{
  "id": 2112290,
  "title": "USS Nimitz soldiers on but ‘glory days are over’: CCTV report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/uss-nimitz-soldiers-on-but-glory-days-are-over-cctv-report",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-20T10:00:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3364694/uss-nimitz-soldiers-glory-days-are-over-cctv-report"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Official Chinese military analysts have declared the end of the \"glory days\" for the USS Nimitz, the world's longest-serving aircraft carrier still in active service. In a CCTV report, analysts noted the carrier's fatigue and declining US shipbuilding capacity. The Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, has seen two aircraft crashes in the South China Sea in October last year. Chinese former navy colonel Li Yaqiang stated that the Nimitz is being kept operational with difficulty as its retirement approaches. Originally scheduled to be retired in 2026, its decommissioning has been pushed back to March next year to coincide with the delivery of the USS John F. Kennedy, the second Ford-class carrier. Wei Dongxu, another CCTV military commentator, highlighted the US Navy's reliance on old carriers and the challenges in introducing the new Ford-class fleet. He noted that the F-35C fighter jet, crucial for carrier operations, has yet to be deployed on the Nimitz. Wei also pointed to the decline of the US shipbuilding industry as a contributing factor to the extended maintenance cycles. Meanwhile, China's rapidly expanding shipbuilding industry has raised concerns in Washington, with the Pentagon projecting the Chinese navy as the world's largest, with over 370 ships. The US Navy currently has 296 ships, which is projected to shrink to 283 by 2027.",
  "summary": "The “glory days” of the world’s longest-serving aircraft carrier are over, reflecting fatigue in the broader US fleet amid a decline in the country’s shipbuilding capacity, according to official Chinese military analysts. In a report on Wednesday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the US Navy’s reliance on extended carrier deployments was a cause for concern, particularly in the case of the USS…",
  "key_points": [
    "USS Nimitz, world's longest-serving aircraft carrier, faces end of glory days",
    "Analysts note carrier's fatigue and declining US shipbuilding capacity",
    "Nimitz's decommissioning delayed to March 2027 for Kennedy's arrival"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "USS Nimitz soldiers on but ‘glory days are over’: CCTV report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/uss-nimitz-soldiers-on-but-glory-days-are-over-cctv-report-2115279",
        "published": "2026-08-20T10:00:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}