HII [HII] Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) accomplished a 69-month refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) work on the USS George Washington (CVN-73) aircraft carrier and redelivered the ship to the Navy on May 25.
CVN-73 is the sixth -class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and is now scheduled to return to the U.S. seventh Fleet for deployment in 2024 because the Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Japan aircraft carrier. There it is going to replace the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in that forward-deployed role. CVN-76 previously relieved CVN-73 for that role in 2015.
The RCOH process occurs just once during an aircraft carriers 50-year lifetime and includes refueling, upgrades, maintenance and repairs to the 2 nuclear reactors in addition to upgrading and modernizing other ship spaces and systems like tanks, hull, shafting, propellers, rudders, piping, ventilation, electrical and combat and aviation support systems.
Sea trials following the RCOH preceded redelivery, to check that full ship systems are operating appropriately. This included executing high-speed maneuvering, stressing latest technology and equipment, and demonstrating all major capabilities.
“Redelivering to the Navy is the top results of incredible teamwork between our shipbuilders, the CVN 73 crew, our government partners and all of our suppliers. has undergone a change and now returns to the fleet as a totally recapitalized ship, able to support any mission and serve our nation for one more 25 years,” said Todd West, NNS vp, in-service aircraft carrier programs.
Rear Adm. James P. Downey, Program Executive Office Aircraft Carriers, noted this RCOH was longer than normal, partly as a result of challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, supplier issues and competing resource requirements.
“This has been a difficult RCOH on many fronts, and the team executing the RCOH including the shipbuilder, GW crew, and plenty of other suppliers and Navy commands teamed to redeliver this aircraft carrier in the course of the pandemic by re-engineering our approach to working with suppliers and the shipyard and accelerating problem solving on the deck plates,’ Downey said.
He noted CVN-73’s RCOH included adding technology to accommodate the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter and improve scheduling issues in the ultimate portions of the upkeep period.
“Over the past six months the combined shipyard, ship’s force, Supervisor of Shipbuilding Newport News, Type Commander, and In-service Aircraft Carrier Program Office, PMS 312, team have produced admirable schedule adherence…rising to the challenge to redeliver to the fleet in time to transition to FDNF, bringing full fifth-generation fighter capability to dissuade our peer to see competitors.”
HII also noted the George Washington is the sixth Nimitz-class carrier to undergo RCOH at its shipyard and that an RCOH represents about 35 percent of all the upkeep and modernization across a carrier’s service life.
The corporate said it’s otherwise continuing to work on the RCOH for the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), with progress including installation of the primary mast.