The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier is a historic vessel and one of the most powerful aircraft carriers sailing in 2026. The first of the United States Navy’s 10 Nimitz-class carriers, the nuclear-powered was commissioned on May 3, 1975, and is taking its victory lap as it heads for retirement in 2027. That long service life has earned it a major accolade, too: As of 2026, the original Nimitz has secured the distinction of being the longest-serving carrier in the storied history of the U.S. Navy.
The Nimitz officially set the record on May 10, 2026, marking 51 years and seven days of active service. That ended the reign of a now-retired carrier, the USS Enterprise, as the Navy’s longest-sailing aircraft carrier. The Enterprise served the U.S. Navy for 51 years and six days, having been commissioned on November 25, 1961, and retired from active service on December 1, 2012.
Since the Nimitz will remain in service until March 2027, the gap between its service record and that of the Enterprise will only continue to widen. Be that as it may, the USS Nimitz is only in first place among aircraft carriers. If we widen our scope, other ships have served the U.S. Navy for even longer.
The Nimitz isn’t the Navy’s longest-serving vessel
The USS Nimitz has undeniably earned its place in history, but the U.S. Navy has older ships that are technically still in service. The absolute oldest of the bunch is also one of the oldest military ships still in active service anywhere, the USS Constitution. It first launched in 1797 and is still considered a commissioned Navy vessel, even if it predominantly serves as a tourist attraction these days. There’s also the case of the USS Pueblo, a ship that first sailed for the Navy in May 1967 but has been held by North Korea since 1968. The Pueblo, which has been used as a museum in Pyongyang in more recent years, is still Navy property.
With all of that said, the Nimitz can still claim the title of oldest Navy ship in its class — at least for now. The second-oldest aircraft carrier in service, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, was commissioned on October 18, 1977, and is currently on track to be retired and replaced in 2029 or sometime in the early 2030s at the latest. Assuming the carrier makes it to the latter end of that timetable, it’s entirely likely that the Eisenhower will rival or even surpass the exceptional longevity of the Nimitz.
With the record under its belt, the USS Nimitz continues to travel the globe in 2026 ahead of decommissioning. It has notably visited various parts of South America and the Caribbean during its Southern Seas 2026 deployment, which began in March.
