The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier will remain in service longer. Against the background of increasing costs of building new ships

Decision to extend the service of the USS carrierNimitzshows the problem facing not only the United States today. The increasing costs of ship building and the protracted modernisation programs make older units need to stay in line much longer than originally planned.

Over half a century of service

One such case isUSS carrierNimitz, who was solemnly incarnate in service on May 3, 1975. Since then, the unit has played an important role in the United States Navy activities. The ship participated, among other things, in events related to the failed recovery operation of American hostages held in Iran in 1980. A year later, a pair of F-14 Tomcat aircraft from his flight group shot down two Libyan Su-22s.

In 1985, the aircraft carrier operated off the coast of Lebanon, where the aircraft on board led targets in Beirut. Three years later, the unit secured the Winter Olympics in the Republic of Korea.

It was originally assumed that the ship would be decommissioned in 2025. Eventually, however, it was decided to extend its operation until 2026. This decision falls within the wider cost and pace of the implementation of the vessel programmes. The construction of new units, including next generation aircraft carriers, is increasingly expensive and time-consuming, which forces the fleet to keep older ships in line longer than planned.

End of an Age in the U.S. Navy

According to U.S. Navy carrier USSNimitzHe left the Naval Base Kitsap base in Bremerton, Washington on 7 March 2026 and began moving to Norfolk Port, Virginia, where he would be withdrawn from service. The unit has been based in Bremerton for the last decade.

During the cruise, the ship is to take part in Southern Seas 2026 exercises in the area of responsibility of the South Command (US Southern Command). As reported by the U.S. Navy, as part of the crossing, the aircraft carrier will sail around the continent of South America, visiting partner states ports along the way.

Upon reaching Norfolk, the ship will be officially decommissioned after more than 50 years of operation. The unit will then go to Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Newport News, where the process of deactivation and removal of nuclear fuel from reactors will begin.

The successor to the USSNimitzThere's an aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy.USSJohn F. Kennedy(CVN-79), second type unitGerald R. Ford. According to the current schedule, the ship should be transferredfleetin the first quarter of 2027.

CaseUSS Nimitzshows that even in the world's largest navy, rising costs and the pace of building new ships begin to have a real impact on the structure of the fleet. In practice, this means that older individuals remain in the ministry longer than originally expected. The construction of new ships takes longer and more costs, so many fleets decide to extend the operation of existing ships.