AMERICA is sending the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates.
The hulking $4.5billion nuclear-powered supercarrier, nicknamed Old Salt, is the flagship of the deadly Carrier Strike Group 11.
The strike group features Carrier Air Wing Seventeen and Destroyer Squadron Nine, a formidable collection of military equipment designed to intimidate Iran.
The Nimitz left the South China Sea Monday morning heading west towards the Middle East, where it will be stationed.
The move comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran and question marks over whether the West will become embroiled in the conflict.
Donald Trump has warned Iran it would experience the “full force” of the US military if it attacked US interests.
And Sir Keir Starmer has sent more RAF jets to the Middle East, including Typhoons and air-to-air refuelers, as tensions mount.
The USS Nimitz will provide a major boost to US military presence in the region.
And The Sun knows first hand of the true might of this awesome 100,000 ton warship.
I spent two days on board the USS Nimitz during a training exercise.
The massive vessel is 1,092ft long and 252ft wide and consists of 117,000 sq ft.
The expansive flight deck spans four and a half acres and is equipped with four aircraft catapults to launch F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, and F-35C stealth strike fighters into the air.
Four giant elevators bring the aircraft from the hangar in the guts of the carrier.
Standing mere feet away, I watched as F-35 Lightning II fighter jets were launched from the deck with a deafening roar, quickly vanishing past the ship’s bow in a cloud of steam.
The violent rumble of the jet engines shook my bones to the core.
A Seahawk helicopter circled nearby in case of any accidents.
The F-35C is designed for long-range stealth strike missions and is built explicitly for US Navy carrier operations.
The flight deck of the Nimitz was awash with dedicated crewmen wearing different coloured “jerseys” whose job is to tow the aircraft into position before the pilots ready the jets for take off.
Green jerseys operate the jet blast deflectors (JBD), aircraft handlers wear yellow jerseys, blue jerseys work in the hanger bay and purple jerseys refuel the aircraft, while red jerseys handle aviation ordinance and crash and salvage.
The whole manic scene – described by those on board as a choreographed ballet – is watched over by white jerseys.
I stood behind a yellow jacket, also known as a shooter, one of several catapult officers responsible for the safe and efficient launch of the ship’s aircraft.
She threw a shooting sign to tell the jet to take off.
“Stay behind me,” she screamed as we ducked under the afterburners of a Super Hornet.
“The heat from those engines will take your skin off.”
Beneath deck is a massive floating city where 5,000 US Navy personnel carry out their duties like worker bees in a hive.
Inside the ten floor, 3,000 room hull, life is one slick operation.
There are several cafeterias, gyms, a Starbucks coffee shop and ‘luxury‘ state rooms for ‘Distinguished Visitors’.
Since it is nuclear-powered, the Nimitz – call sign NMTZ – can operate for up to 20 years without refuelling.
Capable of reaching 30 knots (35mph) the ship is one of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the US Fleet.
I joined the ship off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, for a routine five-day training mission which saw the F-35C put through its paces.
The ship raised its two 60,000lb anchors and set sail from Naval Air Station North Island, in Coronado, San Diego.
Walking around the vast warship you’re struck by the sheer number of young faces walking the narrow corridors and stairways – the backbone of the US Navy.
The average age of sailors on board is 25 and often you’ll find a teenager fresh out of high school steering the warship out of port.
During my time onboard I was also taken up to the bridge, the heart of the ship’s operation, where the Captain sat on a raised chair surrounded by his team of navigators, officers and the rest of the watch team charged with keeping the ship away from hazards.
The mission of many of the Nimitz sailors will be to take off and land dozens of fighter jets, helicopters and planes, sometimes within less than 60 seconds of each other.
The crew often work 12-hour shifts, six days a week.
The busy ship goes through around 500 cans of energy drink Monster a day purchased from the ship’s store.
The Nimitz entered service in 1975 but has undergone dozens of refurbishments and upgrades since.
It is the lead ship of her class, one of the largest warships in the world, second only to the USS Gerald R Ford.
The Nimitz’s homeport is Naval Base Kitsap in Washington and the vessel is named for legendary fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz (1885–1966), who helped the US defeat the Japanese Navy in World War II.
Its deployment to the Middle East will likely be its last mission as it marks 50 years of service.
The ageing warship is set to be replaced by the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) later this year.
