USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)

USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) is the seventh Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the United States Navy, named for Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi. She was commissioned on 9 December 1995. Her home port is Bremerton, Washington.

The mission of Stennis and her embarked Air Wing (CVW-9) is to conduct sustained combat air operations while forward deployed in the global arena. The embarked Air Wing consists of eight to nine squadrons. Attached aircraft are Navy and Marine F/A-18 Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, MH-60R, MH-60S, and E-2C Hawkeye.

The Air Wing can engage enemy aircraft, submarines, and land targets, or lay mines hundreds of miles from the ship. Stennis's aircraft are used to conduct strikes, support land battles, protect the Battle Group or other friendly shipping, and implement a sea or air blockade. The Air Wing provides a visible presence to demonstrate American power and resolve in a crisis. The ship normally operates as the centerpiece of a Carrier Battle Group commanded by a flag officer embarked upon Stennis and consisting of four to six other ships.

Stennis's two nuclear reactors give her virtually unlimited range and endurance and a top speed in excess of 30 knots (56 km/h, 34.5 mph). The ship's four catapults and four arresting gear engines enable her to launch and recover aircraft rapidly and simultaneously. The ship carries approximately 3 million US gallons (11,000 m3) of fuel for her aircraft and escorts, and enough weapons and stores for extended operations without replenishment. Stennis also has extensive repair capabilities, including a fully equipped Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, a micro-miniature electronics repair shop, and numerous ship repair shops.

For defense, in addition to her Air Wing and accompanying vessels, Stennis has NATO RIM-7 Sea Sparrow and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) surface-to-air missile systems, the Phalanx Close-in Weapons System for cruise missile defense, and the AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System.

General Characteristic

Class & type	Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt subclass
Displacement	103,300 long tons (115,700 short tons)
Length	Overall: 1,092 feet (332.8 m)
Waterline	1,040 feet (317.0 m)
Beam	Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m)
Waterline	134 ft (40.8 m)
Draft	Maximum navigational: 37 ft (11.3 m)
Limit	41 ft (12.5 m)
Installed power	A/C plant capacity: 2,900 refrigeration tons (10.2 megawatts) Distillation plant capacity: 400,000 US gallons (1,500 m3)
Propulsion	2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors 4 × steam turbines 4 × shafts 260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed	30+ knots (56+ km/h; 35+ mph)
Range	Unlimited distance; 20-25 years
Capacity	6500 officers and crew (with embarked airwing)
Complement	Ship's company: 3,200
Air wing	2,480
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radar AN/SPN-41 landing aid radars 4 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems 4 × Mk 95 radars
Electronic warfare & decoys	SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures
Armament	2 × Mk 57 Mod3 Sea Sparrow 2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile 3 × Phalanx CIWS
Armor	Classified
Aircraft carried	90 fixed wing and helicopters
Aviation facilities	catapults: 4
Facilities	aircraft elevators: 4

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USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is the tenth and final Nimitz-class supercarrier of the United States Navy. She is named for the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, who was a naval aviator during World War II. Bush's callsign is Avenger, after the TBM Avenger aircraft flown by then-Lieutenant George Bush in WWII. Construction began in 2001 at the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard and was completed in 2009 at a cost of $6.2 billion. She is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. 

Bush stretches 1,092 feet and displaces over 100,000 tons, making her one of the world’s largest warships (though she is slightly shorter than USS Enterprise). Her top speed exceeds 30 knots and powered with two nuclear reactors, she can operate for more than 20 years without refueling.

Several features differentiate CVN-77 from other ships in the Nimitz class.

Hull

New hull design features include a new propeller design, a new bulbous bow design that provides more buoyancy to the forward end of the ship and improves hull efficiency, curved flight deck edges to reduce radar signature, a new underwater hull-coating system, deck covering modernized to reduce ship weight by 100 tons, low Solar Absorptive and Anti-Stain Paint, and a redesigned hangar bay that has less clutter.

Island

Bush is the second carrier to have a modernized island, which includes a new radar tower (enclosed to reduce radar signature), navigation system upgrades, communication systems enhancements, and transparent armor windows. The island is smaller and has been repositioned further aft to improve flight deck access and reduce signature and electronic self-interference.

Air operations

New air operations design features include an updated aviation-fuel storage and distribution system, semi-automated refueling and servicing with new deck locations to provide faster, more efficient aircraft pit stops, requiring fewer people, modernized aircraft launch and recovery equipment, and redesigned jet blast deflectors.

