The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan

The USS RONALD REAGAN is the 9th Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built for the U.S. Navy. It was named after former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The ship has a newer design than the other carriers in its class, including a completely re-designed island, a bulbous bow, and modifications to the flight deck. With a top speed of more than 35 mph, and carrying more than 80 combat aircraft, the USS Ronald Reagan has an expected lifetime of at least 50 years.

The carrier displaces almost 100,000 metric tonnes when fully loaded, and is over 330 metres long. Its flight deck covers an immense 4.5 acres; the island is 20 stories above the waterline. Power comes from two nuclear reactors that can operate for 20 years without refueling. Propulsion (over 280,000 horsepower) is taken care of by four huge bronze propellers, each of which is 6.4 metres across and weighs 30 tonnes.


In addition to the aircraft carried on deck and in the hangars below, the carrier is equipped with several types of missiles, various guns, and electronic warfare gear. Planes are launched from the deck using steam-powered catapults; a combat aircraft is sent down the deck 100 metres during which time its speed increases from zero to 165 miles per hour ... in just two seconds. Upon their return to the ship, aircraft are stopped by arresting cables stretched across the deck.

About 6,000 crew members are aboard when the carrier sails. Over 18,000 meals are served each day (for almost three months without restocking). The ship also contains a post office, a dental office staffed by five dentists and an oral surgeon, a 63-bed hospital with five physicians, a ship's newspaper, and three chaplains who conduct daily religious services. A desalination plant turns seawater into fresh drinking water at the rate of 1,500,000 litres per day.