Editing Nimitz-class aircraft carrier (section)

===Strike groups===
{{Main|Carrier strike group}}
[[File:George Washington Carrier Strike Group.jpg|thumb|alt=Four warships sailing alongside ''George Washington''|The ''George Washington'' carrier strike group in the [[Caribbean Sea]], 2006]]

When an aircraft carrier deploys, it takes a Carrier Strike Group (CSG), made up of several other warships and supply vessels that allow the operation to be carried out. The armament of the ''Nimitz'' class is made up only of short-range defensive weapons, used as a last line of defense against enemy missiles and aircraft. As with all surface ships, an aircraft carrier is particularly vulnerable to attack from below, specifically from submarines. An aircraft carrier is a very expensive, hard to replace, and strategically valuable asset, and therefore it logically has immense value as a target.<ref name="Stevens, p. 24">Stevens 1998, p. 24</ref>

As a result of its target value and vulnerability, aircraft carriers are always escorted by at least one submarine for protection. The other vessels in the Strike Group provide additional capabilities, such as long-range [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk]] missiles or the [[Aegis Combat System]], and protect the carrier from attack. A typical Strike Group may include, in addition to an aircraft carrier: up to six [[surface combatant]]s, including [[guided-missile cruiser]]s and [[guided-missile destroyer]]s, used primarily for [[anti-aircraft warfare]] and anti-submarine warfare, and [[frigate]]s/[[guided-missile frigate]]s, prior to their retirement from USN service. Guided missile frigates will again accompany CSGs when the Navy commissions the [[USS Constellation (FFG-62)]], the lead ship of the [[Constellation-class frigate|Constellation-class]].{{cn|date=March 2025}} Also making up part of the group is one or two [[attack submarine]]s for seeking out and destroying hostile surface ships and submarines and an [[Fast combat support ship|ammunition, oiler, and supply ship]] from [[Military Sealift Command]] to provide logistical support.<ref name="Stevens, p. 24"/> The numbers and types of vessels that make up each strike group can vary from group to group, depending on deployments, mission, and availability.<ref>Polmar 2004, p. 37</ref>