Environmental

Environmental upgrades have also been designed into the ship, including a vacuum collection/marine sanitation device (VC/MSD), a new marine sewage system that uses fresh water in lieu of sea water for lower maintenance costs. Many older ships in the U.S. Navy utilize a gravity-driven collection holding and transfer (CHT) system to handle sewage waste. Newer US Navy ships, including now CVN-77, collect sewage waste by vacuum, allowing for greater flexibility in piping installation, smaller pipe sizes overall and reducing water consumption. The collection tanks of Bush were modified to accommodate both the VCHT (Vacuum CHT) equipment and the elements of a marine sanitization device to treat the waste prior to discharge. Bush is the first and only aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy to combine the two technologies.

This new VC/MSD driven waste management system has, however, not been without problems. Reports began surfacing immediately after delivery in May 2009 of issues with the ships toilet system. As of November, 2011, the entire system has gone down at least twice, rendering all 423 commodes in the ship's 130 heads inoperable, with many more incidents that have rendered either half of the ship, or sections of the ship, without operating sanitary facilities. In one ship-wide incident, a repair crew spent 35 non-stop hours attempting to return the system to working order. The system is said to suffer breakdowns when inappropriate materials such as feminine hygiene products are flushed down the toliets.

Electronics and communications

New electronics and communications technology, space rearrangement, operational procedure changes, advanced sensor technologies and maintenance systems have been incorporated to reduce manning costs. A new zonal electrical distribution system will keep problems from affecting other parts of the ship. Automated material movement devices, semi-autonomous, gravity compensated weapons handling devices, damage control automation systems and components have also been installed. Medical and dental equipment have been upgraded, integrated display screens in Damage Control Central have been modernized to improve data integration and display, and equipment in general shops has been modernized to improve productivity.

Namesake

At age 18, George H. W. Bush became the Navy's youngest pilot when he received his Naval Aviator wings and naval commission. He flew torpedo bombers off USS San Jacinto on active duty from August 1942 to September 1945 during World War II. On 2 September 1944, during a mission over the Pacific, Japanese anti-aircraft fire hit his plane. The Navy submarine, USS Finback, rescued him. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals for courageous service in the Pacific Theater. USS George H.W. Bush is the second United States aircraft carrier to be named after a naval aviator (Forrestal was the first) and the second, following Ronald Reagan, to be named after a living former president (Reagan was christened in 2001 while President Reagan was still living).

Ship's history

The contract to build CVN-77 was awarded to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Newport News on 26 January 2001. A naming ceremony was held on 9 December 2002 at Northrop Grumman Newport News, with Former President George H.W. Bush attending. The Honorable Gordon England, Secretary of the Navy, presided at a ceremony.

Construction

The Keel Laying ceremony was on 6 September 2003, with Former President George H. W. Bush serving as the keynote speaker. Former First Lady Barbara Bush also attended with their daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch, the ship's sponsor. The former President authenticated the keel by chalking his initials onto a metal plate. His initials were then welded onto the plate, which was permanently affixed to the ship.

The ship was modularly constructed, where large sections are assembled and then lifted into place using a large crane. Major milestones in the construction include the bow placement in March 2005, followed by the island placement on 8 July 2006. The 700-ton island was lifted onto the flight deck in a ceremony called “stepping the mast,” which dates from antiquity and consists of placing coins or other items of significance under the step or bottom of a ship’s mast during construction.

Since at least the construction of USS Constitution in the 1790s, this tradition has been passed on as a symbol of good luck for U.S. Navy ships. George H. W. Bush participated in the event, placing his naval aviator wings underneath the island during the ceremony.

George H.W. Bush was christened on 7 October 2006. Former President George H. W. Bush attended the ceremony and became the first president in history to participate in the christening of his namesake ship. President George W. Bush also attended and honored his father during the ceremony as a special guest speaker. Other officials participating in the ceremony included Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter; Virginia Senators John Warner and George Allen, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen.

Other construction milestones included catapult system testing on the ship's flight deck on 25 January 2008. Former President George H. W. Bush signaled the launch of two "dead loads" off the deck of the carrier. Dead loads are large, wheeled, steel vessels weighing up to 80,000 pounds, simulating the weight of actual aircraft.

On 11 August 2008, the Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) crew moved aboard the ship, the first meals were served in the galley, the U.S. flag was raised on the fantail for the first time, and the first watches were set.

Bush left Northrop Grumman Ship Building for the first time on 23 December 2008, proceeding a few miles down river to Norfolk Naval Station.

Part of the ship's steel was manufactured from re-forged steel made from the support columns hauled out of the Twin Towers wreckage.

Commissioning

USS George H.W. Bush was commissioned 10 January 2009 at Norfolk Naval Station prior to her official delivery to the Navy. 15,000 people were in attendance, including future PO1 retiree Roux, veterans of the USS San Jacinto, the ship George Bush served on during WWII. President George W. Bush delivered the principal address, George H.W. Bush set the first watch, and ship's sponsor Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch gave the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" A GM-built Grumman TBM Avenger like the one then-Lieutenant junior grade George Bush flew in WWII performed a fly-over. Northrop Grumman Corporation Builder's sea trials were completed on 16 February 2009, providing an opportunity to test systems, components and compartments at sea for the first time. The trials included high-speed runs and a demonstration of the carrier's other capabilities. Following builder's trials, the ship underwent acceptance trials on 10 April 2009, conducted by representatives of the U.S. Navy Board of Inspection and Survey, to test and evaluate the ship's systems and performance.

