USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is the eighth of the United States Navy, and is named after the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. She is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.
Harry S. Truman was launched on 7 September 1996 by Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, and commissioned on 25 July 1998 with Captain Thomas Otterbein in command.
Built at a cost of more than $4.5 billion in 2007 dollars ($ today), Harry S. Truman (also known as HST within the Navy) is long and wide, and is as high as a 24-story building, at . The supercarrier can accommodate 6,250 crewmembers and around 90 aircraft. Aircraft move between the hangar bay and the flight deck on four elevators. With a combat load, HST displaces almost 97,000 tons, including two 30-ton Mark II stockless anchors taken from ; each link of the anchor chain weighs . She is armed with three 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and two Sea Sparrow SAM launchers. The ship is powered by two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors that can propel the ship more than three million miles before refueling. The ship's quartet of five-bladed, propellers that can produce speeds over .
Since 2001, Harry S. Truman has been deployed in support of many conflicts and operations, including Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Deny Flight, Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve. In 2025, the aircraft carrier was attacked six times by ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis.
In September, 2026, Harry S. Truman began her mid-life refueling and complex overhaul in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to remain there until 2031.
Ship history Pre-commissioning and construction
Her keel was laid by Newport News Shipbuilding on 29 November 1993 as , but her name was changed in February 1995 at the direction of then-Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton. The ship was christened on 7 September 1996 and launched six days later.
Three Newport News ship workers died during construction when a pump room filled with methane and hydrogen sulfide gases during a sewage leak on 12 July 1997. They are commemorated by a brass plaque in the tunnel off Hangar Bay No. 1. The crew began moving aboard from contract housing in Newport News in January 1998. The ship completed builder's sea trial on 11 June 1998 after a short delay due to noises in one of the reactor closure heads. The ship was accepted by the Navy on 30 June 1998.Agostinelli, Giampaolo (2003) Where Sea Meets the Sky: U.S. Navy – Cvw-3 – Uss Harry S Truman Naval Institute Press. p.33.
Commissioning Harry S. Truman was commissioned on 25 July 1998 at Naval Station Norfolk. At the ceremony, the keynote speaker was President Bill Clinton. Other notable attendees and speakers were: Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., who had pushed to have the carrier named after the 33rd president; Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan; Captain Thomas Otterbein, Harry S. Trumans first commanding officer; Secretary of Defense William Cohen; and Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton.
1998–1999 In August 1998, Harry S. Truman left port for the first time to conduct certifications to test her ability to recover and launch aircraft. That was followed by sea trials and training exercises. In November, one of the Navy Blue Angels aircraft landed on HST, the only time the demonstration team has ever landed an aircraft on a carrier.
2000–2001 On 28 November 2000, Harry S. Truman began her maiden deployment with Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) on board. On 26 December 2000, the ship transited the Suez Canal.
For several months, the ship operated in support of Operation Southern Watch. Carrier Air Wing Three fly 869 combat sorties, including a strike on Iraqi integrated air defense system sites in a sanctioned response to Iraqi surface-to-air missile fire against United Nations Security Council coalition forces. Combat operations ended on 27 April. The carrier returned to the U.S. on 23 May, having steamed . She entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, for her first planned incremental availability (PIA) on 5 September 2001.
2002–2003
On 5 December 2002, HST left for her second deployment, again with CVW-3 embarked, visiting Marseille, France; Souda Bay, Crete; and Koper, Slovenia. Between 19 March and 18 April, airwing aircraft flew nearly 1,300 combat sorties from the Mediterranean Sea in the early stages of 2003 invasion of Iraq. The ship stopped in Portsmouth, England, before returning to Norfolk on 23 May.
In August 2003, Harry S. Truman began her second PIA at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY).
2004–2005
On 13 February 2004, Harry S. Truman left under budget and four days early from Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
On 2 June 2004, the ship "surged" for Exercise Summer Pulse, deploying to the Mediterranean Sea. The ship called at Naples, Italy, and participated in Operation Majestic Eagle in the eastern Atlantic Ocean before returning to NNSY on 25 July.
On 1 October 2004, as part of a Navy-wide series of redesignations, Harry S. Trumans immediate superior in command changed to Carrier Strike Group Ten. The ship set out from Norfolk on her third extended deployment on 13 October 2004, and visited Souda Bay, Crete, before relieving on 20 November in the Persian Gulf. Harry S. Truman and CVW-3 launched 2,577 sorties, totaling nearly 13,000 flight hours, flying combat missions over Iraq and maritime security operations before being relieved by Carrier Strike Group in the Persian Gulf on 19 March 2005. Despite plans to cross the equator and visit South Africa, diplomatic issues caused her, instead, to transit the Suez Canal, stopping in Portsmouth, England, before returning home on 18 April 2005.
