USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower with USS George Washington in the Indian Ocean
History
United States
Namesake:	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Builder:	Newport News Shipbuilding
Cost:	$5.2 billion (2016 dollars)
Laid down:	15 August 1970
Launched:	11 October 1975
Sponsored by:	Mamie Doud-Eisenhower
Commissioned:	18 October 1977
Homeport:	NS Norfolk, Virginia
Motto:	I Like Ike
Nickname(s):	Mighty Ike
Status:	in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:	101,600 long tons (113,800 short tons)
Length:	Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m) Waterline: 1,040 feet (317.0 m)
Beam:	Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m) Waterline: 134 ft (40.8 m)
Height:	244 feet (74 m)
Draft:	Maximum navigational: 37 feet (11.3 m) Limit: 41 feet (12.5 m)
Propulsion:	2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors 4 × steam turbines 4 × shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed:	30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)
Range:	Unlimited distance; 20–25 years
Complement:	Ship's company: 3,200 Air wing: 2,480
Sensors and processing systems:	AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radar AN/SPN-41 landing aid radars 4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 4 × Mk 95 radars
Electronic warfare & decoys:	SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures
Armament:	2 × Sea Sparrow 2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
Armor:	Unknown
Aircraft carried:	90 fixed wing and helicopters

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) ("Ike") is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. The vessel was initially named simply as USS Eisenhower, much like the lead ship of the class, Nimitz, but the name was changed to its present form on 25 May 1970. The carrier, like all others of her class, was constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Virginia, 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 Operation Eagle Claw during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980, as well as the Gulf War in the 1990s, and more recently in support of U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On 29 June 1970, Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport 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 ($4.5 billion in 2016 dollars), launched 11 October 1975 after christening by Mamie Doud-Eisenhower, and commissioned 18 October 1977, Captain William E. Ramsey in command. Since her commissioning, Dwight D. Eisenhower has had 16 Commanding Officers. Her first Command Master Chief was AGCM Robert Franklin Frazier.