SERVICE: Navy
DESCRIPTION: Aircraft carriers are the Navy's airports at sea.
FEATURES:
The aircraft carrier continues to be the centerpiece of the forces necessary to execute the Maritime Strategy. Carriers support and operate aircraft that engage in attacks on airborne, afloat and ashore targets that threaten our use of the sea; and engage in sustained operations in support of other forces. Aircraft carriers are deployed worldwide in support of U.S. interests and commitments. They can respond to global crises in ways ranging from peacetime presence to full-scale war. Together with their on-board air wings, the carriers have vital roles across the full spectrum of conflict. USS Forrestal has now replaced USS Lexington as the Navy's Training Aircraft Carrier (AVT). She is currently undergoing an extensive overhaul at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. When repairs are complete, her home port will be at Pensacola, Fla., where student Naval aviators will be trained aboard her. USS Constellation is undergoing an extended overhaul known as a SLEP (Service Life Extension Program) in Philadelphia. The SLEP adds 15 years of service to a conventional carrier. SLEP provides extended life and improvements in all areas from combat systems to engineering to berthing and living facilities and represents a significant cost savings to the navy for maintaining its carriers.
