsov
Among the aircraft carriers of Europe and Asia, there is a ship named after the Admiral of the Navy of the Soviet Union, Admiral Kuznetsov, which is one of the largest and most powerful. To develop this giant began in 1982 in the city of Nikolaev. Judging by the technical characteristics, the “Admiral Kuznetsov” was to become an advanced aircraft carrier. The deck of the ship was somewhat elongated for the possibility of take-off fighters Su-25 and Su-27. It is noteworthy that it was on this cruiser that the Luna optical system and fighter side elevators were first used. The ship is 302 meters long, and 25 helicopters and the same number of aircraft are placed on its board. If you call the most ambitious aircraft carriers in the world in terms of weapons and radar equipment, then "Admiral Kuznetsov" will be among the leaders. On its decks, 12 Granit launchers, 8 Kortik launchers, 6 AK-630M artillery launchers, and 4 Dagger launchers were installed on its decks. Such a large amount of weapons, as well as huge ammunition allows the ship to conduct continuous fire for a long time. Today, on this operating ship, the Su-33 fighters are completely replaced by the MiG-29K, in 2015 major repairs are planned.
The story of the cruiser "Varangian"
We have already listed many of the largest aircraft carriers in the world, but it is worth mentioning another ship called the Varyag, or Liaoning. It began to be built in Nikolaev in 1986, and completed in 1988. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the cruiser went to Ukraine. Until 1998, it was only kept afloat and did not invest in development, repairs, etc. Later, it was decided to sell the aircraft carrier for only $ 20 million, which was just a ridiculous price. Its length is 304 meters with a displacement of 60 thousand tons. A Chinese private company that bought the Varangian completed and modernized it, so that it still swims and successfully performs its tasks.
Conclusion
So we have examined with you the most famous aircraft carriers in the world. Of course, what was said is only a drop in the ocean. There are also such famous ships as Theodore Roosevelt 317 meters long, Ronald Reagan 332 meters and others. Almost every modern country is trying to build the most powerful fleet possible. Many active aircraft carriers of the world can accommodate on their board a small army of aircraft and helicopters, which are ready for take-off at any moment.