USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH (CVN-77)

'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; her successor 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. 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 $4,500,000,000. The aircraft carrier was christened on October 7, 2006, and delivery is set for 2008. She is scheduled to be commissioned in 2009.

Contents

Features of CVN 77

See also

Trivia

External links

Features of CVN 77

Several features differentiate CVN-77 from other ships in the ''Nimitz'' class. These include:

★ Bulbous bow design: Improves hull efficiency and reduces drag. This feature was not included in the model used for the announcement ceremony, and was first used on the USS ''Ronald Reagan''.

★ Passive jet blast deflector: Redesigns and new materials mean reduced maintenance costs.

★ Island designs: Improve flight deck access and reduce signature and electronic self-interference.

★ Signature reduction: Curved flight deck edges, enclosed antenna farms, and smaller islands add up to maximum stealth.

★ Aircraft pit stop: Semi-automated refueling and servicing in a new configuration and deck location provides faster, more efficient airwing pit stops and requires fewer people.

★ Hangar bay: New designs reduce clutter.

★ Manpower reductions: Technology, space rearrangement, operational procedure changes, advanced sensor technologies and condition-based maintenance systems all allow for a smaller, specially-trained crew.

★ Reconfigurable spaces: Life-of-the-ship modular construction designs provide flexibility and reduce cost.

★ Expanded bandwidth: More onboard and offboard capability gives the ship a communications edge.

★ Zonal electrical distribution systems: Isolate the potential for problems and minimizes the effect on the rest of the ship.

★ Automation insertion: Material movement devices, semi-autonomous, gravity compensated weapons handling devices, damage control automation systems and components will reduce the ship's crew and costs.

See also

★ List of aircraft carriers

★ List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy

Trivia

★ The carrier was officially "''George H. W. Bush''" upon christening, and will become "USS ''George H. W. Bush''" upon commissioning. The crew make up "Precommissioning Unit (PCU) ''George H. W. Bush''," alternately "PCU-77."

★

External links

★ Shipyard: CVN 77 section of the Northrop Grumman Newport News site

★ Crew: The Navy's Pre-Commissioning Unit for CVN 77

★ Global Security's entry for CVN 77

★ 1998 Article "Front Loading the CVN 77..." which analyzes how the DoD's changes to initial funding affect long range savings in procurement

★ A video on how the CVN-77 was made.