Delivery and shakedown

Bush was officially delivered to the Navy on 11 May 2009.

The first fixed-wing flights were conducted on 19 May 2009 when F/A-18 Super Hornets from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland began flight deck certification, which tests a carrier's ability to conduct air operations. On 26 May 2009, Former President George H.W. Bush and his daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch, flew aboard the carrier to observe flight operations during the ship's underway period in the Atlantic Ocean. USS George H.W. Bush successfully completed her first flight deck certification on that day. Bush returned to Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard on 18 June 2009 for post-delivery maintenance work, also known as the ship's post shakedown availability (PSA). A PSA is a typical availability in the early life of a carrier that allows the Navy and builder to resolve any items that came up during trials and delivery and make any last-minute changes and upgrades. Work includes the installation of a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) handling system and a new fresh water purification system. Other changes include compartment reconfigurations, combat system and radar equipment upgrades, and minor repairs. The work was scheduled to last through early 2010.

First deployment

The carrier and four other ships of its carrier strike group, under the command of Rear Admiral Nora Tyson, departed on its first deployment on 11 May 2011 and sailed across the Atlantic to Britain to participate in Exercise Saxon Warrior, held in the Western Approaches and culminating in a so called 'Thursday War'. She then moved towards Portsmouth, England on 27 May, anchoring adjacent to Stokes Bay through 31 May, because she was too large to enter the harbour, and the naval base did not have sufficient nuclear berths for the carrier to moor alongside. The carrier arrived at Naples, Italy on 10 June 2011.

On 23 August 2011, the carrier George H.W. Bush made its 20,000th arrested landing while operating in the Arabian Sea during flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This milestone was accomplished by LCDR Chris R. Swanson who was flying an E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 124.

The carrier returned to her home port of Norfolk on 10 December 2011, following a seven-month deployment supporting operations with the U.S. Navy's 5th and 6th fleets.

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USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)

USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) is the seventh Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the United States Navy, named for Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi. She was commissioned on 9 December 1995. Her home port is Bremerton, Washington

Mission and Capabilities

The mission of Stennis and her embarked Air Wing (CVW-9) is to conduct sustained combat air operations while forward deployed in the global arena. The embarked Air Wing consists of eight to nine squadrons. Attached aircraft are Navy and Marine F/A-18 Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, MH-60R, MH-60S, and E-2C Hawkeye.

The Air Wing can engage enemy aircraft, submarines, and land targets, or lay mines hundreds of miles from the ship. Stennis's aircraft are used to conduct strikes, support land battles, protect the Battle Group or other friendly shipping, and implement a sea or air blockade. The Air Wing provides a visible presence to demonstrate American power and resolve in a crisis. The ship normally operates as the centerpiece of a Carrier Battle Group commanded by a flag officer embarked upon Stennis and consisting of four to six other ships.

Stennis's two nuclear reactors give her virtually unlimited range and endurance and a top speed in excess of 30 knots (56 km/h, 34.5 mph). The ship's four catapults and four arresting gear engines enable her to launch and recover aircraft rapidly and simultaneously. The ship carries approximately 3 million US gallons (11,000 m3) of fuel for her aircraft and escorts, and enough weapons and stores for extended operations without replenishment. Stennis also has extensive repair capabilities, including a fully equipped Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department, a micro-miniature electronics repair shop, and numerous ship repair shops.

For defense, in addition to her Air Wing and accompanying vessels, Stennis has NATO RIM-7 Sea Sparrow and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) surface-to-air missile systems, the Phalanx Close-in Weapons System for cruise missile defense, and the AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System.

History

The nuclear-powered USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) was contracted on 29 March 1988, and the keel was laid on 13 March 1991 at Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Va.

The ship was christened on 11 November 1993, in honor of Senator John Cornelius Stennis (D-Mississippi) who served in the Senate from 1947 to 1989. The daughter of the ship’s namesake, Mrs. Margaret Stennis-Womble, was the ship’s sponsor. Stennis was commissioned on 9 December 1995 at Naval Station Norfolk, Va, and she conducted flight deck certification in January 1996. The first arrested landing was by a VX-23 F-14B. The ship conducted numerous Carrier Qualifications and Independent Steaming Exercises off the East Coast throughout the next two years. Included among these events was the first carrier landing of an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet on 18 January 1997.

