Special features of the US aircraft carrier about to visit Vietnam

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier is named after Congressman Carl Vinson (1883-1981). With 50 years of service, he was the longest-serving member of the US House of Representatives. During his tenure as Chairman of the House Armed Services and Naval Affairs Committee, Mr. Vinson sponsored the Vinson-Trammel Act, which authorized the construction of 92 new large ships and the scrapping of older ships. Photo: Getty

Congressman Carl Vinson is known as the “father” of the Two-Ocean Navy Act, which aimed to ensure the US Navy would always have control of two oceans. The US Navy honored Congressman Carl Vinson’s contributions by naming an aircraft carrier after him. Photo: Getty

The USS Carl Vinson was laid down in 1974 and construction began on October 11, 1975 at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, USA. The USS Carl Vinson was christened on March 15, 1980 and transferred to the US Navy on February 26, 1982. In this photo: The USS Carl Vinson operates off the coast of Virginia during sea trials before being commissioned in 1982. Photo: Getty

USS Carl Vinson is one of 10 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the Nimitz class. They were the largest warships ever built and operated by the US Navy until the completion of the Gerald R. Ford class. Pictured: An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter sits on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson in the Pacific Ocean on January 30, 2014. Photo: Stocktrek Images

Because it is a nuclear-powered ship, the USS Carl Vinson can operate for up to 20 years without refueling. This aircraft carrier also has anti-submarine capabilities. The only time the USS Carl Vinson had to refuel was in November 2005 when the ship underwent an upgrade and modernization. Photo: AP

The USS Carl Vinson travels at a speed of about 30 knots. It is one of the largest aircraft carriers in the world. Photo: AP

The ship is about 332.84m long (about 3 football fields), about 76.81m wide and about 12.5m high. The ship's displacement is more than 100,000 tons. Photo: Getty

The USS Carl Vinson’s emblem is an eagle with its wings spread wide and a banner in its mouth with the Latin words “Vis Per Mare” meaning “Strength of the Sea”. Thanks to this emblem, the USS Carl Vinson is also nicknamed the “Golden Eagle” of the US Navy. Photo: AFP

The USS Carl Vinson requires a crew of about 5,680 to fully operate all the functions of this aircraft carrier. The group of personnel serving the aircraft squadron on the ship is up to 2,480 people. Photo: REX

The USS Carl Vinson was used as the setting for the film “Behind Enemy Lines,” starring Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman as naval officers on board. All exterior scenes were filmed on the ship, while interior scenes were filmed on another ship. In the photo: Director John Moore prepares to film on the aircraft carrier. Photo: REX

The USS Carl Vinson is the ship used to bury the body of terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden after he was killed by US special forces in 2011. This aircraft carrier also participates in the US military's anti-terrorism operations. Photo: REX

During the bombing campaign in Iraq in December 1998, the USS Carl Vinson was deployed to the Persian Gulf and conducted air strikes in support of Operation Desert Fox. The USS Carl Vinson's fighter squadron targeted 50 locations in southern Iraq and conducted attacks. Photo: US Navy

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the USS Carl Vinson participated in the campaign in Afghanistan - where aircraft on this aircraft carrier dropped 3,303 kg of ammunition to support ground forces. Photo: US Navy

In February 2017, the US Navy announced that the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson had conducted patrols in the South China Sea. This was part of a routine patrol plan to ensure freedom of navigation and aviation in the region by the US military.Photo: US Navy