Diplomacy & Crisis News

Summary and Key Points: The top speed or flank speed of the U.S. Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers remains somewhat of a mystery, with official figures stating they can exceed 30 knots.

-It is believed they can reach up to 31.5 knots, fast enough to cover a large area quickly.

-According to firsthand accounts, it takes around 10 minutes for these massive 97,000-ton warships to reach flank speed, and while no one has officially attempted to water ski behind an aircraft carrier, it would be possible given their impressive speed.

How Fast Can U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers Really Go?

The United States Navy's largest vessels are also among the fastest surface combatants in service today – the question however is exactly how fast the nuclear-powered Nimitz-class super carriers can travel. Officially the United States Navy will only state that its carriers can exceed 30 knots, but how much remains unknown.

It is known that the Nimitz class was designed to produce 260,000 shp, while there is speculation the design speed was 31.5 knots – fast enough to get out of harm's way.

As Forbes.com reported in 2019, "Because they can sustain speeds of 35 miles per hour, the Nimitz-class carriers populating the current fleet can move to anywhere within a 700-square mile area within 30 minutes. After 90 minutes, that area grows to over 6,000 square miles."

Reaching Flank Speed

However, it should be noted that warships aren't always operating at "flank speed," the vessel's maximum, and it takes time to get a 97,000-ton warship moving. Recently a tactical officer shared some insight on the 'flank speed' of the U.S. Navy's supercarriers on the Quora social messaging platform.

Ross Hall, tactical action officer and anti-submarine officer assigned to a U.S. Navy Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier offered insight on the subject and was quoted by TheAviationGeekClub.com.

"It's hard to imagine what a carrier doing flank speed is like," Hall explained in his post. "During our transit to the North Arabian Sea, we conducted a rendezvous in the Indian Ocean with an amphibious group that was transiting back to the US. That day, the amphib guys showed off their LCACs, and we gave them an impromptu air show, with a couple of fly-bys for good measure."

Hall added, "As we parted company, our skipper announced 'Let's show them what an aircraft carrier can do'. We were barely making way at the time. He ordered us to depart at flank speed," noting, "When flank speed is ordered, power is applied to the shafts to turn the propellers. On the Nimitz class carriers, the four propellers are approximately 25 feet in diameter, and each weighs about 30 tons. When power is applied, torque on the shafts is limited to prevent damage – the shafts can 'twist' up to one and a half times (540 degrees). The longest shafts are 184 feet long.

"When the propellers start to turn, the water behind the ship begins to churn – it looks like the sea is beginning to boil. You can feel the ship vibrating as the engines ramp up and the propellers start to rotate," his comments continued.

The naval officer said it took about 10 minutes for the warship to reach flank speed, and he added, "If you have a long enough cable and a death wish, you could waterski behind the carrier."

Could you Water Ski Behind an Aircraft Carrier?

While Hall was clearly joking, he may not have known that in 1986, Royal Navy sailors attempted to water ski behind the Type 42 destroyer HMS Nottingham while deployed to the Persian Gulf. However, that vessel was only capable of reaching a top speed of 18 knots – about half that of the U.S. aircraft carrier.

Images have also circulated online that show the Royal Navy's Lieutenant Commander Nigel Williams water skiing from the Type 22 frigate HMS Brave in the 1980s. Yet, to date, there are no reports that any sailors have actually tried to water ski behind a carrier, yet it could be easily done by more experienced water skiers.

The average water skiing speed is about 26 knots, but for the record, according to Guinness World Records, "The fastest water skiing speed recorded is 230.26 km/h (143.08 mph) by Christopher Michael Massey (Australia) on the Hawkesbury River, Windsor, New South Wales, Australia on 6 Mar 1983. His drag boat driver was Stanley Charles Sainty.

Massey could certainly have water skied behind the USS Nimitz (CVN-68), even at flank speed.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock. 

Summary and Key Points: Aircraft carriers have long symbolized U.S. naval power, but recent advancements in anti-ship technology, such as drones and missiles, are challenging their future viability.

-These massive vessels are increasingly vulnerable to cheaper, more sophisticated attacks, particularly from adversaries like China.

-In a potential conflict, the loss of a carrier would be a significant strategic and psychological blow. If carriers become obsolete, the U.S. Navy might pivot towards stealthier and more agile vessels, like submarines and destroyers, to maintain maritime dominance.

-While heavily invested in new carrier classes, the Navy could adapt and find new ways to project power if needed.

Are Aircraft Carriers Losing Their Edge in Modern Warfare?

Aircraft carriers define the power of the U.S. Navy today. But the Navy has existed for 230 years – 248 years if you count the Continental Navy – and for the great majority of that time, the maritime service did not have aircraft carriers at all. If carriers become obsolete, the Navy will probably adapt and endure.

Why Might the Aircraft Carrier Era End?

Some pundits question the viability of the aircraft carrier in contemporary combat environments. Thanks to recent advances in anti-ship technologies, relatively cheap and low-tech equipment might be used to contain or even destroy advanced surface vessels. Drones, for example, can be deployed in swarms. They have caused problems for exponentially more expensive and more sophisticated U.S. warships off the coast of Yemen. Anti-ship missiles have become increasingly effective and have the potential to target and destroy aircraft carriers.

