Kitty Hawk-class

Summary

Description

The Kitty Hawk-class supercarriers were an advanced version of the Forrestal-class vessels, serving as the backbone of the United States Navy during their operational period. Commissioned in the 1960s, this class included Kitty Hawk (CV-63), Constellation (CV-64), America (CV-66), and their variant, John F. Kennedy (CV-67), which was significant enough in its design modifications to form its own single-vessel class. Despite their shared origins, the ships were constructed at different shipyards.

The design of Kitty Hawk-class carriers showcased several improvements from their Forrestal-class predecessors, notably in their increased length and a reconfigured placement of the aircraft elevators, which enhanced the efficiency of aircraft operations on the flight deck. Originating from the SCB 127 design, the Kitty Hawk and Constellation were built to design SCB 127A, while America featured more distinct specifications classified under project SCB 127B. These differences included alterations to anchors and smokestack design, as well as the installation and subsequent removal of sonar equipment on the America.

The class was initially armed with a Terrier surface-to-air missile system, which was later removed as it was redundant to the air defense provided by accompanying escorts. John F. Kennedy, despite being planned as a Kitty Hawk-class ship, differed enough in its design, like having modifications for a sonar array and different plans for its propulsion, to be designated as its own class. All carriers in the class were conventionally powered, each propelled by four Westinghouse geared turbines and powered by eight Foster Wheeler boilers, although there was a proposal to equip Kennedy with nuclear propulsion which was not authorized by Congress.

During their service, the ships underwent various upgrades, including installations of the Sea Sparrow missile system, the Phalanx CIWS, the SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite, and, for Kitty Hawk, the Rolling Airframe Missile launchers. They also participated in a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) aimed at prolonging their operational capabilities, though America was decommissioned prematurely and used as a live-fire target due to budget constraints post-Cold War.

The operational history of the Kitty Hawk-class carriers spanned several decades, with decommissioning occurring between 1996 and 2009. The carriers were critical during their service lives for power projection and deploying air superiority across the world’s oceans, reflecting a pivotal era in naval aviation history. Kitty Hawk was the final ship of the class to be decommissioned.

Technical specifications