USS Forrestal (CV-59)

## USS Forrestal

The ***USS Forrestal (CV-59/CVA-59/AVT-59)*** is the lead ship of the *Forrestal*-class aircraft carriers built for the United States Navy. She was the first true ‘supercarrier’ built, and would serve for over four decades before becoming a dedicated training carrier in the aftermath of the Clone Wars. With a total of 67 years of service, she would be the US Navy’s longest serving carrier, and would donated as museum in Newport, Rhode Island in the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War.

## History

Main Article: USS Forrestal

**1990s**

Along with other vessels of the 600-ship navy, *Forrestal* was retained in the fleet due to the declining relations between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems and later, the outbreak of the Clone Wars. During this period she would be deployed to hotspots around Earth, which included the Persian Gulf and South East Asia.

In June of 1994, she was deployed to Japan along with the *USS Missouri*, *USS Alaska*, *USS Guam*, and over a dozen escort vessels to assist the *USS Midway* battlegroup with supporting Japanese forces against a potential extraterrestrial attack in Asia. This would come to pass via the Battle of Tokyo, where her aircraft would support bombardment efforts of *Missouri*, *Alaska*, *Guam*, and the JS *Yamato* to neutralize masses of droid forces throughout the city.

After the battles conclusion, she would be deployed in relief efforts alongside JS *Yonaga*. She would serve in this role for next two weeks, before being recalled back to the states for resupply.

With the decommissioning of  *USS Jason (AR-8)* on June 30, 1995, *Forrestal* became the second-oldest active warship in the US Navy and was authorized to fly the First Navy Jack.

**Post-Clone Wars**

> “She likes it when ya scream lad! Ha ha!” - Flight Instructor Armen Tipton to a flight trainee.
>
>

During the post-war drawdown of Terran military forces, many older vessels were deemed surplus and decommissioned, however fate would have a different plan for *Forrestal*.

She would be fully converted into a training carrier to replace USS *Lexington* (CV-16), which had been decommissioned several years earlier. She would serve in this configuration long enough to see the Imperial invasion of Earth decades later.

**Galactic Civil War**

She would be pressed into combat and assist in the Battle of San Diego, where her limited air-group and ammo only allowed her to assist with sporadic ground support missions. However one of her pilots, Armen Tipton, would score two air-to-air kills in a F-18 Hornet with its 20mm cannon.

She would then be deployed to assist in the Battle of Alaska, during which due to the age of her catapult systems, she would be equipped with a number of Mark II SF-4 Vipers, to replace the limited number of available naval aircraft after the Battles of Norfolk, San Diego and Washington D.C. Using these fighters, her air group would be assigned to interception of any Imperial fighters in the engagement area. Fortunately, her air group wouldn’t see heavy action as most of the T.I.E. Fighters would be destroyed long before reaching the fleet, though 6 T.I.E fighters would be destroyed by her air group in dogfights.

**Post-Galactic Civil War**

*Forrestal* would be decommissioned shortly after the end of the Galactic Civil War. Her fate was originally to be the scrapyard, but the citizens of San Diego managed to raise enough funds to preserve the vessel that defended their city. Due to lack of available port space in San Diego itself, she would open in 2023 in Newport, Rhode Island at Pier 2 on Naval Station Newport with her museum named the ‘*USS Forrestal Terran Naval Museum*’

## Gallery

Forrestal undergoing sea trials.Forrestal leaving a pier undergoing a trial run in 1955.Forrestal during an underway-replenishment alongside USS Des Moines.Forrestal docked alongside USS Intrepid (CV-11)Fire raging on the aft flight-deck in 1967.Bomb exploding on Forrestal’s deck during 1967 fire.Damage to Forrestal after the fire.Forrestal underway in 1987, with three F-14A Tomcats and an EA-6B Prowler on her catapults.
## Trivia

* In real life USS Forrestal was decommissioned on September 11, 1993 and scrapped in late 2015.

## Appearances

* *Book One: An Uplifting War* (first appearance)
* *Book Three: Return of Legends*