_LF.jpg) USSDwight D. Eisenhower underway in the Atlantic Ocean | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Namesake | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Awarded | 29 June 1970 |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Cost | $679 million ($5.5 billion in 2024 dollars) |
| Laid down | 15 August 1970 |
| Launched | 11 October 1975 |
| Sponsored by | Mamie Doud-Eisenhower[1] |
| Christened | 11 October 1975 |
| Acquired | 12 September 1977 |
| Commissioned | 18 October 1977 |
| Renamed | fromEisenhower, 25 May 1970 |
| Reclassified | CVN-69, 30 June 1975 |
| Homeport | Norfolk |
| Identification |
|
| Motto | Greater Each Day |
| Nickname(s) |
|
| Status | in active service |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Nimitz-classaircraft carrier |
| Displacement | 101,600 long tons (113,800 short tons)[2][3] |
| Length | |
| Beam |
|
| Height | 244 feet (74 m) |
| Draft |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 30knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)+[6] |
| Range | Unlimited distance; 20–25 years |
| Complement |
|
| Sensors and processing systems |
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| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Armor | Unknown |
| Aircraft carried | 90 fixed wing and helicopters |
USSDwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) is anuclear-poweredaircraft carrier currently in service with theUnited States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of tenNimitz-class aircraft carriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the 34th President of the United States and General of the Army,Dwight D. Eisenhower. The vessel was initially named simply as USSEisenhower, much like the lead ship of the class,Nimitz, but the name was changed to its present form on 25 May 1970.[7][8][9] The carrier, like all others of her class, was constructed atNewport News Shipbuilding Company inVirginia, with the same design as the lead ship, although the ship has been overhauled twice to bring her up to the standards of those constructed more recently.
Since commissioning,Dwight D. Eisenhower has participated in deployments including theGulf War in the 1990s, and more recently in support of U.S. military operations inIraq,Afghanistan andYemen. The carrier currently serves as the flagship ofCarrier Strike Group 2.[10][11]
On 29 June 1970,Newport News Shipbuilding (then Northrop Grumman Newport News) ofNewport News, Virginia, was awarded the contract for construction. On 30 June 1975, her designation was changed from CVAN-69 to CVN-69. She was laid down as hull number 599 on 15 August 1970 at Newport News shipyard at a cost of $679 million ($5.5 billion in 2024 dollars), launched 11 October 1975 after christening byMamie Doud Eisenhower, Dwight Eisenhower's widow, and commissioned 18 October 1977,CaptainWilliam E. Ramsey in command.[1] On commissioning, she replaced the agingWorld War II–era carrierUSS Franklin D. Roosevelt in the fleet.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was initially assigned to theUnited States Atlantic Fleet, and, after receiving over a year of training, the ship was visited by PresidentJimmy Carter with his wifeRosalynn Carter,Defense SecretaryHarold Brown andNational Security AdvisorZbigniew Brzeziński. In January 1979, she sailed for her first deployment to theMediterranean Sea. During this deployment, while off the coast ofIsrael,Israeli Prime MinisterMenachem Begin visitedDwight D. Eisenhower, The carrier returned toNorfolk Naval Station in July of the same year.
