_underway_in_the_Atlantic_Ocean_on_11_September_2018_(180911-N-EA818-2106).JPG) USSHarry S. Truman (CVN-75) underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 11 September 2018 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Harry S. Truman |
| Namesake | Harry S. Truman |
| Ordered | 30 June 1988 |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Cost | $4.5 billion |
| Laid down | 29 November 1993 |
| Launched | 7 September 1996 |
| Christened | 7 September 1996 |
| Acquired | 30 June 1998 |
| Commissioned | 25 July 1998 |
| Renamed | fromUnited States, February 1995 |
| Homeport | Norfolk, Virginia |
| Identification |
|
| Motto | The Buck Stops Here |
| Nickname(s) | HST |
| Status | in active service |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Nimitz-classaircraft carrier |
| Displacement | 103,900long tons (105,600 t)[1][2] |
| Length | |
| Beam |
|
| Draft |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 30knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)+[5] |
| Range | Unlimited distance; 20–25 years |
| Complement |
|
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Armor | Unknown |
| Aircraft carried | 90 fixed wing and helicopters |
USSHarry S. Truman (CVN-75) is the eighthNimitz-classaircraft carrier of theUnited States Navy, and is named after the 33rd President of the United States,Harry S. Truman. She is homeported atNaval Station Norfolk, Virginia.
Harry S. Truman waslaunched on 7 September 1996 byNewport News Shipbuilding,Newport News, Virginia,[6] andcommissioned on 25 July 1998 with CaptainThomas Otterbein in command.
Built at a cost of more than $4.5 billion in 2007 dollars ($6.54 billion today)[citation needed],Harry S. Truman (also known asHST within the Navy)[7] is 1,092 feet (333 m) long and 257 feet (78 m) wide, and is as high as a 24-story building, at 244 feet (74 m). The supercarrier can accommodate 6,250 crewmembers and around 90 aircraft. Aircraft move between the hangar bay and the 4.5-acre (1.8 ha) flight deck on four 3,880 sq ft (360 m2) elevators. With a combat load,HST displaces almost 97,000 tons, including two 30-ton Mark IIstockless anchors taken fromUSS Forrestal[8]; each link of the anchor chain weighs 360 pounds (160 kg). She is armed with three 20 mmPhalanx CIWS mounts and twoSea Sparrow SAM launchers. The ship is powered by two WestinghouseA4Wnuclear reactors that can propel the ship more than three million miles before refueling. The ship's quartet of five-bladed, 66,220-pound (30.04 t) propellers that can produce speeds over 30knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).
Since 2001,Harry S. Truman has been deployed in support of many conflicts and operations, includingOperation Joint Endeavor,Operation Deny Flight,Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan,Operation Iraqi Freedom, andOperation Inherent Resolve.[9] In 2025, the aircraft carrier was attacked six times by ballistic missiles fired by theHouthis.[10][11][12][13][14]
Harry S. Truman's awards include:
The oval seal was designed by the ship'spre-commissioning crew and is primarily blue and gold. According to the ship's history webpage, the coat of arms "characterizes the global on-station capability of the ship and the United States Navy" and "Truman's name forms the shape of a forward-deployed aircraft carrier prepared to uphold and protect American interests".[25] The three flags near the bottom represent the letters "HST". The 33 gold stars surrounding the seal represent Truman's position as the 33rd President.
TheHarry S. Truman battle flag was designed by the ship's first navigator, and is a variation of theguidons carried by the companies of the 129th Field Artillery Regiment of the35th Infantry Division, such as Battery D, the battery under the command of then-Army Capt. Harry Truman duringWorld War I. It consists of crossed cannons on a scarlet background with the phrase "Give 'em hell", a reference to Truman's1948 re-election campaign.
