USS Ronald Reagan Question

"Gil Brice" wrote ...
RM, CR Division USS America 1983 - 1987.

ET, OE Division USS Nimitz 1982-1983

"Wdtabor" wrote ...
The Kitty Hawk is home based in Japan, which will not allow a nuclear
carrier
in their ports for fear of resurecting Godzilla.

The Japanese kind of have this thing about nuclear weapons... Kid of hold a
grudge, I guess... The way it was explained to me when I was aboard the
Nimitz was that we only admit that our nuclear powered ships carry nuclear
weapons, thus they aren't allowed in Japanese harbors...

In a previous article, "Ron Natalie" said:
"Grumman-581" wrote in
message . ..

The Japanese kind of have this thing about nuclear weapons... Kid of hold a
grudge, I guess... The way it was explained to me when I was aboard the
Nimitz was that we only admit that our nuclear powered ships carry nuclear
weapons, thus they aren't allowed in Japanese harbors...

Really, what sort of nukes do you carry on an aircraft carrier?

The US Navy will never confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons on
particular ships. I think they will designate certain classes of ships as
never carrying nuclear weapons, like the CVs.

Because of that policy, you'll never know if CVNs carry nuclear weapons,
but don't you think the A-6s or F/A-18s (or even maybe Bombcats?) could
carry tacnukes if the situation called for it?

However, this whole discussion belongs in rec.aviation.military or
sci.military.naval, not rec.aviation.politics^Wpiloting.

--
Paul Tomblin , not speaking for anybody
"Leave the beaten track occasionally, and dive into the woods. You will be
certain to find something that you have never seen before."
-- Alexander Graham Bell

"Wolfie" wrote in message . com...

"Ron Natalie" wrote

I figured the last CVN to carry a nuke was the Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis was a CA, not a CV, and certainly not a CVN. ;p
(CA is a cruiser designation. CVs are carriers, with CVN being
\
Duh, you're right...wasn't thinking definitely not a CVN back then!

"Michael Nouak" wrote in message ...
There was a CVN named Indianapolis?

brainfart, should have just said carrier.

"Ron Natalie" wrote

They could, but I wasn't aware we had actually had such (not
that they would tell me anyway). I figured the last CVN to
carry a nuke was the Indianapolis.

Well Ron, I don't see a "smiley", but you can't be serious.
The Indianapolis was a Cruiser (CA 35) not a Nuclear Aircraft Carrier
(CVN). During my time in the Navy, we had only one CVN, the
Enterprise (CVN 65) and as a member of a Nuclear Weapons Technical
Inspection Team, I saw enough strategic weapons on board to do away
with the whole Soviet Union. That was the design mission for the
A-4 Skyhawk, one little plane, one big bomb, and one target. Of
course there were maybe 25 Skyhawks on board along with the A-1
Skyraiders, and the A-3 Skywarriors who's primary mission also was
a nuclear one.

Bob Moore

In article ,
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

Because of that policy, you'll never know if CVNs carry nuclear weapons,
but don't you think the A-6s or F/A-18s (or even maybe Bombcats?) could
carry tacnukes if the situation called for it?

I thought there was a big deal made several years ago about the Navy
publicly stating that they no longer carried tactical nukes on surface
ships. In any case, they were doing away with the Weapons Technician
rating (the former maintainers of tactical nuclear weapons) and
retraining them all as Gunner's Mates.

--
Larry Fransson
USS Nimitz 1993-1996
Reactor Controls Division Officer and
Maintenance Support Center Officer

Larry Fransson wrote
I thought there was a big deal made several years ago about the
Navy publicly stating that they no longer carried tactical nukes
on surface ships. In any case, they were doing away with the
Weapons Technician rating (the former maintainers of tactical
nuclear weapons) and retraining them all as Gunner's Mates.

What distinguishes a "tactical" from a "strategic" nuclear weapon?
I spent three years in the Navy's nuclear weapons program and back
then, each weapon onboard the carrier was strategically targeted
as part of the National SIOP (Strategic Integrated Operation Plan),
the same as the Minute Men and Polaris missiles. The SIOP insured
that a B-52 didn't drop his weapon on top of a poor A-4 pilot making
his run-in at 500' and that both of them didn't get wipped out by
the Polaris that arrived at about the same time.
I would consider the Army's "Atomic Cannon" as a tactical weapon.

Bob Moore

From: "Wolfie"

Tactical nukes for both land and sea attack with selectable yields
from less than one to 170 megatons.

Pssst. Too many zeros. Nothing with mega- on it is tactical.

Fidel

"FiPe" wrote

From: "Wolfie"

Tactical nukes for both land and sea attack with selectable yields
from less than one to 170 megatons.

Pssst. Too many zeros. Nothing with mega- on it is tactical.

Quite right, that should be kilotons.