Carrier George H.W. Bush leaves for sea trials

Posted to: Military Norfolk
Login or register to post comments

By Matthew Jones
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 13, 2009

The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush left for sea trials this morning, a couple weeks later than originally planned, a spokeswoman from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding said Friday.

The $6.3 billion ship was granted a special commissioned status Jan. 10 after being transferred to Norfolk Naval Station via tugboat for a commissioning ceremony attended by its namesake.

Before trials could begin, the ship had to undergo an operation known as “fast cruise,” a training period that mimics being at sea. The carrier is expected to be delivered this spring, with operational training set for late this year and operational deployment beginning in 2010.

For more details, return to PilotOnline.com later and read tomorrow's Virginian-Pilot.

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.