The U.S. Navy officially confirmed changing the decommissioning timeline for nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), which was to be decommissioned in May this year. Now this deadline has been moved to 2027.
New USS Nimitz operation timelines were announced by U.S. Navy representatives to USNI. Official reasons for this decision were not announced, but the main reason can quite possibly be considered the American 2011 law establishing a minimum threshold of 11 carriers in the U.S. USS Nimitz's replacement John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) Ford-class should enter service no earlier than March 2027.
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At the same time, the publication focuses on the question of USS Nimitz's real combat capability in such condition. Noting that Nimitz-class nuclear carriers awaiting mid-life refueling were used as training platforms for pilots and participated in local exercises.
Defense Express notes this hint was made regarding nuclear fuel, its production and the condition of the carrier's two 550 MW A4W nuclear reactors each. The fact is that Nimitz-class carriers were built with calculation for 50-year operation and one global reactor maintenance with nuclear fuel reload during so-called Refueling and Complex Overhaul.
USS Nimitz passed this complex of work in 1998-2001, meaning their start came 23 years from its 1975 entry into service. New planned ship decommissioning timelines are scheduled for 26 years from mid-life cycle work completion.
In other words, reactor real capabilities in such condition may not meet needs and may impose limitations on carrier combat capability. At the same time, USS Nimitz is the first representative of its class and has the oldest A4W reactors, so their real operation timelines in practice are only now being studied.
Also, the Pentagon has not currently announced any details about how specifically USS Nimitz will finish service. Currently the carrier is heading from Pacific Ocean to Atlantic to Norfolk base, where nuclear fuel unloading and further carrier decommissioning at Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard were to occur.
Thus USS Nimitz has every chance to stand at pier for one additional year in only formal combat unit status, which will allow not violating the law. Or continue active service, which for the Pentagon may be important given the war against iran, which is gradually transitioning to protracted status.
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