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USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) is the ninth nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth in the Nimitz class. The keel was laid by Newport News Shipbuilding November 29, 1993, and the ship, named after the 33rd President of the United States, was christened September 7, 1996. The ship was launched September 13, 1996, and delivered to the United States Navy June 30, 1998. USS Harry S. Truman was commissioned July 25, 1998.

In August 1998, TRUMAN was put to sea for the first time as a U.S. Navy carrier to conduct Flight Deck Certifications, an evolution designed to test the ship’s ability to successfully launch and recover aircraft. After an extensive work-up cycle that tested the ship and challenged her crew, TRUMAN embarked on its maiden deployment November 28, 2000. On February 16, 2001, the TRUMAN team was called into action in support of Operation Southern Watch. In response to surface-to-air missile fire against coalition forces enforcing United Nations Security Counsel Resolutions, aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) took part in a sanctioned response and struck Iraqi integrated air defense system sites. After nearly 180 days and traveling more than 44,000 nautical miles, TRUMAN completed her first deployment May 23, 2001. TRUMAN entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for her first Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) September 5, 2001. Six months later, TRUMAN began training for her second deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, which began December 5, 2002.

In early February 2003, TRUMAN took up station in the Eastern Mediterranean and waited for word to launch strikes against Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. When the order came in the late-night hours of March 19, 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom was in full swing. TRUMAN successfully launched 1,280 sorties, dropped more than 700 tons of ordnance and helped liberate the people of Iraq. The ship returned to her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk May 23, 2003. In August 2003, TRUMAN entered NNSY again for her second PIA. On February 13, 2004, the ship pulled out of the shipyard four days early and under budget. In November 2007, TRUMAN departed Norfolk on a seven-month combat deployment. During the deployment, TRUMAN supported Maritime Security Operations in the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf. TRUMAN also launched 2,459 combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After completing a third successful PIA in February 2009, TRUMAN deployed in May 2010 for seven months. During the deployment, TRUMAN traveled more than 50,000 nautical miles and flew more than 10,000 sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn.  The ship returned to Norfolk December 21, 2010. 

TRUMAN is currently undergoing a Drydock Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) at NNSY after which she will begin another cycle of work-ups to prepare for her next deployment. USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) has won six Battle "E" awards: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010. 

Description of Ship

Harry Truman (also known as HST within the Navy) is 1,092 ft (333 m) long, 257 ft (78 m) wide and is as high as a twenty-four-story building, at 244 feet (74 m). The super carrier can accommodate approximately 80 aircraft and has a flight deck 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) in size, using four elevators that are 3,880 ft² (360 m²) each to move planes between the flight deck and the hangar bay. With a combat load, HST displaces almost 97,000 tons and can accommodate 6,250 crewmembers. Her four distilling units can make 400,000 U.S. gallons (1,500 m³) of potable water a day; her food service divisions serve 18,000 meals per day. There are over 2,500 compartments on board requiring 2,520 tons (2.1 MW) of air conditioning capacity (enough to cool over 2,000 homes). The warship uses two Mark II stockless anchors that came from USS Forrestal and weigh 30 tons each, with each link of the anchor chain weighing 360 pounds (160 kg). She is currently equipped with three 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and two Sea Sparrow SAM launchers. The ship cost over $4.5 billion in 2007 dollars to manufacture.

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USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) or IKE (the surename) is an aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class supercarriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. The vessel was initially named simply as USS Eisenhower, much like the lead ship of the class Nimitz, but the name was changed to its present form on 25 May 1970. The carrier, like all others of her class, was constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Virginia, with the same design as the lead ship, although the ship has been overhauled twice to bring her up to the standards of those constructed more recently. Since commissioning, Eisenhower has participated in deployments including Operation Eagle Claw during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980, as well as the Gulf War in the 1990s, and more recently in support of US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On 29 June 1970, Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News, Virginia was awarded the contract for construction. On 30 June 1975, her designation was changed from CVAN-69 to CVN-69. She was laid down as hull number 599 on 15 August 1970 at Newport News shipyard at a cost of $679 million ($4.5 billion in 2007 dollars), launched 11 October 1975 after christening by Mamie Doud-Eisenhower, and commissioned 18 October 1977, Captain William E. Ramsey in command. Since her commissioning, Eisenhower has had 13 Commanding Officers. On commissioning, she replaced the aging World War II–era carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in the fleet.

Eisenhower has earned a number of awards, including the Battle "E" in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1998, 1999 and 2006 as the most battle efficient carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. In 1999, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet. In addition, she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation with service star (1980, 1983); the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with four service stars (1990, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2007); the Navy Expeditionary Medal (1980), the National Defense Service Medal with service star; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with three service stars (1983, 1994, 1998, 2000); and Southwest Asia Service Medal with two campaign stars. The ship also won the Atlantic Fleet Retention Excellence Award (aka the Golden Anchor Award) in 1999; as well as the Battenberg Cup in 2006.