Under the command of her second Commanding Officer, CaptainJames H. Mauldin, her second deployment occurred in 1980, when she was dispatched by President Carter to theIndian Ocean, in response to theIran hostage crisis. She relieved sister-carrierNimitz three days after theIranian hostage rescue attempt. To help maintain morale, Captain Mauldin allowed the men aboard to participate in "Flight Deck Olympics". The Navy also authorized a special ration of beer, consisting of two cans per man every continuous 93 days at sea. The two beers were well refrigerated and were handed out to each crewman during "Steel Beach" breaks. It was the first U.S. Navy's six-pack cruise since World War II. Officers were flown by helicopter to British ships for their rum rations. Ike's crew was awarded with the Navy Unit Commendation ribbon and the Navy Marine Corps Expeditionary medal in 1980 for this extended cruise. During this cruise, port visits to Kenya and Australia were cancelled due to conflicts in the region. Eventually, Ike visited Singapore after which it returned to the Indian Ocean for a total of over 320 days out at sea for 1980.[12][7][8]
Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to the Mediterranean Sea for her third deployment, under the command of her third CaptainE. W. Clexton Jr., from 5 January to 13 July 1982. During this deployment, 11 passengers and crew were lost whenMamie, her onboard logistics aircraft, crashed nearSouda Bay,Crete, on 2 April. She also participated in the 24 June evacuation of the U.S. Embassy staff fromBeirut,Lebanon, as that country descended intocivil war.[7]
_catching_wire_on_USS_Eisenhower_(CVN-69)_1983.JPEG)
Ike embarked on her fourth deployment from 27 April to 2 December 1983. In addition to several major exercises with NATO, Egyptian and U.S. Air Force personnel and assets, she came under direct threat of attack as Libyan dictatorMuammar al-Qadhafi vowed to turn theGulf of Sidra into a "red gulf of blood" should the ship enter the zone claimed by Libya. Further tensions between Libya, Chad, Sudan, and Egypt forcedIke to be ordered to the disputed area. Between 2 and 5 August, the ship's Combat Air Patrol intercepted twoMiG-23 Flogger and two Dassault-BreguetMirage 5 aircraft headed toward the carrier in separate engagements. The Libyan aircraft immediately turned back toward their bases, ending both incidents. Diplomatic measures deflated the crisis days later. On 26 August,Ike sailed within sight of the embattled city of Beirut, Lebanon. The ship launched reconnaissance sorties in support of the U.S. Marines and otherinternational peacekeepers coming under attack ashore. After 93 days at sea since her previous port visit,Ike visitedItaly on 21 October. She once again had to make speed toward Beirut, just five days later on the 26th, becauseof suicide attacks that killed nearly 300 American and French troops on 23 October.Ike would remain on station until relieved by carriersIndependence andJohn F. Kennedy in mid November.[7]
In May and June 1984, for the 40th anniversary of D-Day,Ike was deployed toNormandy, France andPortsmouth, England. The port visit in England included a visit fromQueen Elizabeth II. After her fifth deploymentDwight D. Eisenhower went into Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock in October 1985 for a major overhaul. The 18-month yard period included the addition of theClose-in Weapons System (CIWS),NATO Sea SparrowMissile System,Naval Tactical Data System,anti-submarine warfare module, communications upgrades and rehabilitation of 1,831 berths in 25 compartments. She re-entered the fleet in April 1987.[13]
On 29 February 1988,Ike started her sixth deployment to the Mediterranean. While returning to Norfolk, on 29 August 1988, she collided with an anchored Spanish bulk carrier, theUrduliz, while entering the harbor to dock at Norfolk Naval Station when wind and currents pushed the carrier off course, but only caused minor damage to both ships.[7][14]Dwight D. Eisenhower enteredNorfolk Naval Shipyard (Portsmouth, Virginia) in September 1988; she returned to the fleet in April 1989.
In 1990,Dwight D. Eisenhower completed her seventh Mediterranean deployment. The deployment became a commemorative event in the worldwide "Dwight D. Eisenhower Centennial", celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late president's birth. DuringD-Day anniversary ceremonies off the coast ofNormandy, President Eisenhower's sonJohn Eisenhower and D-Day veterans embarked in the ship, whileCarrier Air Wing Seven conducted a memorial flyover of theAmerican cemetery atOmaha Beach in Normandy, France.
In response toIraq'sinvasion of Kuwait,Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first carrier to conduct sustained operations in theRed Sea, and only the second nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ever to transit theSuez Canal.Ike served as a ready striking force in the event Iraq invadedSaudi Arabia, and participated in maritime interception operations in support of aUnited Nations embargo against Iraq.
After completion of an extensive shipyard period and work-up, the carrier deployed 26 September 1991 to thePersian Gulf to continue multi-national operations with coalition forces in support ofOperation Desert Storm.Ike returned toNorfolk on 2 April 1992, and, on 12 January 1993, entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul and conversion, returning to the fleet 12 November 1993.
