12/22/2014
Our current picture is USS Nimitz (CVN-68) a supercarrier of the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. One of the largest warships in the world, she was laid down, launched and commissioned as CVAN-68 but was redesignated CVN 68 (nuclear-powered multimission aircraft carrier) on 30 June 1975 as part of a fleet realignment.The Nimitz class carriers have a lifespan of approximately 50 years. Nimitz itself is currently scheduled to be eventually replaced around 2025 by the Gerald R. Ford–class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, CVN-79. The exact date of the ship's inactivation and decommissioning will likely depend on Defense Department funding considerations. In FY 2025 according to CNO report to congress in 2014, the US will have 11 CVN's.