Above: The 60,000 ton, New York Ship built aircraft USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) pictured in the western Pacific Ocean in 2003. During her forty year career, Kitty Hawk operated off Vietnam, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Home Ships Aircraft Carriers USS Kitty Hawk
The Navy’s Last Oil-Fired Aircraft Carrier
The USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) was named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers’ first powered airplane flight. She was launched on May 21, 1960 and decommissioned on May 12, 2009. Kitty Hawk was last oil-fired aircraft carrier in service with the United States Navy.
Fast Facts
Hull #: 514
Named for: Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers’ first powered airplane flight
Launched: May 21, 1960
Length: 1,068.9 ft
Speed: 33 knots
Fate: Decommissioned on May 12, 2009
New York Shipbuilding Corporation 