AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 14, 2013) An X-47B Unmanned Combat Air...

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:13:42 -0400

ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 14, 2013) An X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator flies near the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

George H.W. Bush is the first aircraft carrier to successfully catapult launch an unmanned aircraft from its flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Released)

History was made Tuesday when the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air...

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:47:00 -0400

History was made Tuesday when the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator (UCAS-D) completed its first ever carrier-based catapult launch from an aircraft carrier, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), off the coast of Virginia. Bravo Zulu!

Naval aviation history will be made today when an X-47B...

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:02:54 -0400

Naval aviation history will be made today when an X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator will be launched from a modern aircraft carrier — USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) — for the first time.

Read about the launch at http://navylive.dodlive.mil.

Today is the anniversary of the start of the World War II Battle...

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:58:00 -0400

USS Lexington (CV-2) during the action, seen from USS Yorktown (CV-5), 8 May 1942

View on the flight deck of USS Lexington (CV-2)

Today is the anniversary of the start of the World War II Battle of the Coral Sea. The battle was the first engagement in modern naval history in which opposing warships did not exchange a shot — all damage was inflicted by carrier aircraft. The battle secured the aircraft carrier’s position as the preeminent weapon on the high seas.

Led by two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, USS Lexington (CV 2) and USS Yorktown (CV 5), the allied carrier forces fought to prevent the Imperial Japanese Navy’s plan to capture Port Moresby, New Guinea and isolate Australia.

The exchange of airstrikes ended a day later, on May 8, 1942. The Battle of the Coral Sea was a strategic victory for the allied forces marking the first time a U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invading force.

Learn more about the Battle of the Coral Sea: http://bit.ly/15c7mWv

To mark this day in U.S. aircraft carrier history, share this post.

(Photo Credits: National Archives and Naval History & Heritage Command)

On May 3, 1975, the U.S Navy commissioned USS Nimitz (CVN 68)...

Fri, 03 May 2013 08:17:00 -0400

On May 3, 1975, the U.S Navy commissioned USS Nimitz (CVN 68) into service at the Norfolk Naval Base. Her commissioning marked the beginning of a new class of aircraft carriers. President Gerald R. Ford spoke eloquently at the event.

In his remarks, Ford declared, “Wherever the United States Ship Nimitz shows her flag, she will be seen as we see her now, a solid symbol of United States strength, United States resolve—made in America and manned by Americans.”

For nearly forty years, Nimitz — named for Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, a five-star admiral during World War II — and her crew have patrolled the globe projecting power and peace.

Later this year the U.S. Navy will christen Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first carrier in the new Ford class, the next generation of aircraft carriers. Its unique engineering and design innovations increase mission effectiveness, reduce workload for sailors and lower operating costs for the U.S. Navy.

Learn more about the legacy of the USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

Read the full remarks of President Ford’s speech.

Celebrate the commissioning of the USS Nimitz by sharing this post.

[Photo credit: U.S. Navy]

Shipbuilders at Newport News Shipbuilding are working night and...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:05:39 -0400

Shipbuilders at Newport News Shipbuilding are working night and day to finish the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Photo by John Whalen.

On April 18, 1942, 668 nautical miles from Japan, USS Hornet (CV...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:43:53 -0400

On April 18, 1942, 668 nautical miles from Japan, USS Hornet (CV 8) launched the first-ever air attack on the Japanese Home Islands. Led by Col. James H. Doolittle, the mission was the most daring operation yet undertaken by the United States in the young Pacific War and came to be known as the Doolittle Raid.

This historic mission, and scores that followed to present day, underscore the vital role of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to rapidly transport large, powerful forces to engage the enemy in any region in the world.

USS Hornet was built at Newport News shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia, and commissioned six weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Learn more about the USS Hornet from the Naval History and Heritage Command: http://bitly.com/11bjT6m

To mark the USS Hornet’s place in history, share this post.

(Photo Credit: National Archives and Naval History & Heritage Command)

The flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:51:49 -0400

The flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is now complete following the addition of the ship’s upper bow section on April 9 at Newport News Shipbuilding. Read all about it.

The annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition begins today at Gaylord...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:04:12 -0400

The annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition begins today at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland. Look up and you’ll see Huntington Ingalls Industries’ banner displaying its pride in building U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. You can’t miss it.

This picture, taken in March 2012, is the same banner hanging in front of the New York Stock Exchange.

Show your carrier pride, share the picture.

The Most Powerful Signature at Sea. The nuclear-powered aircraft...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:54:00 -0400

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.

Share this image with your friends.

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) arrived at Newport News...

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:09:16 -0400

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...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:10:00 -0400

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...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:36:56 -0400

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...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:04:00 -0400

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...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:09:04 -0400

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...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:46:00 -0400

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...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:51:34 -0400

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...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 08:24:00 -0500

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...

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:39:00 -0500

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.