Approximately 100 miles off the coast of North Carolina, a 14-nation armada converged in the blue waters of the Atlantic. Twenty-six ships from every corner of the world – including the U.S., Norway, Brazil, Morocco, Turkey and South Korea – synchronized at sea last week in a massive demonstration of deterrence and diplomacy.
At the forefront of it all was USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the U.S. Navy’s oldest aircraft carrier in active service.
“She is still a relevant warship today,” Capt. Joseph Furco, commanding officer of Nimitz, told reporters aboard the carrier.
Nimitz was the first in a series of nuclear-powered super carriers that have remained the centerpiece of American power projection. Now, 51 years after the ship was commissioned in 1975, Nimitz is returning to where it all began – Naval Station Norfolk, Va. – in preparation for the end of its service life.
Nimitz is shifting its homeport from Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Wash., to Norfolk, where it will be deactivated in March of 2027 and dismantled in 2030, according to the Navy’s 30-year Shipbuilding Plan released in this year. Nimitz was previously slated to leave active service in May this year, but the Navy opted to keep the carrier in the fleet for at least 10 additional months, coinciding with when the future John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is set to deliver to the Navy, USNI News previously reported.
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