The Eisenhower will eventually be replaced around 2021 by the Gerald R. Ford–class aircraft carrier CVN-80. Said name of CVN-80 is currently unknown.

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USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is the tenth and final Nimitz-class supercarrier of the United States Navy. She is named for the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, who was a naval aviator during World War II. Bush's callsign is Avenger, after the TBM Avenger aircraft flown by then-Lieutenant George Bush in WWII. Construction began in 2001 at the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard and was completed in 2009 at a cost of $6.2 billion. She is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. 

Bush stretches 1,092 feet and displaces over 100,000 tons, making her one of the world’s largest warships (though she is slightly shorter than USS Enterprise). Her top speed exceeds 30 knots and powered with two nuclear reactors, she can operate for more than 20 years without refueling.

Several features differentiate CVN-77 from other ships in the Nimitz class.

Hull

New hull design features include a new propeller design, a new bulbous bow design that provides more buoyancy to the forward end of the ship and improves hull efficiency, curved flight deck edges to reduce radar signature, a new underwater hull-coating system, deck covering modernized to reduce ship weight by 100 tons, low Solar Absorptive and Anti-Stain Paint, and a redesigned hangar bay that has less clutter.

Island

Bush is the second carrier to have a modernized island, which includes a new radar tower (enclosed to reduce radar signature), navigation system upgrades, communication systems enhancements, and transparent armor windows. The island is smaller and has been repositioned further aft to improve flight deck access and reduce signature and electronic self-interference.

Air operations

New air operations design features include an updated aviation-fuel storage and distribution system, semi-automated refueling and servicing with new deck locations to provide faster, more efficient aircraft pit stops, requiring fewer people, modernized aircraft launch and recovery equipment, and redesigned jet blast deflectors.

Environmental

Environmental upgrades have also been designed into the ship, including a vacuum collection/marine sanitation device (VC/MSD), a new marine sewage system that uses fresh water in lieu of sea water for lower maintenance costs. Many older ships in the U.S. Navy utilize a gravity-driven collection holding and transfer (CHT) system to handle sewage waste. Newer US Navy ships, including now CVN-77, collect sewage waste by vacuum, allowing for greater flexibility in piping installation, smaller pipe sizes overall and reducing water consumption. The collection tanks of Bush were modified to accommodate both the VCHT (Vacuum CHT) equipment and the elements of a marine sanitization device to treat the waste prior to discharge. Bush is the first and only aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy to combine the two technologies.

This new VC/MSD driven waste management system has, however, not been without problems. Reports began surfacing immediately after delivery in May 2009 of issues with the ships toilet system. As of November, 2011, the entire system has gone down at least twice, rendering all 423 commodes in the ship's 130 heads inoperable, with many more incidents that have rendered either half of the ship, or sections of the ship, without operating sanitary facilities. In one ship-wide incident, a repair crew spent 35 non-stop hours attempting to return the system to working order. The system is said to suffer breakdowns when inappropriate materials such as feminine hygiene products are flushed down the toliets.

Electronics and communications

New electronics and communications technology, space rearrangement, operational procedure changes, advanced sensor technologies and maintenance systems have been incorporated to reduce manning costs. A new zonal electrical distribution system will keep problems from affecting other parts of the ship. Automated material movement devices, semi-autonomous, gravity compensated weapons handling devices, damage control automation systems and components have also been installed. Medical and dental equipment have been upgraded, integrated display screens in Damage Control Central have been modernized to improve data integration and display, and equipment in general shops has been modernized to improve productivity.

Namesake

At age 18, George H. W. Bush became the Navy's youngest pilot when he received his Naval Aviator wings and naval commission. He flew torpedo bombers off USS San Jacinto on active duty from August 1942 to September 1945 during World War II. On 2 September 1944, during a mission over the Pacific, Japanese anti-aircraft fire hit his plane. The Navy submarine, USS Finback, rescued him. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals for courageous service in the Pacific Theater. USS George H.W. Bush is the second United States aircraft carrier to be named after a naval aviator (Forrestal was the first) and the second, following Ronald Reagan, to be named after a living former president (Reagan was christened in 2001 while President Reagan was still living).

Ship's history

The contract to build CVN-77 was awarded to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Newport News on 26 January 2001. A naming ceremony was held on 9 December 2002 at Northrop Grumman Newport News, with Former President George H.W. Bush attending. The Honorable Gordon England, Secretary of the Navy, presided at a ceremony.

Construction

The Keel Laying ceremony was on 6 September 2003, with Former President George H. W. Bush serving as the keynote speaker. Former First Lady Barbara Bush also attended with their daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch, the ship's sponsor. The former President authenticated the keel by chalking his initials onto a metal plate. His initials were then welded onto the plate, which was permanently affixed to the ship.

