USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier, is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth U.S. naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier is nicknamed the "Big E." At 1,123 ft (342 m), USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier is the longest naval vessel in the world, though her 93,500 tons displacement places her as the eleventh heaviest supercarrier, surpassed only by the 10 carriers of the Nimitz-class.
USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier is a single class ship and is currently the oldest active vessel still in commission under the United States Navy, excluding the ceremonial commission of USS Constitution. As the oldest carrier in the fleet, she is currently scheduled for decommissioning some time in 2014-2015 depending on the life of her current reactors and when the construction of her replacement, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is completed. Efforts for an earlier retirement in 2012-2013 are under consideration but have yet to be approved by Congress. The earliest possible retirement date would still mean that Enterprise will retire with over 50 years of continuous service, the longest for any aircraft carrier in the history of the USN. USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier is currently home ported at Norfolk, Virginia. Her current commanding officer is Captain Ronald Horton.
USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier was meant to be the first of a class of six, but construction costs ballooned and the remaining vessels were never laid down, resulting in her being the only ship of her class. Because of her expense, USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier was launched without her originally intended complement of two twin Terrier missile launchers; a later retrofit added two NATO Sea Sparrow missile launchers and later three Phalanx mounts. In the 2004-2005 post-deployment extended selective restrictive availability her armament was refitted again, gaining two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers while dispensing with the forward-most Phalanx mount.
USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier is also the only aircraft carrier to house more than two nuclear reactors. USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier have eight-reactor propulsion design was rather conservative, with each A2W reactor taking the place of one of the conventional boilers in earlier designs. USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier is the only carrier to be fitted with four rudders compared to two for the other classes, and features a more cruiser-like hull.
In addition to having the innovation of nuclear power, USS Enterprise (CVN-65) US Navy aircraft carrier also featured a phased array radar system designed to provide improved tracking of multiple airborne targets relative to conventional rotating antenna radars. Her early phased arrays are responsible for the distinctive square looking island up until their replacement circa 1980.Because of the huge cost of her construction, Enterprise was launched and commissioned without the planned Terrier missile launchers. These were never installed and the ship’s self-defense suite instead consisted of three shorter ranged RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, Basic Point Defense Missile System (BPDMS) launchers. Later upgraded to carry two NATO Sea Sparrow (NSSM) and three Mk. 71 Phalanx CIWS gun mounts. One CIWS mount was later removed and two 21 cell RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers were added.
