What's special about the USS Carl Vison aircraft carrier that just arrived in Vietnam?

1. How powerful is the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier?

USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is the third Nitmitz-class aircraft carrier, ordered in April 1974, completed in March 1980 and officially commissioned in March 1982.

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier has a displacement of 101,300 tons and a length of 333 m, equipped with 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors providing energy to operate 4 turbines, with a total capacity of 194 megawatts.

The ship's maximum speed is over 30 knots, equivalent to 56 km/h with unlimited range and the USS Carl Vinson can operate continuously for 20 to 25 years.

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier has a modern weapon system, a squadron of 130 F/A-18 Hornet fighters or 80-95 fighter jets of various types, usually 64 fighter jets are deployed on the ship.In addition, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier is capable of carrying nuclear weapons for its aircraft squadron.

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier is equipped with defense systems, but only short-range defense systems and act as the last line of defense against enemy missiles and aircraft.

The USS Carl Vinson is equipped with two Mk 57 Mod 3 Sea Sparrow short-range air defense missile systems, two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile air defense missile systems, and three Phalanx CIWS 20mm gun systems. In addition, the ship has AN/SLQ-32A(V)4 electronic warfare systems and SLQ-25A Nixie mine decoys.

In addition, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier also has a series of different radar systems, including AN/SPS-48E 3-D and AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radars, AN/SPQ-9B target designation radar, AN/SPN-46 and AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radars, AN/SPN-41 landing aid radars, 4 Mk 91 NSSM navigation systems, 4 Mk 95 radars.

2. Lifespan of USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier

Launched nearly 40 years ago, the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is now in its twilight years and is about to be retired after its nuclear reactor core has completely disintegrated.

Ordered on April 5, 1974, the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier was launched just 6 years later. Today, the world's most modern ship is nearly 40 years old.

USS Carl Vinson is one of the most modern nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the world. However, perhaps not everyone knows that the life of this ship is not long. Accordingly, the heart of USS Carl Vinson is two A4W nuclear reactors with a life span of about 20 years. Specifically, after operating for about 20 years, in 2005, the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson had to undergo a complete overhaul and maintenance process, the most important of which was recharging the two nuclear reactors.

This process lasted from 2005 to 2009. It can be seen that the A4W nuclear reactor cores of the US Navy will have a lifespan of more than 20 years before being recharged. It has been nearly 10 years since 2009, no matter how much nuclear technology develops, one thing is certain, the A4W nuclear reactor cores on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier will all decay in about 15 years.

Thus, it can be affirmed that the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson will be retired before 2030 because it has been 50 years since its launch.

3. The kitchen serving sailors on the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson

The kitchen serves 5,000 sailors on the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson

On the aircraft carrier Carl Vison, there are 140 chefs who work hard every day to cook and serve 5,000 soldiers.Not only do chefs and wait staff have to solve the problem of food quantity, they also have to ensure the quality and variety of the menu. This task becomes more difficult when the aircraft carrier Carl Vison is at sea for many weeks at a time.

Inside the USS Carl Vinson, there are seven mess halls ranging from private quarters for commanding officers to two large canteens for sailors. The mess halls are fully equipped with everything from draft beer dispensers to top-of-the-line coffee makers.

The menu changes daily, with a variety of dishes such as hamburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. There are also bars stocked with snacks, salads, sandwiches and hot dogs. Each day, the 5,000 sailors and servicemen eat four meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a late-night snack.

The ship's refrigerated food storage capacity is equivalent to 120 truckloads of premium ingredients such as lobster and beef for special parties.

4. How do American sailors live on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier?

Navy pilot Jaquala Moore fires from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson while waiting for refueling.

The $3.8 billion USS Carl Vinson is home to 5,000 sailors, pilots, and support personnel. It is longer than three football fields and weighs 95,000 tons.

On an aircraft carrier, each sailor wears a different color uniform and performs a different task. They have a board with 7 color codes that clearly define each individual's job. Sailors wearing red uniforms are usually in charge of moving and assembling aircraft weapon systems. These people sometimes have to carry equipment weighing more than 200 kg on their shoulders.

The sailors in green take on the most difficult and dangerous tasks on deck as they act as technicians for launching systems, cable hooks...

Serving food to 5,000 people is hard work. The chefs on the ship have to prepare 4 meals a day, because the aircraft carrier operates 24/7. The 5,000 people working on the ship have to wait in line to get their food. First, the sailors have to look at the menu, choose their dishes before taking trays and plates to get food. The chef team working on the ship consists of 140 people. They have to cook 16,000 - 18,000 meals a day.

4.“Packhorse” transport aircraft on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson

The C-2A Greyhound is 17.3m long, has a wingspan of 24.6m and is 4.85m high.

The C-2A Greyhound transport aircraft is tasked with transporting supplies and troops, providing logistical support to the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier during ocean missions.The C-2A Greyhound transport aircraft is powered by two Allison T56-A-425 engines. It can transport supplies from land to an aircraft carrier within hours.

In addition to transporting supplies, the C-2A Greyhound can also be used to transport troops or carry out evacuation missions when necessary.The C-2A Greyhound is 17.3m long, has a wingspan of 24.6m, and is 4.85m high. Its empty payload is 15 tons and its maximum takeoff weight is about 25 tons. The maximum speed of the C-2A Greyhound is about 635km/h.

The C-2A Greyhound's cargo elevator can open from the air, allowing supplies and troops to be transferred from the air to the aircraft carrier or the ground.During the carrier's typical six-month deployment, two C-2A transport aircraft will log approximately 1,000 flight hours, transporting approximately 5,000 people and approximately 400 tons of cargo.

5. What is the purpose of the US sending the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to visit Vietnam?

The first sailors left the aircraft carrier and boarded a Vietnamese ship to go ashore.

Analysts say that the US sending the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam is not only to strengthen the friendship between Washington and Hanoi but also to send a hidden message to other countries.

According to CNN, the US considers the four-day visit of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its 5,000-strong crew to Vietnam a historic opportunity to strengthen the growing friendship between Vietnam and the US.

However, according to analysts, Washington's sending of the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to Vietnam also has many other implications.

The US has long had a strong naval presence in Southeast Asia. Under President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama, Washington has repeatedly conducted “freedom of navigation” operations, sending aircraft close to islands in the South China Sea.

According to CNN, military relations between the US and Vietnam have been increasingly strengthened since 2016, after then-US President Barack Obama lifted the US arms embargo on Vietnam that had existed for decades.

Under President Trump, Washington and Hanoi’s military cooperation continued to grow. Despite withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, President Trump maintained close ties with Vietnam.