The USS Stennis Is A Fortress At Sea: By The Numbers

By  Tyler Rogoway

This shot of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) exemplifies the idea that nuclear super carriers are really fortresses at sea. Not to mention that they are some of mankind's largest and definitely most complex inventions. Here are some "by the numbers" eye opening facts about the USS John C. Stennis:

Commissioned: December 9th, 1995

Home Port: Naval Base Kitsap, Washington

Air Wing: CVW-9, the Navy's most modern with an all Super Hornet strike fighter force, which includes the following squadrons-

  • Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192) "Golden Dragons"

  • Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA-97) "Warhawks"

  • Strike Fighter Squadron 41 (VFA-41) "Black Aces"

  • Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters"

  • Strike Fighter Squadron 151 (VFA-151) "Vigilantes"

  • Electronic Attack Squadron 133 (VAQ-133) "Wizards"

  • Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112 (VAW-112) "Golden Hawks"

  • Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 (HSC-8) "Eight-Ballers"

  • Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71 (HSM-71) "Raptors"

  • Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 Detachment 4 (VRC-30) "Providers"

    Dimensions: 257 wide by 1,092 feet long by 244 high

    Displacement: 103,300 tons

    Propulsion: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors tied to 4 steam turbines and 4 shafts.

    Total Horsepower: 260,000hp

    Range: 1,000,000 miles before nuclear refueling

    Propellers: 4 screws, each made out of bronze and measuring 22 feet across and weighing 66,200lbs

    Rudders: 2, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons

    Anchor Weights: 30 tons each

    Top Speed: Over 30 knots, rumored to be around 35 knots

    Combat Aircraft: About 65 with a surge capability of over 85

    Elevators: Four high-speed, each over 4,000 square feet.

    Catapults: 4 310ft stroke steam catapults capable of pushing a 80,000lb aircraft to 140 knots

    Arresting Cables: 4 cross-deck pendents each 2 inches thick made of braided steel and tied to a under-deck hydraulic engine

    Flight Deck Size: 4.5 acres

    Raw Materials: Close to 55,000 tons of steel and over 1,000,000lbs of aluminum

    Operational Life Expectancy: Half a century

    Compliment: 6,500 people

    Defensive Weaponry: 2 Mk56 Sea Sparrow launchers, 2 RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, 3 Phalanx CIWS

    Jet Fuel Storage Capacity: 3.5 million gallons

    Consumable Stores: Enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days

    Meals Served Per Day: 18,600

    Eggs Served At Breakfast Alone: 12,000

    Water distillation per day: 400,000 gallons, enough for 2,000 American homes

    Electrical: 30,000 light fixtures, 1,600 miles of cable and wiring, 2,000 phones

    Bedding: 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets

    Number of compartments and spaces: About 3,500

    Capacity of Air Conditioning System: 3,500 tons

    Photos via US Navy

    Tyler Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer who maintains the website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via the email address Tyler@Jalopnik.com

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