Herkeel was laid byNewport News Shipbuilding on 29 November 1993[25] asUSS United States, but her name was changed in February 1995 at the direction of then-Secretary of the NavyJohn H. Dalton.[citation needed] The ship was christened on 7 September 1996 and launched six days later.[25]
Three Newport News ship workers died during construction when a pump room filled withmethane andhydrogen sulfide gases during a sewage leak on 12 July 1997. They are commemorated by a brass plaque in the tunnel off Hangar Bay No. 1. The crew began moving aboard from contract housing in Newport News in January 1998. The ship completed builder'ssea trial on 11 June 1998 after a short delay due to noises in one of the reactor closure heads. The ship was accepted by the Navy on 30 June 1998.[26]
Harry S. Truman was commissioned on 25 July 1998 atNaval Station Norfolk. At the ceremony, the keynote speaker wasPresidentBill Clinton. Other notable attendees and speakers were: Rep.Ike Skelton, D-Mo., who had pushed to have the carrier named after the 33rd president;Missouri GovernorMel Carnahan;CaptainThomas Otterbein,Harry S. Truman's first commanding officer;Secretary of DefenseWilliam Cohen; andSecretary of the NavyJohn H. Dalton.
In August 1998,Harry S. Truman left port for the first time to conduct certifications to test her ability to recover and launch aircraft. That was followed bysea trials and training exercises.[25] In November, one of the NavyBlue Angels aircraft landed on HST, the only time the demonstration team has ever landed an aircraft on a carrier.[citation needed]
On 28 November 2000,Harry S. Truman began her maiden deployment withCarrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) on board.[25] On 26 December 2000, the ship transited theSuez Canal.
For several months, the ship operated in support ofOperation Southern Watch. Carrier Air Wing Three fly 869 combat sorties, including a strike on Iraqi integrated air defense system sites in a sanctioned response toIraqisurface-to-air missile fire against United Nations Security Council coalition forces. Combat operations ended on 27 April. The carrier returned to the U.S. on 23 May, having steamed 44,000 nautical miles (81,000 km; 51,000 mi). She entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, for her first planned incremental availability (PIA) on 5 September 2001.[25]
_prepare_to_take_off_from_flight_deck_of_USS_Harry_S._Truman_(CVN_75).jpg)
On 5 December 2002,HST left for her second deployment, again with CVW-3 embarked,[27] visitingMarseille, France;Souda Bay,Crete; andKoper, Slovenia.[28] Between 19 March and 18 April, airwing aircraft flew nearly 1,300 combat sorties from the Mediterranean Sea in the early stages of2003 invasion of Iraq.[29][30][31] The ship stopped inPortsmouth, England,before returning to Norfolk on 23 May.
In August 2003,Harry S. Truman began her second PIA at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY).[25]
On 13 February 2004,Harry S. Truman left under budget and four days early from Norfolk Naval Shipyard.[25]
On 2 June 2004, the ship "surged"[32] forExercise Summer Pulse, deploying to the Mediterranean Sea. The ship called at Naples, Italy, and participated in Operation Majestic Eagle in the eastern Atlantic Ocean before returning to NNSY on 25 July.[33]
On 1 October 2004, as part of a Navy-wide series of redesignations,Harry S. Truman's immediate superior in command changed toCarrier Strike Group Ten. The ship set out from Norfolk on her third extended deployment on 13 October 2004, and visited Souda Bay, Crete, before relievingUSS John F. Kennedy on 20 November in thePersian Gulf.Harry S. Truman and CVW-3 launched 2,577 sorties, totaling nearly 13,000 flight hours, flying combat missions over Iraq and maritime security operations before being relieved byUSS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group in the Persian Gulf on 19 March 2005. Despite plans to cross the equator and visit South Africa, diplomatic issues caused her, instead, to transit the Suez Canal, stopping in Portsmouth, England, before returning home on 18 April 2005.
On 1 September 2005,Harry S. Truman set sail for to help theU.S. Gulf Coast devastated byHurricane Katrina. She arrived in the Gulf of Mexico on 4 September and served as the flagship for the naval task force. While the ship's strike group (Carrier Strike Group 10) commander, Rear Adm.Joseph Kilkenny, was appointed deputy commander ofJoint Task Force Gulf Coast (also known as JTF Katrina and Rita), the ship remained anchored in the gulf and provided desalinated water for the relief effort via helicopter (the actual command hub for the JTF wasUSS Iwo Jima). The carrier also provided support toJRB New Orleans in the form of aviation boatswain's mates and cooks to keep that station in operation.[34]Harry S. Truman returned to home port in October 2005 after five weeks of relief efforts.
