THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER

The history of carriers goes back almost as far as airplanes. In 1910, only seven years after Orville Wright made the first machine-powered flight, naval aviators began experiments taking off from and loading on battleships. Carriers played a small role in World War 1, but they were central to the air combat of World War 2 and since 1945 they have been involved in almost all major US military operations.

At present, only ten countries possess carriers but the super carriers, or flattops, of the US Navy are the biggest in the world. With a crew of up to 6, 000 people onboard, and with a length from bow to stern the size of three football pitches, the nuclear-powered Nimitz carriers can transport up to 80 aircraft, launch or land a plane every 25 seconds and generate between 140 and 160 sorties per day. A speed of more than 35 knots per hour, approximately 700 nautical miles per day, gives the United States the ability to deploy military forces to almost anywhere in the world in less than two weeks.

Carriers are open to attack from enemy ships, missiles and aircraft. For this reason, carriers are always escorted by a flotilla of other ships, called the carrier battle group (CBG). The CBG is capable of carrying out anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-surface defence warfare. Although the CBG is formed according to the mission, a typical formation includes: the aircraft carrier; two guided-missile cruisers; two destoyers; one frigate; two submarines and a supply ship.

 

3.s	Answer the questions.

 

1. In which year did the first machine-powered flight take place?

2. What is another word for aircraft carrier?

3. How many aircraft can a super carrier transport?

4. Why do carriers move as part of a carrier battle group?

5. What types of ships are there in a typical carrier battle group?

 

4.	Match the words with the definitions.

 

aviator

bow

flotilla

knot

sortie

stern

 

1. Another word for pilot. ______

2. The front of a ship. ______

3. The back of a ship. ______

4. An operational flight by one aircraft. ______

5. A unit of speed for ships and aircraft. ______

6. A group of ships. ______

 

5.ó

®

Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

 

1. Do you think carriers in the future will be bigger or smaller?

2. What kind of weapons do you think they will carry?

3. Do you think they will have a smaller crew or a bigger crew?