The U.S. Navy is evaluating the use of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz as a training ship after its final operational mission and return to Norfolk later this year. Under the proposal, Nimitz would train thousands of sailors for the new carriers USS John F. Kennedy, USS John Stennis, and USS Harry S. Truman before they enter active service, offering realistic flight operations, flight‑deck procedures, propulsion systems, and other carrier systems.
Nimitz, which entered service in 1975, is slated for decommissioning in fiscal year 2027, after which the ship will be dismantled and scrapped.