USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) is the tenth and last Nimitz class supercarrier of the United States Navy. She is named for former President George H. W. Bush, who was a naval aviator during World War II. George H. W. Bush is to be the final Nimitz class aircraft carrier constructed; the next carrier built will be Gerald R. Ford, the first of a new class.
She is the second United States aircraft carrier to be named after a naval aviator (Forrestal was the first). Other naval vessels named for aviators include frigates McClusky and Thach, and destroyer Massey, all named for aviators who commanded formations in the Battle of Midway. George H.W. Bush is also the second aircraft carrier, following Reagan, to be named after a living former President. While still a Nimitz class ship, George H. W. Bush differs significantly from her predecessors, even more so than the differences between CVN 68–70 and CVN 71–76.
Construction began in 2001 by the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard, at a cost of $4.5 billion.[1] The aircraft carrier was christened on 7 October 2006, and delivery is set for 2008. She is scheduled to be commissioned in 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_George_H._W._Bush
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About The Ship
Description
Aircraft carriers provide a wide range of possible response for the National Command Authority.
Features
The aircraft carrier continues to be the centerpiece of the forces necessary for forward presence. Whenever there has been a crisis, the first question has been: "Where are the carriers?" Carriers support and operate aircraft that engage in attacks on airborne, afloat, and ashore targets that threaten free use of the sea; and engage in sustained operations in support of other forces.
Aircraft carriers are deployed worldwide in support of U.S. interests and commitments. They can respond to global crises in ways ranging from peacetime presence to full-scale war. Together with their on-board air wings, the carriers have vital roles across the full spectrum of conflict.
The Nimitz-class carriers, nine operational and one under construction, are the largest warships in the world. USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was the first to undergo its initial refueling during a 33-month Refueling Complex Overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., in 1998. The next generation of carrier, the GERALD R. FORD Class (the lead ship hull number will be CVN 78), is programmed to start construction in 2007 and is slated to be delivered in 2015 to replace USS Enterprise (CVN 65). CVN 79 is programmed to begin construction in 2012 and to be placed in commission in 2018.
Background
The Carrier Mission is:
To provide a credible, sustainable, independent forward presence and conventional deterrence in peacetime
To operate as the cornerstone of joint/allied maritime expeditionary forces in times of crisis
To operate and support aircraft attacks on enemies, protect friendly forces and engage in sustained independent operations in war
General Characteristics, Nimitz Class
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, VA.
Date Deployed: May 3, 1975 (USS Nimitz).
Unit Cost: About $4.5 billion each.
Propulsion: Two nuclear reactors, four shafts.
Length: 1,092 feet (332.85 meters).
Beam: 134 feet (40.84 meters); Flight Deck Width: 252 feet (76.8 meters).
Displacement: Approximately 97,000 tons (87,996.9 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 30+ knots (34.5+ miles per hour).
Crew: Ship's Company: 3,200 - Air Wing: 2,480.
Armament: Two or three (depending on modification) NATO Sea Sparrow launchers, 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts: (3 on Nimitz and Dwight D. Eisenhower and 4 on Vinson and later ships of the class.).
George H.W. Bush Construction
Contract awarded January 26, 2001
Seven-year construction timeframe
Keel Laid September 6, 2003
Christened October 7, 2006
Delivery scheduled for late 2008
47,000 tons of structural steel and about a million pounds of aluminum
Modular construction process forms large individual units of the ship much like interlocking building blocks
Units welded together to form a module or superlift weighing up to 900 tons
Capability
Top speed exceeds 30 knots
Powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling
Expected to operate as Navy warship for about 50 years
Typical Nimitz-class ship carries 80-plus combat aircraft
Three two-inch diameter arresting wires on the deck bring an airplane going 150 miles per hour to a stop in less than 400 feet
Size
Towers 20 stories above the waterline with a 4.5-acre flight deck
1,092 feet long: nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall
Four bronze propellers, each 21 feet across and weighing more than 30 tons
Steering accomplished by two rudders, each 29 feet by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons
Four high speed aircraft elevators, each more than 4,000 square feet, bring planes to the flight deck from the hangar below
Capacity
Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel
Enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days: 18,150 meals served daily
Distillation plants providing 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2,000 homes
Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,600 miles of cable and wiring
1,400 telephones, 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets
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GOD JESUS SAVIOR