The ships are scheduled for retirement this decade, but may see their service lives extended. Here's What You Need to Know: Nimitz-class supercarriers will continue to sail the world’s oceans well into the mid-twenty-first century. Giant aircraft carriers have become synonymous with U.S. military power, but many do not realize just how exceptional these vessels are. These floating air bases are loaded with dozens of advanced war planes and can launch up to 150 sorties per day. No other nation has deployed a nuclear-powered supercarriers of comparable size and striking power—and the United States Navy operates eleven of them.