The construction of huge aircraft carriers by many military experts is perceived rather skeptically. This is due primarily to the high cost of creating such vessels. In their opinion, for such money (the amount can reach the level of several billion US dollars), you can construct a dozen light aircraft carriers that can take on board aircraft characterized by the possibility of vertical take-off. Do not forget that the loss in a naval battle of a large ship will be very significant.
Be that as it may, a large aircraft carrier has several advantages. These include the ability to radar control and successfully confront several light ships at once, the detection of enemy targets at considerable distances, and others. One of these ships, considered to be the real pride of the US Navy, is the "Harry Truman" - an aircraft carrier, the characteristics and detailed description of which are presented in this article below.
Appearance story
The construction of the ship started in 1993. The work was carried out in Virginia by Newport News Shipbuilding. The US Navy aircraft carrier Harry Truman became the eighth ship in the Nimitz class. It should be noted that it includes the largest warships on the planet, the main purpose of which is to work in strike groups and defeat large surface targets. In addition, they are able to provide air defense and be involved in all kinds of airborne missions. Initially, the aircraft carrier was called USS United States. However, after the launch of the ship on September 7, 1996, the government decided to rename it in honor of 33 according to the account of the American president - Harry Truman. The ceremonial ceremony of introducing the vessel into the state navy, which was visited by President Bill Clinton, took place on July 25, 1998.
Official information on how much the US government treasury cost the Harry Truman nuclear carrier was not disclosed. At the same time, according to rough estimates of experts, the final cost of its creation amounted to about $ 4.5 billion.
Postscript
The place of permanent deployment of the ship is a naval base located in the port of Norfolk. The call sign of the ship translated from English means "lone warrior". His first official campaign began on November 28, 2000. Then the aircraft carrier "Harry Truman" was sent to carry out operations in the Persian Gulf.
general description
The main supporting structures of the ship and its flight deck are made of armored steel, while its hull consists of welded steel sheets. According to the developers, the life of the vessel is fifty years, and the operating time of nuclear fuel is twenty years. On the ship, there are about four thousand rooms for various purposes. The size of the displacement possessed by the US aircraft carrier Harry Truman is 97 thousand tons. The maximum length of the vessel reaches 332.8 meters and a width of 76.8 meters. The size of the draft is 11.3 meters.
Among other things, the designers equipped the ship with the most modern powerful radar systems and a control system. These include satellite communication stations, reconnaissance and control of an anti-aircraft missile system, systems for interacting with digital communication lines, TAKAN navigation, which allows you to control aircraft and transmit information to it up to 150 miles away and much more.
Aviation group
As for the ship’s aviation group, it includes not only aircraft, but also helicopters. In general, the ship is theoretically designed for 90 units of aircraft. In fact, it does not make sense to carry out its full load, since this can lead to great difficulties associated with the movement of aircraft and their preparation for departure. Thus, as a rule, about 60 aircraft are constantly on board. There is also a link here, the main purpose of which is rescue and search operations in the event that one of the aircraft is shot down and the pilot manages to eject.
Key Specifications
The American aircraft carrier Harry Truman is driven by two nuclear reactors, as well as four diesel engines, developing 10 720 horsepower. The total power of the ship’s power units reaches 260 thousand “horses”. The cruising speed of the ship is 30 knots, in other words - about 56 km / h. There are no restrictions regarding range. Moreover, autonomous navigation of a ship can last up to twenty years.
Staff
The main crew includes 3200 people. In addition to them, the ship is attended by another 2,480 workers who are engaged in servicing the aircraft wing. Despite the simultaneous presence on board of so many military personnel, it cannot be said that the Harry Truman aircraft carrier is crowded, because the ship has several relaxation areas, a kind of bar, gym and many other places where staff can spend free time.
The most important actions
This ship, like all other major US aircraft carriers, is under the constant supervision of the country's Ministry of Defense. Moreover, even the most insignificant movements of the ship are documented without fail. For its relatively short term of operation, the aircraft carrier Harry Truman took part in campaigns in various corners of the planet.
As noted above, in November 2000 the debut deployment of the vessel took place. Then the ship left the home port and headed for the Persian Gulf. In that conflict, he became one of the main shock forces of his state, which adhered to the tactics of contactless war. "Harry Truman" became the real core of the attacking group, which was attended by attack aircraft, fighters, submarines, as well as cruisers, which were armed with the Tomahawk missile reserve. It should be noted that most military experts praised the actions of an aircraft carrier after the end of a military operation. Having overcome more than 44 thousand nautical miles in six months, the ship returned to Norfolk.
The second test of the aircraft carrier began in December 2002. After deploying in the Mediterranean, he returned to his permanent location six months later.
From October 2004 to April 2005, the third deployment of Harry Truman was carried out. Five years later, the ship again sailed to the Persian Gulf, from where it returned at the end of December 2010.
Beginning in July 2013 and for seven months, the aircraft carrier patrolled the waters of the Middle East, after which it successfully returned to base.
Last voyage
According to representatives of the US defense department, the main goal pursued by the Harry Truman aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean in the summer of 2016 was to participate in a military operation against the Islamic State (a group that is banned in Russia). Many domestic experts suggest that the United States also tried to demonstrate its combat capabilities to the world. On June 3, aircraft that rose from the side of this ship attacked the positions of a terrorist organization in Iraq and Syria. It should be noted that after the campaign in Iraq in 2003, these were the first attacks inflicted by American troops using an aircraft carrier.
Interesting Facts
There is information that the company Newport News Shipbuilding received an order to carry out large-scale modernization of the ship. It is assumed that all work will be completed at the end of this year. According to unofficial data, the US government has allocated about $ 52 million to upgrade the ship. What exactly units and units are subject to modernization, as of today is not known.
In 2003, the aircraft carrier "Harry Truman" took part in the filming of the film "Tears of the Sun", where the main character was embodied on the screen by Bruce Willis.
In 1995, the ship appeared in the eighth series of the animated series Neon Genesis Evangelion. True, it should be noted that its name was changed to Over the Rainbow.