USS Harry S. Truman arrives at Souda

eKathimerini — The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman has arrived at the US naval base in Souda Bay earlier today, Wednesday.

The nuclear-power Nimitz-class carrier, which has been at the centre of the US Navy’s strikes against the Islamic State, will remain docked in Souda until May 28.

Harry S. Truman is 1,092 feet (333 m) long, 257 feet (78 m) wide and is as high as a twenty-four-story building, at 244 feet (74 m). It can accommodate approximately 90 aircraft and has a 4.5-acre flight deck using four elevators to move planes between the flight deck and the hangar bay. With a combat load, HST displaces almost 97,000 tons and can accommodate 6,250 crewmembers.

It is powered by two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors giving it a range of over three million miles before refuelling. The ship has 4 five-bladed propellers that can drive the ship at speeds over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).

Harry S. Truman cost over $4.5 billion in 2007