In January,Harry S. Truman entered the NNSY for a docked PIA.[35] The ship received many system upgrades. Minor weld defects in the reactor plants were repaired. She left the yard in December and continued preparations for surge beginning in April 2007.
On 15 August, anE-2C Hawkeyecrashed after taking off from the carrier, killing all three crewmembers.
On 5 November,Harry S. Truman left Norfolk for her fourth extended deployment with CVW-3 embarked in support of OIF.
HST returned to the U.S. in June.[36] She first pulled intoNaval Station Mayport, Florida, to welcome aboard family and friends for a three-day "Tiger Cruise" or Family Day Cruise, before returning to Norfolk Naval Station on 4 June 2008.[37] The ship was awarded her fourthBattle E award for the East Coast (for 2008) in early 2009. Jimmy Buffett visited the ship and performed a concert on 28 January.
In February,HST completed a nearly seven-month PIA at the NNSY in Portsmouth, Virginia.[38]
On 5 August,EA-18G Growlers fromElectronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) andElectronic Attack Squadron 132 (VAQ-132) completed their first at-sea carrier-arrested landing (trap) aboardHarry S. Truman.[39]
Harry S. Truman began a seven-month deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations in support of maritime security operations.[40]
On 21 May,Harry S. Truman led a task force of 11 American warships and 5,000 men into theSuez Canal.
On 20 June, the ship visited four ports during her 213 days at sea, including Marseille, France; Dubai, U.A.E; Manama, Bahrain; and Souda Bay, Crete, before returning to the United States on 21 December. During the deployment,Harry S. Truman traveled more than 50,000 nautical miles and flew more than 10,000 sorties in support of Operations Enduring Freedom andNew Dawn.[41]
On 2 February,Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet namedHarry S. Truman as the Battle "E", award winner, which was her third consecutive Battle "E" award. This was the sixth award in the ship's 12-year history, having previously won the Battle "E" award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009.[20]
Harry S. Truman entered a docked PIA at NNSY in late March.
On 28 February, the aircraft carrier began her dry-docking PIA maintenance and yard overhaul period at NNSY in Portsmouth (pictured).[42] During this maintenance cycle,Harry S. Truman received a new main mast, an upgrade in her close-in weapons systems, and the installation of the automated digital network system, which provides the carrier with enhanced communications and cooperative engagement capabilities to assess possible threats.[43]Harry S. Truman was expected to complete this DPIA yard overhaul in early 2012 and begin preparations for her sixth overseas deployment.[44] Also, her berthing spaces were also upgraded, installing 2,500 racks, replacing 46,000 square feet of deck and painting 106,000 square feet of spaces.[45]
On 8 November, Captain Tushar Tembe died after collapsing on a pier near the ship.[46] The ship's executive officer (XO) assumed the role of acting command officer, until relieved by CaptainDee L. Mewbourne three days later, and resuming his post as XO.[47]
On 7 April, Norfolk Naval Shipyard completed the ship's nuclear power plant modernization and testing was to begin to ensure her readiness for sea trials lasting 90 days.Harry S. Truman returned to the U.S. Navy fleet in the summer of 2012.[48]
On 26 November, anX-47B unmanned combat air system was hoisted on boardHarry S. Truman in preparation for an unmanned aircraft's first, carrier-based testing.Harry S. Truman was to be the first aircraft carrier in naval aviation history to host test operations for an unmanned aircraft. Testing on the X-47B was conducted over a three-week period that included in-port and underway demonstrations aboard.[49] The X-47B successfully completed carrier deck tests aboardHarry S. Truman on 18 December 2012.[50]
On 6 February, theU.S. Department of Defense announced that the upcoming deployment ofHarry S. Truman, theTiconderoga-class guided-missile cruiserGettysburg, and the rest of Carrier Strike Group 10 will be postponed pending the resolution of the upcomingbudget sequestration, leaving the carrierJohn C. Stennis and hercarrier strike group as the only carrier force operating in the Persian Gulf region.[51][52] The strike group was originally scheduled to depart Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on 8 February 2013.[51]
On 22 July,Harry S. Truman left for an extended deployment to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility, and settled into her mission of supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and the coalition of troops on the ground in Afghanistan.
