Strangest Looking Most Highly Classified Aircraft Carrier Ever Built

It's 1965, and the Cold War verges on nuclear conflict. The Soviet Union has escalated tensions, threatening the West with annihilation.

Patrolling the waters a few miles outside Washington DC, USS Wright comes to life as vessel and crew prepare for the unthinkable.

Originally an aircraft carrier, this ship has been transformed. Its vast flight deck, once lined with fighter jets ready for combat, now hosts a forest of antennae and satellite dishes. These instruments of communication have replaced the roar of jet engines with the silent buzz of signals bouncing across the globe.

A helicopter approaches, cutting through the sky with urgency. It lands smoothly on the deck, now cleared of any aircraft but fully equipped for its new role. Out steps President John F. Kennedy, immediately greeted by the ship's commanding officer. Together, they move briskly inside, descending into the bowels of the USS Wright.

In the heart of the ship, a secure room houses a bank of color-coded telephones. Each one is a direct line to a different branch of the U.S. defense network, from the Pentagon to missile silos scattered across the country. This array of phones stands ready to orchestrate a unified response to any threat.

Even deeper in the bowels of the emergency operations center, there is a reinforced room shrouded in secrecy, requiring a top-secret key code to enter.

Before there were Doomsday planes, there were Doomsday Ships, created to ride out nuclear apocalypse. USS Wright was ready to do just that.

[kevinpresley]

John F. Kennedy was not president in 1965 having been assinated in November 1963 in Dallas.

[rogerbredemeier]

I served on the Wright from Sept '65 to Sept '68. This video brought back many memories.

[jamesbach]

The USS Wright looks like a HAM radio operators ultimate dream!

[JackForbes-shcc]

The only thing more amazing than the advanced technology and capabilities of this ship is how quickly it become obsolete as technology advanced.

[chheinrich]

Never has this channel sold us such bonkers situations as JFK being on a ship in 1965😂😂

[neildollar]

Great video, but I’d bet the farm JFK didn’t ride in a single helicopter in 1965.

[UncleJoeLITE]

Fascinating, a shame we don't have more pictures, thanks.
_The 'Kennedy being dead in 1965' error I'm sure 1, 000 USAers have pointed out lol._

[beerdrinker]

A great prototype for the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19). Commissioned in about 1973. She is still in service. The USN's third longest serving ship.

[peterhennes]

Was stationed on her from Sept 1966 to june 1967. Quite a ship. Made Shellback going to Johnsons meeting. Week liberty in Rio Not too bad either.

[martyober]

Saw her sitting in the Philadelphia Navy Yard
Thought she had been used in the space program
Great explanation of her function

[jakelandry]

I worked on the RC-135v/w exclusively, but did work on the OC-135, WC-135, and on a few occasions the RC-135s and u. Neat aircraft. The Navy "TACAMO" and USAF E4b were also at Offutt. All very cool planes that play a large part in the nuclear triad and Intel.

[AZREDFERN]

This is literally every amateur radio operators, wet dream

[jBKht]

You left out USS Triton with her 2 reactors and massive secure space and antennas for command and control.
Originally conceived to go up the Potomac to pickup the President. However nobody bothered checking how deep the water was. Too shallow. Opps 😂

[kennedymcgovern]

When I was in, we had the "Mount Whitney." She sat on Pier 25 in Norfolk and never really moved. Her hull number was 20, so we all called her "Building 20."

[olderandslower]

I don"t think 1965 is correct here.

[matthewnewton]

“Fastest around-the-worpld signal” is a nonsense phrase.

Radio waves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. I.e. they are a lower frequency version of visible light. The same exact thing.

And light moves at a particular speed (300.000km/second or 186, 000miles/second). Having larger and more powerful antennas DOES NOT speed up the radio waves lmao.

The only thing that can alter the speed of light is if it is forced to move through a medium other than empty space. And in that case, it alters the speed DOWNWARD, not upward.

The time it takes for a signal to travel around the world is the circumference of the earth divided by the speed of light. (If indeed it’s traveling the circumference exactly; it’s more likely that the signal is bouncing off of clouds etc.).

[martythemartian]

So we went from Floating White House to Flying White House. Does that mean the next version will be an Orbital White House? 🤔

[vanpenguin]

Those NECP 747's i remember seeing parked at Boeing Field in the 70's shortly after roll-out.

[xxxlonewolf]

The power needed to power & cool those electronics...

[DivadNoodeldehm-lzgm]

Thought the thumbnail was clickbait. It wasn't. Cool!