The ship was modularly constructed, where large sections are assembled and then lifted into place using a large crane. Major milestones in the construction include the bow placement in March 2005, followed by the island placement on 8 July 2006. The 700-ton island was lifted onto the flight deck in a ceremony called “stepping the mast,” which dates from antiquity and consists of placing coins or other items of significance under the step or bottom of a ship’s mast during construction.

Since at least the construction of USS Constitution in the 1790s, this tradition has been passed on as a symbol of good luck for U.S. Navy ships. George H. W. Bush participated in the event, placing his naval aviator wings underneath the island during the ceremony.

George H.W. Bush was christened on 7 October 2006. Former President George H. W. Bush attended the ceremony and became the first president in history to participate in the christening of his namesake ship. President George W. Bush also attended and honored his father during the ceremony as a special guest speaker. Other officials participating in the ceremony included Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter; Virginia Senators John Warner and George Allen, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen.

Other construction milestones included catapult system testing on the ship's flight deck on 25 January 2008. Former President George H. W. Bush signaled the launch of two "dead loads" off the deck of the carrier. Dead loads are large, wheeled, steel vessels weighing up to 80,000 pounds, simulating the weight of actual aircraft.

On 11 August 2008, the Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) crew moved aboard the ship, the first meals were served in the galley, the U.S. flag was raised on the fantail for the first time, and the first watches were set.

Bush left Northrop Grumman Ship Building for the first time on 23 December 2008, proceeding a few miles down river to Norfolk Naval Station.

Part of the ship's steel was manufactured from re-forged steel made from the support columns hauled out of the Twin Towers wreckage.

Commissioning

USS George H.W. Bush was commissioned 10 January 2009 at Norfolk Naval Station prior to her official delivery to the Navy. 15,000 people were in attendance, including future PO1 retiree Roux, veterans of the USS San Jacinto, the ship George Bush served on during WWII. President George W. Bush delivered the principal address, George H.W. Bush set the first watch, and ship's sponsor Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch gave the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" A GM-built Grumman TBM Avenger like the one then-Lieutenant junior grade George Bush flew in WWII performed a fly-over. Northrop Grumman Corporation Builder's sea trials were completed on 16 February 2009, providing an opportunity to test systems, components and compartments at sea for the first time. The trials included high-speed runs and a demonstration of the carrier's other capabilities. Following builder's trials, the ship underwent acceptance trials on 10 April 2009, conducted by representatives of the U.S. Navy Board of Inspection and Survey, to test and evaluate the ship's systems and performance.

Delivery and shakedown

Bush was officially delivered to the Navy on 11 May 2009.

The first fixed-wing flights were conducted on 19 May 2009 when F/A-18 Super Hornets from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland began flight deck certification, which tests a carrier's ability to conduct air operations. On 26 May 2009, Former President George H.W. Bush and his daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch, flew aboard the carrier to observe flight operations during the ship's underway period in the Atlantic Ocean. USS George H.W. Bush successfully completed her first flight deck certification on that day. Bush returned to Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard on 18 June 2009 for post-delivery maintenance work, also known as the ship's post shakedown availability (PSA). A PSA is a typical availability in the early life of a carrier that allows the Navy and builder to resolve any items that came up during trials and delivery and make any last-minute changes and upgrades. Work includes the installation of a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) handling system and a new fresh water purification system. Other changes include compartment reconfigurations, combat system and radar equipment upgrades, and minor repairs. The work was scheduled to last through early 2010.

First deployment

The carrier and four other ships of its carrier strike group, under the command of Rear Admiral Nora Tyson, departed on its first deployment on 11 May 2011 and sailed across the Atlantic to Britain to participate in Exercise Saxon Warrior, held in the Western Approaches and culminating in a so called 'Thursday War'. She then moved towards Portsmouth, England on 27 May, anchoring adjacent to Stokes Bay through 31 May, because she was too large to enter the harbour, and the naval base did not have sufficient nuclear berths for the carrier to moor alongside. The carrier arrived at Naples, Italy on 10 June 2011.

On 23 August 2011, the carrier George H.W. Bush made its 20,000th arrested landing while operating in the Arabian Sea during flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This milestone was accomplished by LCDR Chris R. Swanson who was flying an E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 124.

The carrier returned to her home port of Norfolk on 10 December 2011, following a seven-month deployment supporting operations with the U.S. Navy's 5th and 6th fleets.

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USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)

The supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), formerly CVA-63, was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers' first powered airplane flight. Kitty Hawk was both the first and last active ship of her class, and the last conventionally-fuelled aircraft carrier in service with the US Navy.

Kitty Hawk was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, 27 December 1956; and launched 21 May 1960, sponsored by Mrs. Camilla F. McElroy, wife of Secretary of Defense Neil H. McElroy; and commissioned 21 April 1961 at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Captain William F. Bringle in command.

