Northrop to overhaul Carrier Roosevelt for $2.4B

By Robert McCabe
The Virginian-Pilot
© August 27, 2009

NORFOLK

The Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News a $2.4 billion contract for a major overhaul of the Theodore Roosevelt, a nuclear-powered carrier.

The work includes the re-fueling of the ship's reactors, as well as extensive modernization work to more than 2,300 compartments, 600 tanks and hundreds of systems.

In addition, major upgrades will be made to the flight deck, catapults, combat systems and the carrier's "island."

"During this large and complex project, we'll touch almost every part of the ship," said Jim Hughes, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's vice president of aircraft carrier overhaul and fleet support.

The "refueling and complex overhaul" is performed once in a carrier's life span. The process is intended to extend the life of a carrier by 25 years, to its 50-year mark.

The Roosevelt is the fourth ship in the Nimitz class to undergo such an overhaul. Built by Northrop Grumman, it was launched in 1984 and delivered to the Navy in 1986.

The Roosevelt is scheduled to arrive at the shipyard this month.

Work is expected to be completed by February 2013.

Robert McCabe, (757) 446-2327, robert.mccabe@pilotonline.com

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Where's the competition?

Submitted by markk33831 on Wed, 08/26/2009 at 10:49 pm.

Using the word 'awarded' makes it sound like there was competition for who was going to get the contract to refuel the TR. With Northrup-Grumman being the only company building aircraft carriers in America anymore, there isn't any other private company that has the capability to refuel or rework them, and you know U.S. Navy shipyards aren't allowed to compete for such contracts. This way, Northrup-Grumman can charge whatever they want and have all the cost overruns they want too and the American taxpayers will be stuck with the bill. You have to 'love' this so-called 'free enterprise' system we've got . . .