We spent 24 hours on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. Here are 5 fun facts

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Here are five things to know about the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, where Daytona Beach News-Journal photographer Nadia Zomorodian spent Friday through Saturday.

The aircraft carrier is known as Ike

A plane prepares to land on the Navy's USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, June 30, 2023. News-Journal photographer Nadia Zomorodian recently spent 24 hours on the ship.
A plane prepares to land on the Navy's USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, June 30, 2023. News-Journal photographer Nadia Zomorodian recently spent 24 hours on the ship.

The aircraft carrier, a CVN-69, is named after the 34th president of the United States. Before becoming president, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander of Operation Overlord, the code name for the allied D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, of Nazi-occupied France. Mamie Eisenhower, the president's widow, christened the carrier at 11:11 a.m. Oct. 11, 1975. The carrier, known as Ike, was commissioned on Oct. 18, 1977.

Some of Ike's missions

A crew member on the Navy's USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, June 30, 2023. News-Journal photographer Nadia Zomorodian recently spent 24 hours on the ship.
A crew member on the Navy's USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, June 30, 2023. News-Journal photographer Nadia Zomorodian recently spent 24 hours on the ship.

The carrier became the second nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to pass through the Suez Canal in 1990 as it responded to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. It was ready in case Iraq invaded Saudi Arabia and participated in the United Nations embargo against Iraq. The carrier also participated in Operation Uphold Democracy, a 1994 effort to restore the democratically elected government of Haiti. On Oct. 3, 2006, the carrier deployed for seven months to support ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The future of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Navy is considering delaying the carrier’s planned deactivation in 2027, according to a story in USNI News. The Navy is looking to get one more deployment out of the 46-year-old ship. According to the article, the biggest issue is the amount of nuclear fuel left in the carrier. Carriers are planned for a 50-year life. They undergo refueling and overhaul at 25 years.

Armaments

Crew members on the Navy's USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, June 30, 2023. News-Journal photographer Nadia Zomorodian recently spent 24 hours on the ship.
Crew members on the Navy's USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, June 30, 2023. News-Journal photographer Nadia Zomorodian recently spent 24 hours on the ship.

The aircraft carrier added weapons after an overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in October 1985. Additions included a close-in weapons system, NATO Sea Sparrow Missile System and an anti-submarine warfare module.

Personnel and power and speed

Crew members on the Navy's USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, June 30, 2023.
Crew members on the Navy's USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, Friday, June 30, 2023.

The Eisenhower is a Nimitz class aircraft carrier powered by two nuclear reactors. It can reach speeds of 30-plus knots or 34.5 mph. The ship has a crew and air wing totaling about 5,000 people. It has approximately 60 aircraft.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier: 5 things to know