On 14 February, theCommander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet namedHarry S. Truman as the East Coast aircraft carrierBattle "E" award winner.[53]
On 23 March,Harry S. Truman was relieved byGeorge H.W. Bush in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, conducting maritime security operations and supporting theater security cooperation efforts.[54]
On 16 November,Harry S. Truman, assigned withCarrier Air Wing Seven, began a scheduled deployment to the U.S.6th and5th Fleet areas of operation. The carrier was accompanied by the cruiserAnzio and Destroyer Squadron 28,Bulkeley,Gonzalez,Ramage andGravely.[55]
On 21 December, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh visited USSHarry S. Truman stationed near the Yemeni island ofBerim.[56] On 26 December while transiting theStrait of Hormuz, several unguided rockets fired by Iran landed about 1,500 yards (1,400 m) away fromHarry S. Truman, which was traveling with the destroyerBulkeley and theProvence. Iran had announced over maritime radio it was carrying out tests "only 23 minutes before" and was criticized by the U.S. Central Command for "Firing weapons so close to passing coalition ships and commercial traffic within an internationally recognized maritime traffic lane."[57]
On 29 December,Harry S. Truman began launching strikes against theIslamic State group. By mid-April 2016, aircraft of Carrier Air Wing Seven operating from the carrier had dropped 1,118 pieces of ordnance in operations against the group, surpassing a record of 1,085 pieces that was set by aircraft assigned toUSS Theodore Roosevelt in 2015.[58]
On 12 January, an unarmed Iranian drone flew directly overHarry S. Truman in international waters and took "precise" photos, according to state television in the Islamic Republic.[59] In the first half of 2016,Harry S. Truman, as flagship of Carrier Strike Group 8, carried out an eight-month air operation deployment againstISIL from the Eastern Mediterranean as part ofOperation Inherent Resolve.[11][12][13][14] On 3 June, F/A-18 Hornets launched fromHarry S. Truman conducted air strikes against ISIS targets from the eastern Mediterranean. It was the first time the U.S. Navy had conducted strike missions in the Middle East from the Mediterranean Sea since flying operations against the Iraqi military in 2003.[60]
CVW-1 was reassigned toHarry S. Truman. On 25 August, she entered NNSY for her "10-month" PIA that is "expected to be completed" a year after work officially begins on 27 September.[61]
On 21 July, the refit was concluded and was followed by various training exercises placing emphasis on damage control, flight deck operations, and simulated combat at-sea.[62]
Carrier Strike Group 8 began a further scheduled deployment to the Middle East and Europe on 11 April 2018.[63] The carrier returned to Norfolk on 21 July and left again for operations in the Western Atlantic Ocean on 28 August.[64][65]
On 25 October, the carrier took part in the NATO exercise Trident Juncture, which was held in and around Norway.[66]
On 27 February, the Pentagon announced thatHarry S. Truman'smidlife refueling and overhaul, tentatively scheduled for 2024, may be cancelled and the ship instead retired early as a cost-saving measure. The likelihood of the ship actually being decommissioned more than 20 years ahead of schedule was uncertain, as this would have left the carrier fleet at 10 ships, one below the legally mandated level. The nominated chief of naval operations told Congress he supports "to forgo" the$ 3.5 billion overhaul scheduled forHST.[67] Congress prevented the Navy from taking the same action with sister shipGeorge Washington in 2016,[68] as well as the White House, as PresidentDonald Trump had promised to increase the carrier fleet to 12.[69]
On 1 May, President Trump announced he overrode the decision to decommission USSHarry S. Truman.[70]
In late August, a malfunction of the ship's electrical distribution system was announced as the cause that would prevent her scheduled deployment.[71] The ship's electrical malfunction was repaired in late October andHarry S. Truman departed Norfolk to be deployed in the Persian Gulf. She was reported as entering the 6th Fleet region on 2 December 2019.[72]
