The Most Powerful Signature at Sea.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is the ultimate signature of America’s military might. It provides Americans with the gobal presences and security we need — now and in the future. To coincide with this week’s Sea-Air-Space Expo in Maryland, this advertisement ran in Seapower Magazine.
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USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) arrived at Newport News Shipbuilding Thursday, March 28 to begin its mid-life refueling complex overhaul (RCOH). RCOH will include the refueling of the ship’s reactors, as well as extensive modernization work to more than 2,300 compartments, 600 tanks and hundreds of systems. Learn more about RCOH.
Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) now has a mast! The first-in-class aircraft carrier is under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding. Learn more about the Ford class.
On March 20, 1945, USS Midway (CVB 41), the first of a three-ship class of 45,000-ton large aircraft carriers, was launched at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. These photos were taken shortly before and after the launch.
After her commissioning in September 1945 and first shakedown, Midway cruised to Arctic waters for experimental cold weather operations. In 1947, her flight deck was the site of a at-sea test launching of an ex-German V-2 ballistic missile, and later she undertook the first of several Sixth Fleet tours in the Mediterranean sea.
Today, Midway is a floating maritime museum located in downtown San Diego, California at Navy Pier. Learn more about Midway from the Naval History and Heritage Command and the U.S. Navy.
The refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of a U.S. Navy nuclear aircraft carrier has been called “the most challenging engineering and industrial task undertaken anywhere by any organization.”
During this nearly four-year process, the two nuclear reactors that power an aircraft carrier are refueled. Most of the ship’s services, systems, components and infrastructure are repaired or replaced, upgraded and modernized. This infographic explains what makes this process so complex and how it impacts our national defense.
Have you been part of an RCOH? Share your experiences and share this infographic with friends. Download a high-resolution version.
March 15, 2013 marks the 33rd anniversary of the launch of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) at Newport News Shipbuilding. The vessel’s namesake, former Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson, became the first living American to have a Navy ship named in his honor. Like and reblog this post to honor Cong. Vinson, the ship and her crew!
Learn more about the USS Carl Vinson: www.cvn70.navy.mil/
On March 13, 1991, the keel of USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) was laid at Newport News Shipbuilding. Laying the keel is the symbolic beginning of building the ship, originating from the large structural beam (or keel) that serves as the foundation or spine of the ship’s hull.
She was launched in November 1993 and commissioned in December 1995. In February 1998, Stennis left Norfolk and made her maiden deployment arriving in the Persian Gulf in March.
Learn more about the USS John Stennis: http://www.cvn74.navy.mil/
On this date in 2011, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) was ordered to Japan to provide food, water, medicine and clothing to those devastated by the tragic 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that left thousands dead. Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told the crew of the Reagan, “Your warm help will be cherished and engrained in the hearts and souls of the Japanese people.” Learn more about the Reagan and its humanitarian relief mission: 1.usa.gov/Zs8s7H
On March 4, 2001, the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), “the Gipper,” was christened by President Reagan’s wife Nancy. Reagan made her maiden deployment in January 2006 to conduct naval operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. After a typhoon devastated the Philippines in June 2008, Reagan and her crew provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the island of Panay in Central Visayas. In February 2011 while out near the Korean Peninsula, Reagan was redirected to Japan to provide support after the massive 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Learn more about the USS Ronald Reagan: http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/cvn76/Pages/default.aspx
A restrictive year-long Congressional continuing resolution and sequestration has real impacts for real people, like those at Dante Valve Company in California. Watch the video from CBS News about how this small business, which makes relief valves for U.S. Navy ships — including aircraft carriers — is dealing with the uncertainty caused by the budget crisis. Dante Valve was scheduled to receive $1 million in business from the four-year maintenance overhaul of the U.S. Navy Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). The U.S. Navy was forced to postpone that work due to the uncertainty around funding.
(Source: cbsnews.com)
The U.S. carrier is a very modern, very mobile U.S. military base complete with airfield, hospital and communications systems from which the United States can strike at its enemies, making them a cornerstone of America’s ability to project its power and strength.
Here, we’ll share behind-the-scenes photos and videos about America's aircraft carriers, as well as keep you abreast of all things carrier.
