ACIBC Fact Sheet: Recent Developments
Recent Developments in Aircraft Carrier Construction and Maintenance
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CVN-77: On May 11, 2009 Northrop Grumman Corporation delivered the nation's newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) to the U.S. Navy. It is the 10th and final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and was constructed by the company's Shipbuilding sector in Newport News, Virginia.
The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70)
maneuvers away from the pier to turn the ship
around to enable operation of the ship's propellers
and complete the next phase of the scheduled
ship's refueling complex overhaul (RCOH). - CVN-78: Construction of Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the first ship in the newest class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, has begun in Newport News, Virginia. This new class of carrier will replace the Nimitz-class design that originated in the 1960s. The ship's keel was laid on November 14, 2009 and delivery to the Navy is scheduled for 2015.
- CVN-79: In January 2009 Northrop Grumman received a contract for construction preparation of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier CVN-79. The carrier, which has yet to be named, is the second ship of the Gerald R. Ford class. The full scale construction contract for CVN-79 is expected to begin in 2012.
- RCOH CVN-70: The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) completed its Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) in Newport News, Virginia and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding redelivered the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the U.S. Navy July 11, 2009. During the three-year RCOH, which occurs around midlife in the 50-year career of a carrier, the vessel undergoes refueling of its nuclear reactors, upgrades and modernization of its combat and communication systems and ship-wide overhaul of the hull, mechanical and electrical systems. CVN-70 was commissioned in 1982, and is scheduled to remain in service until 2032.
- RCOH CVN-71: USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) arrived in Newport News in October for its RCOH. Commissioned on October 25, 1986, CVN-71 is expected to remain in service until 2036.