In July 2020, USSHarry S. Truman was at NNSY in Portsmouth.[73]
Harry S. Truman, along with CVW-1 and her battlegroup, deployed out to sea on 1 December 2021. She was originally planned to transit the Suez Canal into the Middle East, but in light of thestandoff between Russia and Ukraine in late 2021 escalating, the carrier was ordered to stay in the Mediterranean.[74]
In January 2022,Harry S. Truman and her strike group came under command of NATO'sNaval Striking and Support Forces for the first time since the Cold War, for a 10-day exercise patrolling the Mediterranean.[75] From 17 to 23 May,Harry S. Truman and Carrier Strike Group 8 took part in the NATO vigilance activity, Neptune Shield 2022.[76]
On 8 July, anF/A-18E Super Hornet ofCarrier Air Wing One was blown overboard into the Mediterranean Sea. The carrier had encountered unexpected heavy weather while conducting areplenishment-at-sea. One sailor received minor injuries.[77] On 8 August 2022, theUnited States Sixth Fleet announced the lost aircraft had been recovered from a depth of 9,500 feet (2,900 m) using a remotely operatedCURV-21 recovery vehicle.[78] On 8 August,The Aviationist reported that based on a photo sent to the outlet, taken at thePort of Augusta,Sicily, they were able to identify the involved aircraft as the aircraft withmodex205, part ofStrike Fighter Squadron 211 (VFA-211).[79] The aircraft was loaded aboardMilitary Sealift Commandroll-on/roll-off shipUSNS Mendonca at the Port of Augusta on 16 August to be transported back to the United States.[80]
Harry S. Truman returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 12 September.[81][82] On 21 November, the Navy acceptedAuxiliary Personnel Lighter 68 (APL68), with around 600 berths, saying it would support the impendingHarry S. Truman carrier repair cycle.[83]
Harry S. Truman deployed on 23 September 2024 to the 6th fleet.[84] After completing NATO exercises in theNorth Sea,[85] she entered theOslofjord for a visit on 1 November.[86][87]
On 14 December, she transited theSuez Canal and entered the Middle East.[88] She launched her first combat sorties in support ofOperation Prosperity Guardian against the Houthi rebels in Yemen on 21 December.[89] On 22 December 2024, anF/A-18F Super Hornet fromVFA-11 was shot down byUSS Gettysburg in a friendly fire incident. Both crewmembers of the aircraft survived.[90]
On 1 February,HST launched 27F/A-18 Super Hornets as part of an airstrike againstISIS-Somalia leaders in caves about 50 miles southeast ofBosaso. The aircraft dropped 124,000 pounds of ordnance on targets in what the Navy called its largest air strike ever.[91][92]
On 12 February,Harry S. Truman and the Panamanian-flagged merchant vesselBesiktas-M collided about 11:46 p.m. local time while operating nearPort Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea. There were no reports of flooding or injuries. An investigation into the collision was launched.[93] One week laterHarry S. Truman's commanding officer, Captain Dave Snowden, was relieved of command.[94]
In March 2025, the United States launched more than 47 airstrikes across Yemen. In response, the Yemeni army targetedHarry S. Truman in two attacks using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.[95][96] These two attacks were followed by a third attack the next day.[97]
On 28 April, while under attack by missiles and drones from the Houthis,Harry S. Truman made a hard turn, causing a F/A-18E Super Hornet that was being towed in the hangar to fall overboard and sink.[98] On 6 May, a second Super Hornet was lost whenarresting gear failed to catch the plane during landing.[99] After an eight-month deployment,Harry S. Truman returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 1 June.[100]
The operation occurred as part of USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group's deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area, supporting U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa's regional objectives.
Hangarskipet «Harry S. Truman» har nå ankret opp utenfor Malmøya i Oslo.[The carrier "Harry S. Truman" has now anchored outsideMalmøya in Oslo.]
Ved 9-tiden passerte skipet Fredrikstad[The ship passed Fredrikstad at about 9 o'clock]
