Contributed by Mike Smolinski
Dont't Tread On Me
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) became the oldest active ship in the United States Navy upon the decommissioning of USS Independence (CV-62) on 30 September 1998. Kitty Hawk is only the second aircraft carrier ever to hold the honor of flying the First Navy Jack. Source: USS Kitty Hawk web siteSecretary of the Navy Gordon R. England directed all U.S. Navy ships to fly the First Navy Jack in lieu of the Union Jack during the Global War on Terrorism (SECNAVINST 10520.6). Since 1977 only the oldest active commissioned ship, currently USS Kitty Hawk, was authorized to fly it. |
Contract awarded on 1 October 1955 to New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, N.J. Laid down 27 December 1956, launched 21 May 1960, commissioned 29 April 1961. Reclassified as a "Multi-Purpose Aircraft Carrier" (CV-63) on 29 April 1973.
Status: Active, In Commission. Forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. Scheduled to decommission 2009; will be replaced in the Fleet by CVN-77, and as forward-deployed carrier by CVN-73 (summer 2008).
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Size | Image Description | Contributed
By And/Or Copyright |
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| Construction, 1956 – 1961 |
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| Launching, May 21, 1960 |
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 NS026396 |
198k | Bow view from drydock (Photo # 7634-157.) |
Photos from the Harry Pierce collection (MSS 684) at the Camden County Historical
Society, Camden, NJ. Submitted by Ron Reeves. |
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 NS026396a |
284k | Audience at launching (Photo # 7634-506.) |
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 NS026396b |
121k | Port side view at launching. Note Goodyear blimp over the crane (Photo # 7634-507.) |
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 NS026396c |
177k | Official party (l to r): Mrs. Harry W. Pierce, wife of President of NYSB; Mrs. Camilla F. McElroy, ship's sponsor, wife of former Secretary of Defense Neil H. McElroy; Mr. Neil H. McElroy, sixth Secretary of Defense (October 9, 1957 – December 1, 1959; Mr. Harry W. Pierce, Pres., NYSB (Photo # 7634-508.) |
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 NS026396d |
134k | RADM Ralph K. James, USN BUSHIPS (Photo # 7634-509.) |
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 NS026396e |
150k | Mr. William B. Franke, Secretary of the Navy (Photo # 7634-510.) |
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 NS026396f |
143k | Mrs. Camilla F. McElroy christens Kitty Hawk (Photo # 1967.310.) |
Photo from the Independence Seaport Museum, New York Shipbuilding Corporation Collection. Submitted by Bill Gonyo. |
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| 1961-1984 |
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 NS026301 |
313k | "Meet Navy's Missile Carrier," All Hands magazine, June 1961 issue. |
Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves | |
 NS026301a |
321k | |||
 NS026301b |
321k | |||
 NS026303 |
105k | Overhead view with deck load of aircraft. | William F. Yannayon Sr. | |
 NS026376 |
85k | USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) early in her career, circa 1961. | Image courtesy of Larry Blumenthal, PH3, 1957-61. "US Navy Photos" |
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 NS026318 |
127k | USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) refueling USS McKean (DDR-784), at right, and USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748) on 18 September 1962. Note that the carrier has ten A-3 Skywarrior heavy attack aircraft parked on her flight deck, amidships and aft. Planes parked forward include A-1, A-4, F-4 and F-8 types. Official U.S. Navy Photograph (# KN-4113). |
Scott Dyben | |
 NS026325 |
121k | Aerial view of USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) underway, circa 1963–1964. Official U.S. Navy photo. |
Robert Hurst | |
 NS091914605 |
153k | USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), and USS Turner Joy (DD-951) refueling from USS Kawishiwi (AO-146), 23 April 1964. Note the large "E" in a shield spelled out by crewmen on the carrier's flight deck. Photographed by PHCS Brown, USN. Official U.S. Navy Photograph (# USN 1097351). |
NHC | |
 NS026321 |
124k | USS Aludra (AF-55) resupplies USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) and USS Coontz (DLG-9) during a WestPac deployment, 1964. |
EMC(SW) Brian Kroenung | |
 NS023329 |
191k | Overhead look at Aircraft Carriers and Amphibious Assault Ships (Helicopter) at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, July 1967. Left to right: USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), USS Bennington (CVS-20), USS Kearsarge (CVS-33), USS Princeton (LPH-5), USS Valley Forge (LPH-8), USS Yorktown (CVS-10, top right corner). |
Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega | |
 NS026397 |
65k | USS Kitty Hawk underway circa 1968, location unknown. USN photo. |
Robert Hurst | |
 NS026386 |
74k | USS Kitty Hawk underway in the Pacific in the 1970s, with four E-2 Hawkeyes and an A-7 Corsair II on the flight deck. |
Robert Hurst | |
 NS121109902 |
118k | USS Beacon (PG-99) alongside Kitty Hawk (CVA-63). US Navy photo from the December 1970 edition of "All Hands" Magazine. |
Joe Radigan | |
 NS026398 |
165k | Official US Navy photograph of USS Kitty Hawk underway with Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) circa 1975, location unknown. |
David Buell | |
 NS026344 |
