Talk:Nimitz-class

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Definition: Main class, in the United States Navy, of large aircraft carriers with nuclear propulsion [d] [e]

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My understanding is that CVN = Carrier Vessel Nuclear. Should this be mentioned in the article? Henry A. Padleckas 08:37, 21 February 2011 (UTC)

That's sort of a "backronym". I'll have to check to see if the relevant history is in aircraft carrier, but "CV" actually comes from "aviation cruiser". Remember, cruisers traditionally have designations starting with "C" -- CA (now heavy cruiser, but originally armored cruiser), CL, CG. See the cruiser article for the U.S. Navy essentially going through a period of temporary insanity, in the fifties about cruiser designations. From memory, aviation cruiser was a somewhat accepted definition at the Washington Naval Conference, although the only type they defined rigorously was the heavy cruiser.

Originally, cruisers were the scouts for the fleet, so it was logical to think of aircraft as an extension of the role of the cruiser. With hindsight, aircraft carriers probably should have had their own first letter, but at the time, no one really believed in these newfangled flying machine.

Excellent question, though, which affects several articles. Howard C. Berkowitz 10:32, 22 February 2011 (UTC)

Talk:Nimitz-class

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