_leaves_Norfolk_for_Operation_Uphold_Democracy_in_1994.JPEG)
In September 1994,Dwight D. Eisenhower and elements of theU.S. 10th Mountain Division first tested the concept of adaptive force packaging. The division's soldiers and equipment were loaded on board, and the ship's Army/Navy team headed forPort-au-Prince to lead Operation Uphold Democracy, the U.S.-led effort to restore the elected government ofHaiti.[15][16]
One month later, in October 1994,Dwight D. Eisenhower departed for a six-month deployment which included flying missions in support ofOperation Southern Watch andOperation Deny Flight. This deployment marked the first time that women had deployed as crew members of a U.S. Navy combatant.Dwight D. Eisenhower,Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3), and the Commander,Cruiser-Destroyer Group 8 staff team included more than 400 women. The integration of women caused some negative headlines for the Navy. During the deployment, 15 women serving aboard had to be reassigned ashore because of pregnancy, earning the ship the nicknameThe Love Boat.[17] There was also a case of a sailor whofilmed himself having sex with a female.[17]
Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Newport News Shipbuilding on 17 July 1995 for an 18-month complex overhaul, completed on 27 January 1997. Among other upgrades, they installed a newAdvanced combat direction system. The ship departed on her 10th deployment on 10 June 1998 and returned in December. In February 1999, she returned to the Norfolk Navy Shipyard for a six-month refitting and returned to the fleet in June. Upon completion in June 1999, she returned to full duty in the fleet.[citation needed]
In April 1995, the long-running game showWheel of Fortune recorded two weeks of shows from the hangar bay of theEisenhower.[18]
%2c_Nimitz-class_aircraft_carrier_USS_Dwight_D._Eisenhower_(CVN_69)%2c_anchors_off_the_coast_of_Cyprus_for_a_port_visit.jpg)
Deploying in February 2000 and returning that August on the "Millennium Cruise", for the first timeIke's embarked aircraft dropped ordnance in combat while enforcing Operation Southern Watch'sNo-Fly Zone over Iraq.
On 3 October 2006 with Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7),Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to sea asflagship ofRADMAllen G. Myers, commandingCarrier Strike Group Eight (CSG-8), which includedguided-missile cruiserAnzio,guided-missile destroyersRamage andMason, andfast-attack submarineNewport News.[19] She visitedNaples, Italy, and thenLimassol,Cyprus, for three days in October 2006 before departing to the east. She entered the Persian Gulf in December 2006.[20]
On 8 January 2007, a U.S.AC-130 gunship based out ofDjibouti was dispatched to targetAl-Qaeda operatives located inSomalia.Dwight D. Eisenhower was deployed in the Indian Ocean to provide air cover for the operation and, if needed, to evacuate downed airmen and other casualties.[21] She joined other U.S. and allied vessels fromCombined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), based out ofBahrain.[22] A U.S. spokesperson did not say which particular ships comprised the cordon, but the task force included vessels from Canada, France, Germany, Pakistan, the UK and the US. Ships of CTF-150 from the U.S. Navy include theArleigh Burke-class destroyerRamage and theTiconderoga-class cruiserBunker Hill.[23] The aim of CTF-150's patrols is to "... stopSICC leaders or foreign militant supporters escaping" Somalia.[24] In March 2007, following theIranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel,Dwight D. Eisenhower beganbattle group exercises off the Iranian coastline. The following month, in April, the ship was relieved byNimitz.[25]
On 4 October 2008Dwight D. EisenhowerPetty Officer 2nd Class Robert Lemar Robinson was killed aboard ship during training exercises off the coast of North Carolina. The sailor was struck and mortally wounded, by an airplane at 8:15 p.m. on the carrier's flight deck.[26]
On 21 February 2009,Dwight D. Eisenhower deployed for the Arabian Sea and environs rotating into the forward-deployed forces there. She served as the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 8 commanded by Rear AdmiralKurt W. Tidd. Also embarked was Carrier Air Wing 7 and the staff of Commander, Destroyer Squadron 28. Other ships of Strike Group 8 wereBainbridge,Halyburton,Scranton,Vicksburg, andGettysburg. In addition to supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the strike group conducted maritime security operations including anti-piracy operations. On 16 May,Dwight D. Eisenhower became the firstNimitz-class carrier to dock pier-side inManama, Bahrain. The last carrier to moor pierside in Bahrain wasRendova in 1948. On 30 July 2009,Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Naval Station Norfolk after an almost six-month-long deployment.[27]
_and_USS_Dwight_D._Eisenhower_(CVN_69)_pass_as_Enterprise_returns_to_homepo.jpg)
On 2 January 2010,Dwight D. Eisenhower again deployed to theU.S. 5th and6th Fleet areas of operation in the Middle East. She served as the flagship of theDwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group commanded by Rear AdmiralPhilip S. Davidson. While in theater, the strike group provided security cooperation, forward naval presence, maritime security, and crisis response. In addition toIke, the strike group was made up of Carrier Air Wing 7; Commander, Destroyer Squadron 28; the guided-missile cruiserHué City; and guided-missile destroyersMcFaul,Carney, andFarragut.[28][29] On 28 July 2010,Ike returned to her homeport in Norfolk.