On 1 September 2005, Harry S. Truman set sail for to help the U.S. Gulf Coast devastated by Hurricane Katrina. She arrived in the Gulf of Mexico on 4 September and served as the flagship for the naval task force. While the ship's strike group (Carrier Strike Group 10) commander, Rear Adm. Joseph Kilkenny, was appointed deputy commander of Joint Task Force Gulf Coast (also known as JTF Katrina and Rita), the ship remained anchored in the gulf and provided desalinated water for the relief effort via helicopter (the actual command hub for the JTF was ). The carrier also provided support to JRB New Orleans in the form of aviation boatswain's mates and cooks to keep that station in operation. Harry S. Truman returned to home port in October 2005 after five weeks of relief efforts.
2006 In January, Harry S. Truman entered the NNSY for a docked PIA. The ship received many system upgrades. Minor weld defects in the reactor plants were repaired. She left the yard in December and continued preparations for surge beginning in April 2007.
2007 On 15 August, an E-2C Hawkeye crashed after taking off from the carrier, killing all three crewmembers.
On 5 November, Harry S. Truman left Norfolk for her fourth extended deployment with CVW-3 embarked in support of OIF.
2008 HST returned to the U.S. in June.Naval Aviation News, September 2009, p16 She first pulled into Naval Station Mayport, Florida, to welcome aboard family and friends for a three-day "Tiger Cruise" or Family Day Cruise, before returning to Norfolk Naval Station on 4 June 2008. The ship was awarded her fourth Battle E award for the East Coast (for 2008) in early 2009. Jimmy Buffett visited the ship and performed a concert on 28 January.
2009 In February, HST completed a nearly seven-month PIA at the NNSY in Portsmouth, Virginia.
On 5 August, EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) and Electronic Attack Squadron 132 (VAQ-132) completed their first at-sea carrier-arrested landing (trap) aboard Harry S. Truman.
2010 Harry S. Truman began a seven-month deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations in support of maritime security operations.
On 21 May, Harry S. Truman led a task force of 11 American warships and 5,000 men into the Suez Canal.
On 20 June, the ship visited four ports during her 213 days at sea, including Marseille, France; Dubai, U.A.E; Manama, Bahrain; and Souda Bay, Crete, before returning to the United States on 21 December. During the deployment, Harry S. Truman traveled more than 50,000 nautical miles and flew more than 10,000 sorties in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.
2011
On 2 February, Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet named Harry S. Truman as the Battle "E", award winner, which was her third consecutive Battle "E" award. This was the sixth award in the ship's 12-year history, having previously won the Battle "E" award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009.
Harry S. Truman entered a docked PIA at NNSY in late March.
On 28 February, the aircraft carrier began her dry-docking PIA maintenance and yard overhaul period at NNSY in Portsmouth (pictured). During this maintenance cycle, Harry S. Truman received a new main mast, an upgrade in her close-in weapons systems, and the installation of the automated digital network system, which provides the carrier with enhanced communications and cooperative engagement capabilities to assess possible threats. Harry S. Truman was expected to complete this DPIA yard overhaul in early 2012 and begin preparations for her sixth overseas deployment. Also, her berthing spaces were also upgraded, installing 2,500 racks, replacing 46,000 square feet of deck and painting 106,000 square feet of spaces.
On 8 November, Captain Tushar Tembe died after collapsing on a pier near the ship. The ship's executive officer (XO) assumed the role of acting command officer, until relieved by Captain Dee L. Mewbourne three days later, and resuming his post as XO.
2012
On 7 April, Norfolk Naval Shipyard completed the ship's nuclear power plant modernization and testing was to begin to ensure her readiness for sea trials lasting 90 days. Harry S. Truman returned to the U.S. Navy fleet in the summer of 2012.
On 26 November, an X-47B unmanned combat air system was hoisted on board Harry S. Truman in preparation for an unmanned aircraft's first, carrier-based testing. Harry S. Truman was to be the first aircraft carrier in naval aviation history to host test operations for an unmanned aircraft. Testing on the X-47B was conducted over a three-week period that included in-port and underway demonstrations aboard. The X-47B successfully completed carrier deck tests aboard Harry S. Truman on 18 December 2012.X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Completes First At-Sea Tests – Defense-Aerospace.com, 18 December 2012
2013 On 6 February, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the upcoming deployment of Harry S. Truman, the guided-missile cruiser , and the rest of Carrier Strike Group 10 will be postponed pending the resolution of the upcoming budget sequestration, leaving the carrier and her carrier strike group as the only carrier force operating in the Persian Gulf region. and The strike group was originally scheduled to depart Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on 8 February 2013.
On 22 July, Harry S. Truman left for an extended deployment to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility, and settled into her mission of supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and the coalition of troops on the ground in Afghanistan.
2014 On 14 February, the Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet named Harry S. Truman as the East Coast aircraft carrier Battle "E" award winner.
On 23 March, Harry S. Truman was relieved by in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, conducting maritime security operations and supporting theater security cooperation efforts.
2015 On 16 November, Harry S. Truman, assigned with Carrier Air Wing Seven, began a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation. The carrier was accompanied by the cruiser and Destroyer Squadron 28, , , and .