On Saturday, August 27, 2022 the ceremonial keel will be laid on the U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Enterprise (CVN 80), in Newport News, Virginia. This is a moment of celebration for both the shipyard and supply-chain, and the more than 92,000 essential workers who design, weld, build, and maintain the components that go on these cutting-edge warships.
The Navy is confident in its supply chain and the availability of spare parts to build and sustain its aircraft carriers, as the lead ship in the Gerald R. Ford class gears up for its first deployment, two service officials said last week.
“We can move more weapons in a safer way, a faster way to a flight deck that is larger and more flexible. And that all contributes to the kind of agility, lethality, and flexibility the Ford brings to the fight,” Rear Adm. Clapperton, Commander Strike Group 12, said of CVN 78.
Discussing how CVN 78 can go from its highest speed to an emergency stop within the length of four ships, Capt. J.J. Cummings, Commanding Officer said “For a 90,000-ton ship, that’s pretty amazing. And that’s a direct result of the automatic throttles downstairs – makes this thing very responsive to speed, and then stopping power is an automatic feature of those throttles.”
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