Editing Nimitz-class aircraft carrier (section)

===Design differences within the class===
While the designs of the last seven ships, beginning with ''Theodore Roosevelt'', differ slightly from those of the earlier ships, the U.S. Navy considers all ten carriers a single class.<ref name="Navy.mil CVN"/> When the older carriers come in for [[Refueling and Complex Overhaul]] (RCOH), their nuclear power plants are refueled, and they are upgraded to the standards of the later carriers. Other modifications may be performed to update the ships' equipment.<ref name="Navy.mil CVN"/><ref name='NorthropGrumman-Refueling and Complex Overhaul'>{{cite web|title=Refueling and Complex Overhaul|publisher=[[Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding]]|url=http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/products/acfleetservices/|access-date=19 April 2008}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

The ships were initially classified only as attack carriers but have been constructed with anti-submarine capabilities since ''Carl Vinson''. These improvements include more advanced radar systems and facilities enabling the ships to operate aircraft in a more effective anti-submarine warfare role, including fitting common undersea picture (CUP) technology, which uses [[sonar]] to allow for better assessment of the threat from submarines.<ref name="ASW"/>

''Theodore Roosevelt'' and later carriers have slight structural differences from the earlier ''Nimitz'' carriers, such as improved protection for ordnance stored in their [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]]. Other improvements include upgraded flight deck ballistic protection, first installed on ''George Washington'', and the [[high-strength low-alloy steel]] (HSLA-100) used for constructing ships starting with ''John C. Stennis''.<ref name="Polmar 113"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/costing-the-cvn21-a-did-primer-01624/ |title=Costing the CVN-21: A DID Primer |date=19 December 2005 |publisher=Defense Industry Daily |access-date=27 December 2009}}</ref> More recently, older ships have had their flight decks upgraded with a new non-slip material fitted on new-build ships to improve safety for crew members and aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.surfacetechnologiescorp.com/projects/USS-Nimitz/ |title=USS Nimitz Flight Deck |publisher=Surface Technologies Corporation |access-date=2 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731113036/http://surfacetechnologiescorp.com/projects/USS-Nimitz/ |archive-date=31 July 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=51351 |title=Truman Flight Deck Receives New Non-Skid |author=Lt. Katharine Cerezo |date=20 February 2010 |publisher=U.S. Navy |access-date=13 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722085105/http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=51351 |archive-date=22 July 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The last carrier of the class, ''George H.W. Bush'', was designed as a "transition ship" from the ''Nimitz'' class to the replacement {{sclass|Gerald R. Ford|aircraft carrier|4}}. ''George H.W. Bush'' incorporates new technologies, including improved propeller and bulbous bow designs, a reduced [[radar cross-section]], and electronic and environmental upgrades.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=165151|title=Press Release|publisher=[[Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding]]|date=11 May 2009|access-date=27 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521131119/http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=165151|archive-date=21 May 2009|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/bush/design_enhancements.html |title=Design Enhancements |publisher=Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding |access-date=28 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113050807/http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/bush/design_enhancements.html |archive-date=13 November 2009}}</ref> The ship's cost was $6.2&nbsp;billion. The earlier ''Nimitz''-class ships each cost around $4.5&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479087,00.html |title=Aircraft Carrier Named the USS George H.W. Bush Commissioned |date=10 January 2009 |publisher=[[Fox News Channel]] |access-date=14 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021164246/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479087,00.html |archive-date=21 October 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref> To lower costs, some new technologies and design features were also incorporated into USS ''Ronald Reagan'', the previous carrier, including a redesigned [[Flight deck#Full length|island]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/Reagan/About_the_Christening/Media%20Link/reagan_press_kit.pdf |title=Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Christening: Advanced Media Kit |publisher=Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding |access-date=27 December 2009}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>