Kitty Hawk was launched by flooding her drydock. A conventional slide down ways was ruled out because of her mass and the risk of impact with the Philadelphia shore on the far side of the Delaware River.

With the decommissioning of Independence on 30 September 1998, Kitty Hawk became the United States warship with the second longest active status in the Navy – the USS Constitution sailing ship in Boston Harbor is still retained on active Navy status. With this title came the distinction of being one of only two aircraft carriers ever to be honored with flying the First Navy Jack. This came to an end with an instruction dated 31 May 2002, where the Secretary of the Navy directed all United States Navy ships to fly this flag in honor of those killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks for the duration of the War on Terrorism.

For 10 years, Kitty Hawk was the forward-deployed carrier at Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan. In October 2008, she was replaced in this role by the George Washington. Kitty Hawk then returned to the United States and had her decommissioning ceremony on 31 January 2009. She was officially decommissioned on 12 May 2009 after almost 49 years of service. Kitty Hawk was replaced by the George H.W. Bush. She was the last oil fired carrier in service with the United States Navy.

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USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) - IKE

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) or IKE (the surename) is an aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class supercarriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. The vessel was initially named simply as USS Eisenhower, much like the lead ship of the class Nimitz, but the name was changed to its present form on 25 May 1970. The carrier, like all others of her class, was constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Virginia, with the same design as the lead ship, although the ship has been overhauled twice to bring her up to the standards of those constructed more recently. Since commissioning, Eisenhower has participated in deployments including Operation Eagle Claw during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980, as well as the Gulf War in the 1990s, and more recently in support of US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On 29 June 1970, Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News, Virginia was awarded the contract for construction. On 30 June 1975, her designation was changed from CVAN-69 to CVN-69. She was laid down as hull number 599 on 15 August 1970 at Newport News shipyard at a cost of $679 million ($4.5 billion in 2007 dollars), launched 11 October 1975 after christening by Mamie Doud-Eisenhower, and commissioned 18 October 1977, Captain William E. Ramsey in command. Since her commissioning, Eisenhower has had 13 Commanding Officers. On commissioning, she replaced the aging World War II–era carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt in the fleet.

Eisenhower has earned a number of awards, including the Battle "E" in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1998, 1999 and 2006 as the most battle efficient carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. In 1999, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet. In addition, she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation with service star (1980, 1983); the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with four service stars (1990, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2007); the Navy Expeditionary Medal (1980), the National Defense Service Medal with service star; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with three service stars (1983, 1994, 1998, 2000); and Southwest Asia Service Medal with two campaign stars. The ship also won the Atlantic Fleet Retention Excellence Award (aka the Golden Anchor Award) in 1999; as well as the Battenberg Cup in 2006.

The Eisenhower will eventually be replaced around 2021 by the Gerald R. Ford–class aircraft carrier CVN-80. Said name of CVN-80 is currently unknown.

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) is the ninth nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth in the Nimitz class. The keel was laid by Newport News Shipbuilding November 29, 1993, and the ship, named after the 33rd President of the United States, was christened September 7, 1996. The ship was launched September 13, 1996, and delivered to the United States Navy June 30, 1998. USS Harry S. Truman was commissioned July 25, 1998.

In August 1998, TRUMAN was put to sea for the first time as a U.S. Navy carrier to conduct Flight Deck Certifications, an evolution designed to test the ship’s ability to successfully launch and recover aircraft. After an extensive work-up cycle that tested the ship and challenged her crew, TRUMAN embarked on its maiden deployment November 28, 2000. On February 16, 2001, the TRUMAN team was called into action in support of Operation Southern Watch. In response to surface-to-air missile fire against coalition forces enforcing United Nations Security Counsel Resolutions, aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) took part in a sanctioned response and struck Iraqi integrated air defense system sites. After nearly 180 days and traveling more than 44,000 nautical miles, TRUMAN completed her first deployment May 23, 2001. TRUMAN entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for her first Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) September 5, 2001. Six months later, TRUMAN began training for her second deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, which began December 5, 2002.

 In early February 2003, TRUMAN took up station in the Eastern Mediterranean and waited for word to launch strikes against Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. When the order came in the late-night hours of March 19, 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom was in full swing. TRUMAN successfully launched 1,280 sorties, dropped more than 700 tons of ordnance and helped liberate the people of Iraq. The ship returned to her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk May 23, 2003. In August 2003, TRUMAN entered NNSY again for her second PIA. On February 13, 2004, the ship pulled out of the shipyard four days early and under budget. In November 2007, TRUMAN departed Norfolk on a seven-month combat deployment. During the deployment, TRUMAN supported Maritime Security Operations in the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf. TRUMAN also launched 2,459 combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After completing a third successful PIA in February 2009, TRUMAN deployed in May 2010 for seven months. During the deployment, TRUMAN traveled more than 50,000 nautical miles and flew more than 10,000 sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn.  The ship returned to Norfolk December 21, 2010.

