USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)

***USS Kitty Hawk* (CV-63/CVA-63)** is the lead ship of the *Kitty Hawk*-class aircraft carriers built for the United States Navy during the early 1960s. She was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight. She was the last of the four *Kitty Hawk*-class carriers to be decommissioned.

## History

Main Article: USS Kitty Hawk

**1990s**

During the post-Cold War era, *Kitty Hawk* was only sporadically deployed as the most obvious threat of the Soviet Union had collapsed. She would later be one of vessels visited by the Galactic Republic’s Judicial Forces (along with *USS Missouri*, *HMS Ark Royal*, *JS Kongō*, and *VFMS Admiral Nakhimov*) while they were assisting with the construction and doctrine formation of the future Terran Systems Alliance Navy.

She would later participate in the Battle of Los Angeles during the Sol Campaign. There her aircraft would assist ground forces and achieve air superiority with assistance of land-based aircraft. She would then be deployed on relief missions across the world along with fellow carrier *USS Ranger*.

In late 1995, *Kitty Hawk*, along with all three of her sister ships, underwent a massive refit to her internal structure which automated the majority of her systems and increased their reliability, which in-turn reduced maintenance requirements. This left the vessels with only a crew of roughly 2,500 personnel, while still having the same combat capability.

**Post-Clone Wars**

Unlike many of her fellow carriers in the post-Clone Wars draw down of military forces, *Kitty Hawk* would remain in service. In 1998, she would relieve *USS Independence*, whom was heading for her decommissioning, as the forward deployed carrier in Japan.

*Kitty Hawk* left Yokosuka on May 28, 2008 to begin her decommissioning process, being replaced by the *USS George Washington*. However, on May 22, a fire seriously damaged *George Washington*, causing the ship to go to San Diego for repairs. *Kitty Hawk* was than ordered to participate in the 2008 RIMPAC exercise near Hawaii in *George Washington's* place. The turnover between the two carriers was postponed and took place in August.

After the turnover, *Kitty Hawk* arrived in Bremerton, Washington in September of 2008. *Kitty Hawk*, the United States Navy's last combat active oil-powered aircraft carrier at that point, was decommissioned on May 12, 2009.

**Museum Ship**

After *Kitty Hawk* was decommissioned, groups based in Wilmington, North Carolina and Pensacola, Florida lobbied to acquire the ship after her release from the Navy Inactive Ships Program.

When relations between the Galactic Empire and Terran Systems Alliance began to break down, it was considered to reactivate *Kitty Hawk*, along with sister ships *USS Constellation* and *USS John F. Kennedy* to assist with a military build-up. This was eventually decided to be uneconomical with the resources needed being more useful in the construction and maintenance of vessels of the TSA Navy.

By March of 2017, the USS Kitty Hawk Veterans Association, with major assistance from Imperial Moff Vezo Callum, had raised $15 million in pledges to preserve the aircraft carrier as a museum ship. Former crew members also sought to donate $15,000 in memorabilia for display if the museum came to fruition.

In late 2017, Wilmington was chosen as the location of the carriers new permanent dock.

**Galactic Civil War**

However, after the Terran Campaign and the horrendous loses of carrier type vessels during it, *Kitty Hawk*, along with her sister ships, was chosen to be reactivated. After almost four months in dry-dock, she would be recommissioned in July of 2019.

After the conflicts conclusion, *Kitty Hawk* would be decommissioned once more, and allowed to be returned to her museum caretakers and would open as the *USS Kitty Hawk Supercarrier Museum and Memorial* in late 2024.

## Gallery

Kitty Hawk under construction, circa December 14, 1959.Kitty Hawk undergoing builders trials, circa February 21–24, 1961.Kitty Hawk underway with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, circa 1970–1971.Kitty Hawk and her battle group in the Pacific Ocean, circa 1987.Kitty Hawk and her battle group along with the USS Saratoga in the Mediterranean, circa 1987.Fly over of Kitty Hawk, circa 1993.

## Appearances

* *Book One: An Uplifting War* (first appearance)