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| Forrestal (CV-59) | |
|---|---|
| Ship name | Forrestal (CV-59) |
| Ship class | Forrestal-class aircraft carrier |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Laid down | 1952 |
| Launched | 1954 |
| Commissioned | 1955 |
| Decommissioned | 1993 |
| Fate | Scrapped 2014–2015 |
| Displacement | 78,000 long tons (full load) |
| Length | 1,039 ft (316.5 m) |
| Beam | 130 ft (39.6 m) |
| Propulsion | Steam turbines, geared drive |
| Speed | 33+ knots |
| Complement | Ship's company and air wing |
| Aircraft | Carrier Air Wing (varied over service) |
Forrestal (CV-59) was the lead ship of the Forrestal-class aircraft carrier built for the United States Navy in the 1950s. As the first supercarrier designed from the outset to operate jet aircraft, she served through the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and multiple Mediterranean and Atlantic deployments before retirement in the early 1990s. Forrestal's career encompassed carrier aviation development, high-profile crises, and major refits that reflected evolving Naval aviation doctrine and technology.
Forrestal was ordered as part of post-World War II naval expansion and designed at Newport News Shipbuilding to accommodate jet types such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Grumman F-14 Tomcat (later visits), and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Her design incorporated an angled flight deck inspired by HMS Ark Royal (R09), British naval aviation innovations, and CATOBAR systems derived from earlier carriers like USS Midway (CV-41). The ship featured armored flight decks, steam catapults akin to those used on HMS Hermes (R12), and comprehensive aviation fuel and ordnance handling improvements following lessons from Operation Torch and Battle of Midway. Laid down at Newport News, she launched amid Cold War shipbuilding priorities influenced by the Marshall Plan era industrial policy and the Department of Defense procurement cycles.
Commissioned in 1955 by United States Navy leadership including officers connected to Chief of Naval Operations initiatives, Forrestal completed shakedown cruises in the Atlantic Ocean and conducted trials with squadrons from Naval Air Station Norfolk, NAS Pensacola, and carrier air groups from Carrier Air Wing elements. Early operations tested steam catapults alongside squadrons flying Grumman F9F Panther, McDonnell F3H Demon, and Vought F-8 Crusader aircraft. The shakedown phase included interoperability exercises with the United States Marine Corps aviation units, maneuvers with the Sixth Fleet, and port visits to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and NATO allies participating in Cold War readiness drills.
Forrestal entered service as carrier strike group concepts evolved under leaders tied to Admiral Arleigh Burke's era and doctrine debates in the Pentagon. She operated with Atlantic and Mediterranean forces, integrating with task forces from United States Sixth Fleet, participating in NATO exercises such as Operation Mainbrace and Exercise Dawn Patrol, and hosting notable aviators associated with Naval Aviation Hall of Fame inductees. Her air wing composition shifted over decades to include models like the Grumman A-6 Intruder, Northrop Grumman A-5 Vigilante, and LTV A-7 Corsair II as carrier aviation requirements and defense procurement programs evolved.
Deployed to the Vietnam War theater, Forrestal conducted carrier air operations from the Gulf of Tonkin and South China Sea supporting Operation Rolling Thunder and close air support missions for United States Marine Corps and United States Army units. Her air groups launched sorties using aircraft types including the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, VA- attack squadrons in A-4 Skyhawk, and Grumman A-6 Intruder night operations. Forrestal was involved in high-tempo carrier operations, coordination with Seventh Fleet assets, and support for Operation Linebacker phases, while also enduring logistical strains typical of prolonged Vietnam War carrier deployments.
Throughout the Cold War, Forrestal executed multiple Mediterranean cruises with the Sixth Fleet, showing presence during crises connected to events like the Suez Crisis aftermath, tensions around Cyprus dispute, and operations linked to Yom Kippur War regional posture. She participated in joint exercises with NATO navies including the Royal Navy, French Navy, and Italian Navy, and took part in freedom-of-navigation operations near contested waters involving states such as Soviet Union and allies transitioning through the Warsaw Pact. Port visits included stops at Naples, Gibraltar, Haifa, and Valletta, projecting carrier air power and supporting diplomatic missions.
Over her service life Forrestal underwent scheduled overhauls at yards like Newport News Shipbuilding and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, receiving updates to radar and electronic warfare suites from contractors linked to Raytheon and Northrop Grumman programs. Modifications addressed steam catapult maintenance, arresting gear upgrades influenced by Carrier Suitability standards, and structural work following investigations of flight deck ordnance handling procedures prompted by incidents that informed Naval Safety Center reforms. Refits accommodated newer aircraft, updated command-and-control systems compatible with NATO data links, and living-quarters improvements consistent with Military Sealift Command logistics planning.
As post-Cold War force reductions under leaders in the Department of Defense took effect, Forrestal was decommissioned in 1993 and entered the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) awaiting final disposition under Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). After consideration for preservation and proposals involving agencies like the National Park Service and maritime museums, she was sold for scrapping; dismantling occurred under contracts managed with ship recycling firms and port authorities, concluding in 2014–2015. Her legacy influences carrier design debates leading to classes such as Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, and her service is commemorated in archives at institutions including the National Naval Aviation Museum and naval historical collections.
Category:Forrestal-class aircraft carriers Category:Ships built in Newport News, Virginia Category:Cold War aircraft carriers of the United States