The ship was placed in a planned incrementalavailability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard from September 2010 through June 2011. The ship was deployed again 7 June 2012 to the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The ship returned to homeport 19 December 2012.[30] On 22 February 2013,Ike and Strike Group 8 departed for another Mediterranean and Mid-East deployment. After pulling intoMarseille, France[31] in early March, the GermanSachsen-classfrigateHamburg became the first to fully integrate into an American strike group.Hamburg, commanded by Commander (FKpt) Ralf Kuchler (GN), remained with the strike group while it operated with the 5th fleet.[32] The ship returned to homeport 3 July 2013. On 6 August the ship began an ammunition offload in preparation for an upcoming docked planned incremental availability (DPIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.[33] On 26 August 2014, the ship was moved to Berth 42-43 from Dry Dock #8 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and as of 4 February 2015, the DPIA was four months behind schedule, with the ship planned to remain in the yard until at least April 2015.[citation needed] On 3 September 2015, the ship went back to sea.[34]
On 8 June 2016,Dwight D. Eisenhower and her Carrier Strike Group sailed the Atlantic Ocean into the U.S. 6th Fleet's area of operations (AoR) in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.[35] On 22 November 2016,Military Times reported that since June 2016, when the ship entered the Persian Gulf after launching strikes from the eastern Mediterranean, the carrier's Captain, Paul Spedero, reported that sorties fromDwight D. Eisenhower had dropped nearly 1,100 bombs onISIS targets in Iraq and Syria.Ike returned to homeport Norfolk 30 December.[36]
On 18 March 2016, while she was sailing off the coast of Virginia, eight members of her deck crew were injured when the arresting gear cables failed and "came apart", during the routine landing of anE-2 Hawkeye aircraft. Six of the injured deck crew were flown by helicopter to nearby shore-based hospitals, while the other two remained and were treated aboard ship. None of the eight suffered life-threatening injuries. The Hawkeye immediately resumed flight and landed safely atChambers Field, Norfolk Naval Station, with no reports of injuries to her crew or damage to the aircraft.[37]
In December 2016, the ship completed her 17th deployment to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.[38]
On 13 January 2020,Dwight D. Eisenhower left Norfolk for herComposite Training Unit Exercise ahead of deploying. After exercising withCarrier Strike Group 10 until late February,Dwight D. Eisenhower immediately deployed to the Persian Gulf without returning to port, due toDynamic Force Employment (DFE), a strategy to help make naval deployments less predictive.[39]
On 26 June 2020, the ship surpassed theUSS Theodore Roosevelt's record of 160 consecutive days at sea without a port call by reaching its 161st day. This new mark is attributed to theCOVID-19 pandemic and the ship's operational commitment to "remain clean" by avoiding any contact with ports that carried the potential of introducing the novel coronavirus into the crew.[40] On 25 and 26 July 2020, theHellenic Air Force (HAF) co-trained with USSDwight D. Eisenhower southeast of Crete.[41]
On 3 March 2021,Dwight D. Eisenhower's Strike Group conducted Exercise Lightning Handshake withRoyal Moroccan Navy frigateTarik Ben Ziyad andRoyal Moroccan Air Force fighter jets.[42] On 5 March, theItalian frigate Luigi Rizzo underwent alongside her in theStrait of Gibraltar.[43] On 2 April,Dwight D. Eisenhower, with Carrier Air Wing 3 and her Carrier Strike Group, transited the Suez Canal into the Red Sea in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.[44]
On 14 October 2023,Lloyd Austin directedDwight D. Eisenhower and her carrier strike group, which includes the cruiserPhilippine Sea, and destroyersLaboon,Mason andGravely, to theeastern Mediterranean in response toIsrael's war with Hamas.[45] This is the second carrier strike group to be sent to the region in response to the conflict, followingGerald R. Ford and her group, which was dispatched only six days earlier.[46]
She is currently under the command of Captain Christopher "Chowdah" Hill.[47][48] To boost morale Captain Hill and senior officers have instituted a philosophy on the ship called “the Way of the Warrior Sailor.”[49] In his communication as a leader, Hill said he uses "rapid, relentless, repetitive, positive communication," or R3P. In doing so, Hill said he emphasizes the importance of acknowledging each sailor personally, highlighting the significance of their roles and reassuring them of their performance. "What does morale get us? Morale gets us success in battle," Hill explained toCBS 60 Minutes. "That's the ultimate goal. You know, it might allow you to do well on inspections, allow you to do well in your day-to-day activities. But ultimately, it's about combat and success … And it's working."[50]
