USS United States (CVA-58)

USS United States (CVA-58), the third ship of the US Navy named for the nation, was to be the lead ship of a radical new design of aircraft carrier. On 29 July 1948 President of the United States Harry Truman approved construction of five "supercarriers", for which funds had been provided in the Naval Appropriations Act of 1949. The keel of the first of those five postwar carriers was laid down on 18 April 1949 at Newport News Shipbuilding.

Related Topics:
US Navy - The nation - Lead ship - Aircraft carrier - 29 July - 1948 - President of the United States - Harry Truman - Supercarrier - 18 April - 1949 - Newport News Shipbuilding

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The flush-deck United States was designed to launch and recover the 100,000 pound (45 t) aircraft required to carry early-model nuclear weapons, which weighed as much as five tons. The ship would have no island and be equipped with four aircraft elevators and four catapults. The construction cost of the new ship alone was estimated at US$190 million. The additional thirty-nine ships required to complete the accompanying task force raised the total cost to US$1.265 billion.

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United States was also designed to provide air support for amphibious forces and to conduct sea control operations, but its primary mission was long-range nuclear bombardment. That mission put the ship in harm's way long before construction began. The United States Air Force viewed United States as a challenge to their monopoly on strategic nuclear weapons delivery. Swayed by limited funds and bitter opposition from the United States Army and Air Force, Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson announced on 23 April 1949 — five days after the ship's keel was laid down — the cancellation of construction of United States. Secretary of the Navy John Sullivan immediately resigned, and the subsequent "Revolt of the Admirals" cost Admiral Louis Denfeld his position as Chief of Naval Operations, but atomic bombs went to sea on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1950.

Related Topics:
United States Air Force - United States Army - Secretary of Defense - Louis A. Johnson - 23 April - 1949 - Secretary of the Navy - Revolt of the Admirals - Louis Denfeld - Chief of Naval Operations - USS ''Franklin D. Roosevelt'' - 1950

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See USS United States for other ships of the same name.

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