Kitty Hawk to be Decommissioned. (genghis)

A lot of old salts read this here smart military blog so it’s time to bid a fond farewell the the USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63, the US Navy’s oldest active ship, and the sole remaining conventionally powered carrier.

The Kitty Hawk, the last conventionally powered aircraft carrier in the Navy, is to be replaced later this summer by the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered carrier. The decommissioning date for the ship is set for Jan. 31.

However, the replacement of the Kitty Hawk by a nuclear-powered ship is controversial among some here because of fears of an accident. Navy officials have stressed that the ship is safe, and pointed out that nuclear-powered submarines have long transited Yokosuka with no problems.

After leaving Japan, the Kitty Hawk will make a stop at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, then to former homeport San Diego for a welcome-home party, and then the ship will travel on to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, where it will become a day-care center, according to naval historian P.J. O’Rourke

Condolences and rememberances are welcome in the guestbook below. G’bye old girl…we’ll miss you.

More on the history of the Hawk here and here.

Correction: JimT notes that the USS Constitution is the oldest active ship in the Navy, and the oldest active ship afloat in the world.

The "Consty," (as is well known) has a glorious history which includes sinking the battleship "Yamato" at the epic naval battle of Jutland during the Spanish-American War of 1812, and is now currently forward-deployed in the Persian Gulf.

posted by xgenghisx at 08:55 PM

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