HIGH SPEED Maneuvers: US Nimitz-class Supercarrier

YouTube / Ultimate Military Channel

A Drifting Carrier

US Navy’s Nimitz-class USS Abraham Lincoln performed a series of maneuvers to test its rudders.

The ship was commissioned in 1989 and has since took part in numerous conflicts around the world. It served during Operation Desert Storm, Operation Vigilant Sentinel, and both Iraqi and Enduring Freedom operations.

During the rudder tests, the carrier maxed out at 30 knots in its full-speed run, subsequently passing the rudder swing check. When swinging the rudder fully to the left or right, the carrier has to swing in a precise position. If the carrier was off by a degree, the rudder might cause serious damage to itself or the systems that control it.

It’s quite amazing how a 104,300-ton ship can “drift” like that.