114k | "Attack Aircraft Carrier Kitty Hawk." (From a Russian publication). This drawing shows Kitty Hawk in the late 1970s, with SPS-43A and SPS-48C radars and two 8-cell BPDMS launchers. |
Alex Tatchin | |
 NS026377 |
166k | An elevated starboard quarter view of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) underway, July 1977. US Navy photo by PH1 A. Legare (DVIC id: DN-SC-86-00162). Kitty Hawk departed San Diego on March 8, 1976 and four days later entered drydock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA, to commence a 100-million dollar complex overhaul scheduled to last 12.5 months. This overhaul configured Hawk to operate with the F-14 Tomcat and S-3A Viking aircraft in a total CV sea control mode. This included adding spaces for storage, ordnance handling and maintenance facilities for the two aircraft. Also included in the work package were more efficient work areas for air frames and a repair facility for ground support equipment and the addition of avionics support capability for the S-3. The ship also replaced the Terrier Surface-to-Air missile system with the NATO Sea Sparrow system, and added elevators and modified weapons magazines to provide an increased capability for handling and stowing the newer, larger air launched weapons. The carrier completed the overhaul in March 1977 and departed the shipyard April 1 of that year to return to San Diego. |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026399 |
120k | USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) underway with Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11), circa 1977–1978, location unknown. |
Robert Hurst | |
 NS026378 |
98k | Two crewmen move Mk-82 500-pound bombs past two parked A-6 Intruder attack aircraft during flight deck operations aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), 1979. US Navy photo by ENS A. Legare (DVIC id: DN-SN-85-11093). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026379 |
89k | Crewmen inside the flight deck control center aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) use a table to simulate the arrangement of aircraft on the carrier's flight deck, December 15, 1979. US Navy photo by PHC Ken George (DVIC id: DN-SN-85-06358). |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026380 |
57k | USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) underway in the late 1970s–early 1980s. |
Robert Hurst | |
 NS026364 |
109k | Indian Ocean, January 15, 1980 — Aircraft of Carrier Air Wing One Five (CVW-15) are parked in formation aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). Aircraft seen include A-6 Intruders, foreground; F-14 Tomcats and A-7 Corsair IIs, background; SH-3 Sea King helicopters, left; E-2C Hawkeyes and EA-6B Prowlers, right. US Navy photo by PHC Ken George (DVIC id # DNSN8506347). | Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026312 |
256k | Picture of the Kitty Hawk taken Jan 80. | © Lee D. Schnell | |
 NS026311 |
718k | Picture of the Kitty Hawk taken Feb 81. | © Lee D. Schnell | |
 NS026365 |
71k | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, April 1981 — A port bow view of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) as crewmen form the number "200,000" on the flight deck. An S-3A Viking has just made the 200,000th aircraft landing aboard the aircraft carrier. US Navy photo by PH2 Michael McMillan (DVIC id # DNSC8200170). | Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026366 |
103k | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, April 15, 1981 — The island of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). US Navy photo by PH1 Johnson (DVIC id # DNSN8200162). | Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026381 |
66k | An air-to-air right side view of a Russian Tupolev Tu-95 bomber aircraft (NATO designation is Bear), center, and two U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat aircraft, acting as chase planes above the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) as the ship makes a right turn, December 1981. Photographer unknown (DVIC id # DN-SN-82-03011). | Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026382 |
98k | A starboard bow view of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) en route to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA, for a year-long overhaul, January 1982. US Navy photo by PHC Chesterfield (DVIC id # DN-SC-87-11542). | Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026383 |
99k | A stern view of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) (ground level, looking up) while in dry dock. Puget Sound NS, Bremerton, WA, February 1982. US Navy photo by PH2 R. Plunkett (DVIC id # DN-SN-86-00114). | Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026384 |
90k | A starboard bow view, taken at night, of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) moored at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA, August 1982. US Navy photo by PH1 C. Hinkle (DVIC id # DN-SC-85-06816). | Defense Visual Information Center | |
 NS026333 |
94k | An aerial port bow view of USS Kitty Hawk underway in the Pacific Ocean, October 1983. Photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class C. Yebba (DN-SC-85-06884). | USN | |
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| Related Links |
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Hazegray & Underway World Aircraft Carrier Pages By Andrew Toppan. Official U.S. Navy Carrier Website Official USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) web site USS Kitty Hawk Veteran's Association |
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Last update: 27 April 2008
