USS Nimitz soldiers on but ‘glory days are over’: CCTV report

The world's longest-serving aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, is struggling to remain operational, with Chinese military analysts stating that its "glory days are over." In a recent report, CCTV, a state broadcaster, highlighted the US Navy's reliance on extended carrier deployments and the diminishing shipbuilding capacity as concerning factors.

The USS Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, is the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world. In October last year, two aircraft operating from the Nimitz crashed in the South China Sea. According to US Navy sources, the carrier has been kept operational with difficulty, and its decommissioning has been postponed until March next year to allow for the expected delivery of the second Ford-class carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy.

The retirement of the Nimitz is partly due to its age and declining technical state, making it unreliable for service. However, the process of integrating the new Ford-class carriers into the fleet has been plagued by issues, potentially leaving the fleet "largely on paper." Wei Dongxu, a military commentator, noted that the transition between old and new carriers is at a critical point, and the combat capabilities of the first Ford-class carrier have yet to be fully realized.

The decline of the US shipbuilding industry since the Cold War has also contributed to the challenges faced by the US Navy. China's rapidly growing shipbuilding industry is raising concerns in Washington, as the Chinese navy now numbers over 370 ships and submarines, including more than 140 major surface combatants.