Recently, the media reported that the USS Washington, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, recently completed nearly two years of refit work and was relaunched for equipment installation. After refit, the USS Washington will have a displacement of more than 110,000 tons, making it one of the most advanced aircraft carriers in the world. When re-commissioned, the aircraft carrier can carry hundreds of warplanes, and its strike power is comparable to that of a nuclear strike. Many experts have expressed their admiration for this, and the great strength of the United States in aircraft carrier technology has been vividly demonstrated. Currently, the United States is the only country in the world that has about 10 aircraft carriers, and these aircraft carriers have a prominent position in the navy. The construction of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier took more than 40 years, with the first being started in 1968 and the last USS Bush commissioned in 2009. This lengthy construction process led to a significant difference in the level of modernization of these 10 nuclear aircraft carriers. Therefore, the United States plans to have these 10 aircraft carriers undergo a large-scale refit after 25 years of service to ensure that they maintain a strong combat power for the expected 50-year lifespan.
In 2017, the USS Washington had just completed 25 years of service, and according to the original plan of the US military, it left the 7th Fleet for the time being, left the port of Yokosuka for nine years, and returned to China for large-scale refits. It is reported that at that time, the USS Washington was the only US aircraft carrier stationed overseas, but as soon as the USS Washington left, another aircraft carrier of the same class took over its mission.
As the sixth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, the USS Washington's mid-term refit coincided with a period when the United States had made major breakthroughs in related technologies. Therefore, the official US claims that after refit, the USS Washington will become the most advanced aircraft carrier in its class, returning to the ocean. So, what specific changes did this refit make to the USS Washington that makes the United States so confident? In the process of upgrading and refitting, the United States made changes to the ship island and antenna structure of the Washington, and at the same time updated the take-off and landing equipment such as catapults and arresting cables on the deck, optimized the deck layout, and improved take-off efficiency. The electronics have also been upgraded to be more comprehensive and powerful. In addition, almost all fittings, such as valves, wires, and pipes, have been replaced. In addition, the entire battleship was repainted and given a new look. All in all, the various subsystems on this aircraft carrier have been replaced, and even the living conditions of the crew have been improved.
But the most fundamental reason is that the United States does not hesitate to spend huge sums of money to modify and upgrade Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, mainly to consolidate the United States' position as the most powerful naval power in the world, and more importantly, to protect the United States' extensive interests overseas through aircraft carrier battle groups.