 TRUMAN is currently undergoing a Drydock Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) at NNSY after which she will begin another cycle of work-ups to prepare for her next deployment. USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) has won six Battle "E" awards: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Description of Ship

Harry Truman (also known as HST within the Navy) is 1,092 ft (333 m) long, 257 ft (78 m) wide and is as high as a twenty-four-story building, at 244 feet (74 m). The super carrier can accommodate approximately 80 aircraft and has a flight deck 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) in size, using four elevators that are 3,880 ft² (360 m²) each to move planes between the flight deck and the hangar bay. With a combat load, HST displaces almost 97,000 tons and can accommodate 6,250 crewmembers. Her four distilling units can make 400,000 U.S. gallons (1,500 m³) of potable water a day; her food service divisions serve 18,000 meals per day. There are over 2,500 compartments on board requiring 2,520 tons (2.1 MW) of air conditioning capacity (enough to cool over 2,000 homes). The warship uses two Mark II stockless anchors that came from USS Forrestal[3] and weigh 30 tons each, with each link of the anchor chain weighing 360 pounds (160 kg). She is currently equipped with three 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and two Sea Sparrow SAM launchers. The ship cost over $4.5 billion in 2007 dollars to manufacture.

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USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN-76)

USS Ronald Reagan is the biggest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier in the world. Also know as (CVN-76), she is the ninth ship in the Nimitz class and the largest designation of flat top. She is the first nuclear powered warship of any kind to be named in honor of a former president still living at the time and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name. Powered by two nuclear reactors and driven by four bronzed propeller's weighing over 66,000 pounds each, the USS Ronald Reagan reaches speeds of over 30 knots. All the Nimitz class ships are almost identical. What makes this one the biggest is it's flight deck. The deck angle is increased from 9.05 degrees to 9.15 degrees from the center line. This allows unobstructed simultaneously launching and recovering of aircraft. (CVN-76) is practically a floating city, complete with it's own police department, "mayor" Commanding Officer, hospitals, laundry & dry cleaning services on-board, their own TV station, movie theater, legal department, fire department, and last but not least, it's own airport. With a projected service life into the 2050's, USS Ronald Reagan will be ready for anything for years to come, living up to her motto "Peace Through Strength".

The USS Regan's home port is Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California as a member of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. NAS North Island resembles a small city in it's facility content and it's operations. It has it's own police and fire departments, as well as advanced military security stations. It has large factory-type buildings which comprise the Naval Aviation Depot, employing 3,300 civilians, and it's own commissary, Navy Exchange, and housing units. Recreation facilities include officer, chief petty officer and enlisted clubs, movie theater, golf course, tennis courts, bowling alley, parks and beaches. It's airfield has over 230 stationed aircraft, and it's quay wall is homeport to two aircraft carriers: USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan. Additionally, the base is home to the Navy's only Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles, Mystic (DSRV-1) and Avalon (DSRV-2). The DSRV motor vessel support ships are also homeported here. With all the ships in port, the population of the station is nearly 35,000 active duty military, selected reserve military, and civilian personnel.

Design and Construction

The contract to build Reagan was awarded to Northrop Grumman Newport News and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 8 December 1994, and her keel was laid down on 12 February 1998. The budget for the ship had to be increased several times and ultimately $4.5 billion was spent on her construction. This included a redesigned ship island. Reagan was christened by Reagan's wife Nancy on 4 March 2001 at Newport News Shipbuilding, the crew moved aboard on 30 October 2002, and the ship was commissioned on 12 July 2003 at Naval Station Norfolk, with Captain J. W. Goodwin in command. Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney were both present at the ceremony, as well as Nancy Reagan, who gave the ship's crew the traditional first order as an active unit of the Navy: "Man the ship and bring her to life." Ronald Reagan made her maiden voyage on 21 July 2003. President Reagan, who did not attend either the launch or the commissioning due to Alzheimer's disease, died eleven months later. At the end of the graveside services, the ship's commanding officer at that time, Captain James Symonds, presented the flag that draped the former president's casket to Mrs. Reagan at her request. This was also the flag that had flown over Capitol Hill on 20 January 1981, when the president was inaugurated. At a later date, Captain Symonds also presented Mrs. Reagan the flag that had been flying over Ronald Reagan when the former president died.

Commanding Officers

John William "Bill" Goodwin — November 2000 – 28 August 2003

James A. Symonds — 28 August 2003 – 17 November 2005

Terry B. Kraft — 17 November 2005 – 2 May 2008

Kenneth Joseph "KJ" Norton – 2 May 2008 – August 2010

Thom W. Burke – August 2010 – present

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