Key Points and Summary – The Nimitz-class has carried U.S. airpower for decades—but time leaves fingerprints.
-Aging hulls mean longer, pricier overhauls. George Washington’s drawn-out refueling exposed miserable living conditions.
-Nimitz and Lincoln both battled contaminated drinking water.
-In heavy combat loads, the class can list to starboard, forcing ballast workarounds.
-And the Red Sea fight with Houthi drones and missiles showed how carriers face swarms and long-range threats. None of this makes Nimitz ships obsolete—but it does raise costs, downtime, and risk.
-The Navy is fixing faults and modernizing, yet the message is clear: older carriers demand vigilance, faster maintenance, and better crew care.
Five Complaints About Nimitz-class Aircraft Carriers
The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers have been among the best warships in history. They have served their country well and have a sterling combat record. However, there are some issues that the carriers have struggled with or have suffered from in the past.
The carriers are aging—entering a 50-year service life for some ships in the class. Some may be considered obsolete by critics. They are expensive and time-consuming to maintain. The USS Nimitz and USS Abraham Lincoln have endured problems with their drinking water.
The Nimitz-class can sometimes list to starboard while sailing. The USS George Washington underwent a lengthy overhaul that resulted in substandard living conditions for its sailors.
Should the Navy Depend So Much on Older Carriers?
First, Nimitz-class carriers are aging, and flat-tops themselves may be getting obsolete. They can succumb to anti-ship carrier killing missiles from China. They are also susceptible to loitering kamikaze drones that could overwhelm the ship’s defenses. There were some close calls against carriers operating in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden recently. The Iranian-backed Houthis terrorists from Yemen proved to be pesky adversaries, launching numerous missiles and drones at Nimitz-class carriers. None were damaged or lost, but the exercise demonstrated to the Navy how modern naval warfare had evolved.
The Houthis began offensive operations against the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Carl Vinson with cruise missiles and drones this spring. The carriers offered their own strikes against missile and drone-making storage centers and manufacturing facilities. The Houthis proved to be relentless and revealed that carriers could be a target for asymmetric warfare and area denial tactics.
Maintenance Periods Can Be Painful
Second, another complaint is the lengthy and expensive maintenance overhauls for some Nimitz-class carriers. The USS George Washington was taken out of service between 2017 and 2023. This came with a two-year delay that kept it inactive for six years.
Technical difficulties marred its Refueling and complex overhaul. The mid-life maintenance and modernization effort is necessary for all Nimitz-class carriers; however, this one has strained the patience of the Navy and Congress.
The ship’s nuclear reactors had to be refueled, and an overhaul of its propulsion and electrical systems was necessary. Plus, the Navy wanted to make it more livable for the crew.
This process was delayed because some lawmakers questioned whether the ship should be decommissioned, so work began late. George Washington’s condition was worse than initially thought, and the modernization process took longer than expected. The USS Ronald Reagan is now in a 17-month maintenance period. The repair period takes these carriers out of action, and this hurts Navy readiness and lethality for its carrier fleet.
Living on a Carrier in Repair Mode Can Be a Difficult Duty
Third, the USS George Washington experienced significant issues with quality of life while in port for the refit. There was a series of three sailor suicides in one week, although the suicides were determined to be unconnected to shipboard conditions. Still, it was a tragedy for the ship’s crew and leadership team. The carrier suffered from “power outages, a lack of hot water, and unbearable temperatures,” according to an investigation conducted by the Navy, as noted by CNN.
The sailors moved on board the ship before these problems were fixed, creating a terrible experience for the personnel. The Navy has moved to improve living conditions by offering better housing options while carriers are in dry dock and providing essential mental health treatment during maintenance periods.
Drinking Water May Be Nasty from Time to Time
Fourth, in 2022, the USS Nimitz had problems with its drinking water system. The potable water was not ready for consumption, and the ship had to be ported while the issues were remedied. This showed that the vessel was probably headed for retirement if it could not perform basic tasks for the crew.
And more frighteningly, inspectors found detectable amounts of jet fuel hydrocarbons in the wastewater. This was later rectified while the vessel was at dock in San Diego, and water cleanliness was restored.
The USS Abraham Lincoln also had issues with drinking water. “The investigation into the presence of bacteria in the potable water on Abraham Lincoln found that bilge water entered a potable water tank through a hole, caused by corrosion, in the tank’s ventilation pipe while Abraham Lincoln was in port at Naval Air Station North Island, Sept. 17-21, 2022,” a Navy news release said.
The faulty pipe was later repaired, and drinking water on the Abraham Lincoln was considered safe to drink.
Listing to Starboard
Fifth, Nimitz-class carriers also tend to list to starboard when under a full combat load because the island is on the starboard side of the ship. The List Control System is sometimes not able to correct this problem. The Navy has tried to use “fresh water ballast.” The issue was solved using damage control voids for ballast.
However, this revealed that the original design of the Nimitz-class was somewhat flawed, which could have led to survivability problems.
The Navy has addressed all of these downsides for the Nimitz-class. Ordinarily, the carriers serve well and live up to expectations, patrolling combat zones and dealing with a new and evolving threat environment. All ships have problems, and the Nimitz-class is no different.
These issues were a clarion call to the naval brass, indicating that they must be cautious with older vessels that require more maintenance and repairs.
The Nimitz-class still comprises some of the world’s best carriers. They are getting older, though, and the Navy must watch for problems before they fester. Another downside to the Nimitz-class issues has been the need for prolonged investigations after problems have arisen.
The Navy must be aware that there is a limited amount of time for carriers to be sidelined. They need to be in the water to answer adversaries like the Houthis and negate the potential for better offensive capabilities from China.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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Ed
October 1, 2025 at 2:42 pm
Building and operating large complex nuclear powered carriers is hard, VERY hard. That’s why no other country in the world can do it nearly as well, including the ChiComs. 60+ years of experience can’t be bought or shortcut. A carrier strike group provides a mobile base of power unmatched in the world, surpassing the entire military might of most countries. A typical CSG has around 1000 defensive missiles of all types and platforms, and that can be upped by adding more cruisers or destroyers if needed. They also have very powerful electronic warfare systems that can defeat targeting radars and guidance systems.