The United States Navy announced that, in the coming months, one of its nuclear aircraft carriers will be involved in activities in Brazil and other countries in South America. The vessel is the USS George Washington (CVN-73), of the Nimitz Class, which will be the lead ship of Operation Southern Seas 2024. 

CVN-73 and its battle group – which includes submarines, destroyers and replenishment ships – will participate in “commitments with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, with port visits planned for Brazil, Chile and Peru.” According to the Navy, the Southern Seas 2024 marks the 10th mission to the region since 2007, this being the third with George Washington. 

Commissioned in July 1992, the 32-year-old aircraft carrier is the sixth of the 10-ship Nimitz Class and the third named after the first president of the United States. The ship is under the command of the US 4th Fleet/Naval Forces Southern Command, which in turn responds to the US Southern Command, whose area of ​​activity encompasses the Caribbean, Central and South America.

The best #FlyNavy 💯⚓️

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington recently conducted at sea operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

George Washington and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Porter (DDG 78) are slated to deploy as part of Southern Seas 2024 pic.twitter.com/D2ZhrpoQPi

— US Fleet Forces (@USFleetForces) April 5, 2024

Popularly known as GW and its motto “Spirit of Freedom”, the aircraft carrier is 330 meters long, 78 meters wide and displaces more than 107 tons of water. It has a pair of Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, which generate energy to power the four propellers that move the ship, as well as the rest of the vessel, including the catapults for launching aircraft. 

And speaking of aircraft, the CVN-73's onboard air wing is made up of around 90 planes and helicopters divided between nine squadrons. The ship currently transports F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter and attack aircraft; EA-18G Growler electronic attack jets; F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters; MH-60 Seahawk anti-submarine warfare helicopters and E-2 Hawkeye radar planes. Aircraft are the main weapons of aircraft carriers, also serving to defend the battle group. Finally, the crew of the USS George Washington is made up of around 6000 military personnel, more than 2400 of whom are from the air wing alone. 

The last time George Washington was in Brazil was in 2015, during operation UNITAS. On this occasion, Brazilian and North American military personnel carried out joint training, including aerial combat simulations between fighters from the Brazilian Air Force and the US Navy.