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Foch/Sao Paulo vs Nimitz

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Specifications
Foch/Sao Paulo Nimitz
Origin 🇫🇷 France 🇺🇸 United States
Category Aircraft carrier Aircraft carrier
Type Aircraft carrier Aircraft carrier
Manufacturer DCN, St-Nazaire (France) Newport News Shipbuilding Company
Year introduced 1963 1975
Number built 2 units 10 units
Estimated unit price NA $4,500 million
Displacement 32,800 tons 100,000 tons
Maximum speed 32.0 knots 30.0 knots
Range 7,500 nm at 18 knots Unlimited
Length 265.0 m 332.8 m
Beam 51.2 m 76.8 m
Crew 1,338 5,000
Performance Radar Chart
Armament & Systems
Foch/Sao Paulo Nimitz
Armament
  • 8 × 100 mm turrets (originally)
  • 2 × SACP Crotale EDIR systems (52 missiles)
  • 5 × 12.7 mm machine guns
  • 2 × Sadral launchers for 6 Mistral missiles each
  • 2–3 × Mk 29 Guided Missile Launching Systems (8 × RIM-162 ESSM or RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles each)
  • 3–4 × Phalanx CIWS
  • 2 × Mk 49 Guided Missile Launching Systems (21 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles each)
  • Mk 38 25 mm Machine Gun Systems
Propulsion 2 shafts; 4 × steam turbines; 6 × Indret boilers with a power of 126,000 shp (94,000 kW) 2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 × steam turbines, 4 × shafts, 260,000 shp (190 MW)

Overview

The Foch/Sao Paulo and the Nimitz are both Aircraft carrier classes.

The Nimitz displaces 100,000 tons — 3.0x the Foch/Sao Paulo's 32,800 tons. The Foch/Sao Paulo reaches 32 knots vs 30 knots for the Nimitz. Operational range is 7,500 nautical miles for the Foch/Sao Paulo vs 99,999 for the Nimitz. The Foch/Sao Paulo carries a crew of 1,338 vs 5,000 for the Nimitz.

The Foch/Sao Paulo was produced in 2 units vs 10 for the Nimitz. The Foch/Sao Paulo was commissioned in 1963, 12 years before the Nimitz (1975).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Foch/Sao Paulo-class or Nimitz-class?
The Nimitz-class has greater displacement at 100,000 tons compared to the Foch/Sao Paulo-class's 32,800 tons.
Which is faster, the Foch/Sao Paulo-class or Nimitz-class?
The Foch/Sao Paulo-class is faster with a maximum speed of 32 knots compared to the Nimitz-class's 30 knots.
Which has longer range, the Foch/Sao Paulo-class or Nimitz-class?
The Nimitz-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Foch/Sao Paulo-class has a range of 7,500 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Foch/Sao Paulo-class or Nimitz-class?
The Nimitz-class is longer at 332.8 meters compared to the Foch/Sao Paulo-class's 265.0 meters.
How many crew members do the Foch/Sao Paulo-class and Nimitz-class have?
The Nimitz-class has a larger crew complement of 5,000 compared to the Foch/Sao Paulo-class's 1,338 crew members.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Foch/Sao Paulo-class or Nimitz-class?
The Nimitz-class has been built in greater numbers with 10 vessels compared to 2 vessels of the Foch/Sao Paulo-class.