On 26 December 2023, at 6:30 a.m.,Dwight D. Eisenhower launched Super Hornet aircraft and, together with the destroyerLaboon, destroyed 12 attack drones, three anti-ship missiles and two ground attack cruise missiles in the southern Red Sea, fired from Yemen's Houthi rebels in an over 10 hour-action.[citation needed]
On 30 December, Danishcontainer shipMaersk Hangzhou issued a distress call after coming under fire from four small ships commanded by Iranian-backedHouthi rebels from Yemen. Attempts were also made to boardMaersk Hangzhou by force, while a contracted security team defended the ship.Dwight D. Eisenhower and guided missile destroyerGravely responded to a distress call from the container ship. Verbal commands were radioed to the Houthi ships, while helicopters fromDwight D. Eisenhower were dispatched. After taking small arms fire, U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire, sinking three of the four Houthi ships. There was no damage to U.S. equipment or personnel. In the process of responding to the distress call,Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Yemen.[51][52]
On 10 January 2024, theHouthis carried out more missile attacks against US and UK ships. All projectiles were shot down byDwight D. Eisenhower and other ships.[53][54] On 12 January, aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Three embarked onDwight D. Eisenhower, participated in the2024 missile strikes in Yemen againstHouthi rebels.Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired by the cruiserPhilippine Sea as well as the destroyersMason andGravely, and the submarineFlorida.[55][56]
Dwight D. Eisenhower continued supportingOperation Prosperity Guardian and the 2024 missile strikes in Yemen until 26 April when she passed through theSuez Canal and entered the Eastern Mediterranean.[57] She returned to the Red Sea in May to resume operations after a port call inSouda Bay, Crete.[58] The YemeniSupreme Political Council stated it launched two attacks onDwight D Eisenhower, though American officials denied this, and no evidence has surfaced of such attacks.[59] Fake footage of a damaged ship were shared across social media which were further amplified by pro-Chinese and pro-Russian social media accounts.[60][61]Associated Press journalists toured the ship after the alleged attack and found no damage except a leak from a pipe in a dining room, and Captain Hill noted during theTaco Tuesday on the ship thatHouthis have claimed to have sunk the ship multiple times before.[62]
On 14 July 2024,Dwight D. Eisenhower returned toNaval Station Norfolk after a nine-month combat deployment. Aircraft fromCarrier Air Wing 3 expended nearly 60 air-to-air missiles and 420 air-to-surface weapons during the deployment.[63]
_22_unloads_ammunition_onto_the_flight_deck_of_the_aircraft_carrier_USS_Dwight_D._Eisenhower_(CVN_69)_in_the_Atlantic_Ocean_130806-N-FI568-009.jpg)
Dwight D. Eisenhower is scheduled to be replaced around 2029 by the newUSS Enterprise (CVN-80), aGerald R. Ford-class carrier, that as of fall 2018, is in the steel cutting and fabrication stages of construction.[65] The exact date of the ship's inactivation and decommissioning will likely depend on many factors, includingDefense Department funding considerations.[66]
As of 2023[update], the Navy is considering extending the service life ofDwight D. Eisenhower.[67]
Dwight D. Eisenhower has earned a number of awards, including theBattle "E" in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2012 and 2022 as the most battle efficient carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. In 1999, she won theMarjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet.[citation needed]
Ike and her crew have been awarded:[68]
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| Combat Action Ribbon with one bronze star (October 2023 – April 2024)[69][70] | Navy Unit Commendation with two bronze stars | ||||||
| Meritorious Unit Commendation with one silver and two bronze service star | Navy E Ribbon with Battle "E" devices (fourth award) | Navy Expeditionary Medal with two bronze stars | |||||
| National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two bronze stars | Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars | |||||
| Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with two bronze stars | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Armed Forces Service Medal | |||||
| Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with three silver and two bronze stars | NATO Medal for Yugoslavia | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) | |||||
nimitz class displacement.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
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