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The Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the George H.W. Bush, was moved from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News to Norfolk Naval Station on Tuesday afternoon.
The ship is being prepared for commissioning on Jan. 10. The ship is the 10th and final aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class.
The carrier is not yet ready to sail but the Navy did not want to delay its commissioning; tugboats pulled it to Norfolk.
The Navy has not designated a homeport for the Bush. Politicians in Virginia and Florida are vying for it.
The $6.3 billion ship was originally scheduled for completion in April, but Northrop Grumman, the sole builder of nuclear-powered carriers for the Navy, has delayed it three times.
The Bush is 97 percent complete and should be finished by the end of March, a Northrop Grumman spokeswoman said Thursday. Painting, labeling of spaces, systems testing and sea trials remain.
The ship has to pass two sets of trials before official delivery to the Navy: the builder's testing of the ship's primary systems, including its steering gear, propulsion system and anchoring equipment, and a test drive by the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey.
The day the carrier is commissioned, it will be given the status "In Commission, Special." This allows it to take the name USS George H.W. Bush but means the Navy still won't "own" it yet.
Once the trials are over and the Navy is satisfied, it will accept delivery of the ship. At that point, it will officially join the fleet and be given the same status as other active carriers: "In Commission, Full."
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IQ
Well i have never had my IQ checked, however i am a mid sized contractor, and I can assure there will be one hell of a C-O for North Grumman to work out of sequence,disruption, and remobing the sub forces to Norfolk Naval shipyard to complete their work,just qualifying your men to enter there will be expensive.By the way C-O means change order, and I bet it will be in the millions.
Re: Raymond Key
Just for your information...Moving the carrier is all part of the contract that the Navy has with Grumman. Whether it is moved now or later doesn't matter. It is all included. "Some people" should really do their homework before making comments that clearly show their level of IQ.
Bush
With the country in a deep recession, Mr Bush is truly showing where he is at. By spending additional money to push a Aircraft carrier to Norfolk Naval Station just to make sure it is commissioned in his presidency,with his father's name on it, makes one shudder.The Bush years both his father and George junior were disasters for the country.Everyone knows Obama has been handed a bankrupt country, while the blue noses and a few insiders have become rich beyond belief, the rest of the 98%of the country are in despair and poverty.I pray Obama finds a way to bring the people out of this economic Hiroshima.Has anyone sat down and thought about the money,lives and our resources for George Junior to avenge his fathers failure in Iraq?President elect Obama "The People" are believing in you, to bring the country back to the people.
Pulled?
The word is "towed." You'd think that of all newspapers the Virginian-Pilot would get that right. On second thought....
Re: Comment from Richard
Thank you so much for your comment. I needed that laugh first thing this morning. My husband is on this ship and we watched it sail into Norfolk yesterday. It certainly was a sight to behold!!
What's in a name
You do realize that this carrier is named for the first President Bush (Bush 41) not the current President Bush (Bush 43).
97% complete?
That ship is a LONG way (read: much more than 3%) from being done. It's commissioning now, with the ship so far from complete, is certainly political. The real issue should be how the ship's schedule has been jerked around almost daily to satisfy political ends, and how the shipyard has known for years they are way behind schedule. Maybe if they hadn't diverted so many resources to the GW, they wouldn't be so far behind.
And cheer up folks, with as many lies and half-truths as Northrup Grumman and the Navy have let fly over this ship, they probably OUGHT to have called it the William J. Clinton.
Re: What's the Rush
The claim is it is too difficult and costly to change travel arrangements. Surely the Navy and Northrop Grumman knew that the ship was behind schedule months before the commissioning date.
My guess is they want to do it before the inauguration so that there is more impact when President G.W. Bush can give a speech to President G. H.W. Bush.
What's the rush?
So, what's the rush? Are they worried some petty partisan types will try to change the name?
re:wow
i am excited on both the name & the ship! bush is, was & will always be better than obama. lord help us! we may not even have these awesome ships with obama getting in office. i am ashamed to say he will be our president! go BUSH all the way! may you keep us safe from the terrorist.
blessing to all that serve on this ship!
merry CHRISTMAS