Carriers are, of course, massive targets – both in the literal and figurative sense. In the literal sense, aircraft carriers are one-fifth of a mile long. They carry 5,000 sailors and 100 aircraft, and they cost billions of dollars per unit. In the figurative sense, aircraft carriers are the symbol of a nation’s naval might and general fortune. Felling an aircraft carrier in the modern era would be a victory of a significance that is hard to calculate. Accordingly, they make a very attractive target. 

In a potential war against China, the U.S. would depend on carriers to deploy air power throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The Chinese undoubtedly would use their stockpile of anti-ship missiles, as well as their growing fleet of submarines, aircraft carriers, and surface vessels, to target American aircraft carriers. The loss of just one carrier would be devastating to any American war effort. Frankly, the American public is probably not conditioned for the casualties that the sinking of an aircraft carrier would entail – potentially double the lives that were lost on 9/11.

What Would Replace the Aircraft Carrier?

If, for some reason, the U.S. Navy had to move past the aircraft carrier, the process would be cumbersome and likely made with great reluctance.

Right now, the Navy has considerable resources invested in its carrier fleet – investment befitting a vessel type that is indeed the cornerstone of the service. But it could move on if necessary, and if the maritime service faces an existential threat, it will adjust accordingly. 

Adjustment could look like a pivot toward stealthier, sleeker, smaller vessels. More submarines, for example, or destroyers – vessels that would be harder for the enemy to target with drones and anti-ship missiles, and harder to locate in the first place. 

The Navy is banking on aircraft carriers being the vessel of the future. That’s why they’re comfortable investing $13 billion per boat in the brand-new Ford-class carrier. But if for some reason the Navy needed to move past the iconic aircraft carrier, it would find a way.

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

All images are Creative Commons. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the latest proposal could be the “last” opportunity to free Israeli hostages and secure a truce.

Can the technology give Washington the edge in a vital—and deeply competitive—industry?

It’s been a brutal summer for the region—and the effects are spreading to the rest of the world.

After years of propaganda about the existential threat from Ukraine, Russians respond with a collective shrug.

Longtemps considérée comme une exception en Europe, l'Espagne doit compter désormais avec l'influence électorale croissante de Vox, fondé en 2013. L'émergence de ce mouvement, qui devrait peser sur le scrutin législatif anticipé du 23 juillet, doit beaucoup aux divisions internes et à l'évolution (...) / Parti politique, Espagne, Idéologie, Extrême droite, Histoire, Politique - 2023/07

In the U.S.-Chinese tech race, diffusion matters more than invention.

America needs a playbook for difficult friends.

Petit pays limitrophe de la Russie, l'Estonie se défie de ce puissant voisin. Arrêt brutal des importations de gaz russe et envol des dépenses militaires ont provoqué une inflation record. Dans une société mobilisée contre le spectre d'une invasion, la première ministre n'a pas pâti de ce bilan dans (...) / Estonie, Monnaie, Armée, Crise économique, Conflit russo-ukrainien 2022-, Minorité nationale - 2023/07

Au début est le fait divers, réel ou inventé mais presque toujours sanglant. De la fin du XVe siècle à la Libération, de petites publications vendues par des colporteurs décrivent, avec force détails, meurtres, assassinats et autres affaires sordides. Il y a le texte que chacun commente à sa guise ; il (...) / Médias, Musique - 2023/07

Faire ce qu'on veut chez soi. Ne dépendre de personne. Surtout pas d'un État qui ne satisfait plus les demandes qu'on lui adresse mais multiplie les exigences. Fréquent en milieu rural, un tel état d'esprit favorise le Rassemblement national. Ses porte-parole affirment en effet la capacité de s'en (...) / Service public, Extrême droite, Inégalités - 2024/07

Né en 1930 et mort en 2021 au Caire, Albert Arié a accompagné l'histoire de l'Égypte, des derniers feux de la monarchie à l'arrivée au pouvoir des officiers libres, de la nationalisation de la Compagnie du canal de Suez aux mesures socialistes adoptées par le Raïs. Il participe dès son plus jeune âge, (...) / Bande dessinée, Histoire, Personnalités, Égypte - 2024/07

Kyiv’s attack on Russia—and successful defense of Its northern flank—has changed the war.

A key ally of the United States is cracking down on press freedoms.

Both sides accuse the other of delaying negotiations as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 40,000 people.

The White House has been kept out of the loop on several major wartime decisions by Israel and Ukraine.

与中国竞争，美国必须取得全胜，不能只是管控

Even after buying their way out of Gaza, Palestinians remain vulnerable.

Un demi-siècle après sa fondation, le Rassemblement national est le premier parti de France. Ses priorités idéologiques — durcissement pénal, combat contre les immigrés et les « assistés » — inspirent les politiques du président Emmanuel Macron. Mais l'extrême droite se nourrit depuis longtemps des (...) / France, Histoire, Politique, Extrême droite, Inégalités, Élections - 2024/07