Chinese analysts have reported problems with the operation of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz
Chinese military analysts have stated that the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the world’s oldest ship of its class still in active service, is facing operational difficulties. This was reported by the South China Morning Post, citing a report by the Chinese state television network CCTV.
The USS Nimitz was commissioned into the U.S. Navy in 1975. Its decommissioning has been postponed several times. Initially, the aircraft carrier was scheduled to be decommissioned in 2026, but the U.S. Navy moved the date up to March of next year to align it with the expected commissioning of the second Ford-class aircraft carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy.
Li Yacang, a former senior colonel in the Chinese Navy and military commentator, stated in an interview with CCTV that a series of incidents points to difficulties in keeping the Nimitz operational. In his assessment, the aircraft carrier’s “glory days” are already behind it.
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The CCTV report noted that following the decommissioning of the Nimitz, delays in the construction of Ford-class aircraft carriers could reduce the number of active U.S. aircraft carriers below the level required by law. Since 2006, U.S. law has required that the Navy’s combat fleet include at least 11 active aircraft carriers.
Another CCTV commentator, Wei Dongxiu, stated that the U.S. Navy is at a critical stage of transition from older aircraft carriers to newer ones. According to him, problems with commissioning the Ford-class ships could mean that the fleet of 11 aircraft carriers exists “primarily on paper.” He also claimed that the combat capabilities of the first aircraft carrier in this class have not yet been fully realized, and that the F-35C carrier-based fighters have not yet been deployed on it.
The South China Morning Post also cites the example of the prolonged overhaul of the USS George Washington: In 2017, the ship was sent for a scheduled four-year maintenance and comprehensive overhaul, but it did not return to the fleet until May 2023—two years behind schedule. According to the Pentagon, as of September 30, 2024, the U.S. Navy had 296 combat ships, and by 2027, that number is projected to drop to 283.
